Movie Trailer Reviews

Director: Ryan Coogler Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole Starring: Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Michaela Coel, Dominique Thorne Synopsis: The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa. Ryan Coogler puts together an emotional film for not only the cast but the fans. The story weaves in the real-life tragedy of losing Chadwick Boseman so suddenly and serves as a great bookend for Phase 4 of the MCU. Phase 4 was clearly about grief and Wakanda Forever handles that extremely well. In addition to that, the film also introduces Namor to the MCU. Tenoch Huerta plays the character extremely well and is a great addition to the MCU. This film also serves as a great sequel to the first film in terms of themes and fallout from some of the things that happened in that movie. It's very clear that there is setup for much larger conflicts in Phase 5 but the film also d

Director: Todd Field Writers: Todd Field Starring: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss Synopsis: Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra.     Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Director: Martin McDonagh Writers: Martinn McDonagh Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon, Jon Kenny Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes Synopsis: Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them. Kriss, Ro & Brandon review a film that is clearly award season bait, The Banshees of Inisherin. The film isn't bad and is a decent middle of the road film. It is a big weird that it is getting the bounce that it is.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Writers: Adam Sztykiel, Rory Hainnes, Sohrab Noshirvani Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Shahi, Noah Centineo, Quintessa Swindell, Bodhi Sabongui Synopsis: Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods-and imprisoned just as quickly-Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world. After so many years (like 15), of Dwayne Johnson teasing a Black Adam movie, the movie has finally come out. And it's fine. The bar was extremely low for this film and despite all it's problems, it clears that bar. So there's that. This film can be explained by looking at its strengths being The Rock and its weaknesses are Dwayne Johnson. Here's what that means. For Black Adam to be any type of success it needed to be loud, violent and talk a big game. That's WWE The Rock. And that's what we got in the promotion of this film and even what the film does on screen. It's not intere

Synopsis: The true story of Mamie Till-Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who was brutally lynched in 1955 while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.  Writer: Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, Chinonye Chukwu Director Chinonye Chukwu changing the lens through which we revisit tragic events in Black history. Till focuses not on the murder of Emmet Till (Jalyn Hall) but who he was, the circumstances that led to his death, and his mother's refusal to permit what happened to be swept into the shadows. Chukwu's crafted a story grounded in honesty but not rooted in exploiting the gruesomeness of this crime.  I said I was done watching pre-Jim Crowe narratives but Till is heart-wrenching, informative and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley gives a powerful performance that shouldn't be missed. It's a tribute to her strength, her pain, and critical contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. The oft ignored narrative of mothers is richly honored.  Till is now playing in sel

Director: David Bruckner Screenwriter: Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, David S Goyer Starring: Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey Synopsis: A take on Clive Barker's 1987 horror classic where a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites. Not all horror films are created equal. There are films are classified as horror films but really just have horror elements. They're the kind of horror films that people that say "I don't like horror films" will watch. Then there are films like Hellraiser where...well...you know damn well it's the kind of horror film that people that don't like horror films won't watch. The 2022 Hellraiser is a great remake/continuous/soft reboot of the franchise. It is a very 80's type of horror film. For better or worse it has a lot of the same beats and tropes from an 80's horror film which actually makes it an even better remake. This also means that if there are people who wi

Director: David O Russell Screenwriter: David O Russell Starring: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon Runtime: 2 hour 14 minutes Synopsis: In the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history. Amsterdam is another one of those movies that commits the mortal sin of underutilizing a great cast. Just about every name on this cast is some one that in some cases would be top or close to top billing. Unfortunately David O Russell's script doesn't do them justice. In a lot of instances, the cast actually saves this movie. Robbie is known for knocking her roles out of the park and this movie is no different. Christian Bale once again commits fully to his part. John David Washington is the odd man out here as he just doesn't have the chemistry needed to match what Bale and Robbie are bringing but it's still serviceable. Part of the problem outside of his c

Director: Parker Finn Writers: Parker Finn Starring: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes Synopsis: After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, a psychiatrist becomes increasingly convinced she is being threatened by an uncanny entity. Kriss, Ro & Brandon review and discuss the horror film Smile. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Director: Ti West Writers: Ti West Starring: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes Synopsis: In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives. Kriss, Ro & Brandon do a double header and review the films X and its prequel Pearl. These films definitely represent when A24 is at its best and goes headfirst into the type of horror films that are unique and weird but also enjoyable Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

"The Silent Twins” follows the harrowing true story of identical twin sisters Jennifer of June Gibbons. The daughters of immigrants who moved to the United Kingdom from Barbados, with their parents, in the early 1960s. After a series of moves related to their father’s work, the family settled in Haverfordwest, Wales in 1974. Labeled the Silent Twins for their repeated refusal to speak or read at school or socially engage with anyone but each other, Jennifer and June fell prey to machinations of a system with little room for the idiosyncratic, especially the foreign born. And after repeated trauma-inducing attempts to force them to speak and conform, by psychologists attached to the school administration, both girls were labeled mentally disturbed. In their late teens, a petty crime spree lands the girls in police custody. In lieu of being sentenced like ordinary mischievous kids, a judge confines the Gibbons girls to Broadmoor Hospital, a high security psychiatric facility indefinitely. “The Silent Twins” att

Director: Tom George Screenwriter: Mark Chappell Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell, Adrien Brody, David Oyelowo, Ruth Wilson Runtime: 2 hour 15 minutes Synopsis: In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. See How They Run isn't a bad movie but suffers from an identity crisis in what movie it wants to be. The trailer will have you thinking it's got the timing and is shot like a Wes Anderson film. The story at times feels as if you ordered Knives Out off of Wish. In reality it's probably trying to be more like Clue but falls short. In what seems like a recurring theme this year with films, it criminally underuses its cast. Because this has happened so frequently this year, particularly with lower budget films, one has to wonder if this is a product of some of the COVID protocols that Hollywood was following earlier in the pandemic when a lot of these films began filming. That doesn't completely excuse

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood Screenwriter: Dana Stevens, Maria Bello Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega Runtime: 2 hour 15 minutes Synopsis: A historical epic that is based in alternate history of The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. Overall The Woman King is a good/great movie. It highlights the importance of lighting and shooting black people in film properly. The A plot is extremely strong. And it has an ensemble cast that rises to the moment and delivers. Where Kriss and Ro disagree on this film is the B & C plots. For Kriss they were unnecessary and took away from the A plot. For Ro, not so much. Both agree the editing, especially in the second half of the film doesn't help. Despite that this is still a film most will enjoy and folks should go see.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts ar

Disney's live action remake of Pinocchio has all the pieces to be another great live action remake of one of their classic animated films. It has the cast and visuals that put it on track for this. Unfortunately what was produced feels as soul-less as Pinocchio before the Blue Fairy showed up to turn him into a living puppet.  The choices made for this film are puzzling. Why cast Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy and then have her only sing one song at the beginning of the film and then never show up again? Why cast anyone in this cast and then so strictly follow the storyline of the animated film that it makes no sense to go for such a big name? Adults will find themselves wondering why certain actors are in this film and then criminally underused. Another problem is the pace. It feels as if someone held a gun to the head of those writing this screenplay and old them if the story lingered on a plot point or deviated too much from the animated film they would never see their family again. Throughout this entire

Barbarian's opening sequence falls squarely in line with the trailer. Tess (Georgina Campbell) makes a late-night arrival to her rental only to discover Keith (Bill Skarsgård) already inside and settled in for the night. After a short exchange reveals each booked the rental in good faith, Keith offers Tess the bed. There's a torrential downpour and no alternate lodgings available. So despite her misgivings, Tess agrees to take the bedroom. In what might be an overkill of red flags, Cregger throws Tess and Keith together in a pitch-perfect setup of "she can't possibly be this stupid" trope. Buckle up because Georgina Campbell absolutely commits to proving that she can, in fact, be an increasingly bad decisionmaker. Plus, you can't even forgive her because she tells you up front, that she knows better. As first acts go, Barbarian delivers one that's uncomfortable, insidiously engaging and only makes promises it can keep.  Running Away is ALWAYS an Option... Clocking in at one hour and forty-two minutes, Barbari

Director: Adamma Ebo Screenwriter: Adamma Ebo Starring: Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown Runtime: 102 min Synopsis: As the proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, Trinitie Childs carries immense responsibility on her shoulders. Her church, Wander To Greater Paths, once served a congregation in the tens of thousands, but after a scandal involving her husband, Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs, forced the church to close temporarily, Trinitie is struggling to manage the aftermath. Now Trinitie and Lee-Curtis must rebuild their congregation and reconcile their faith by all means necessary to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen. *Originally part of MTR's Sundance 2022 Coverage  Snapshot Review: Written and directed by Adamma Ebo, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul, pulls viewers through the side door of the church for a behind-the-scenes look at a ministry in crisis and a marriage at a crossroads. Inspired by the real-life fall from grace of megachurch pastor Eddie Long amid accusations

A.S. Byatt’s short story, The Djinn In the Nightingale's Eye is a lyrical tale about being enamored with fantastical, mystical and the very nature of storytelling. Byatt weaves folklore, narrative strategy, a razor-sharp awareness of reality and intrusive flights of nightmare and fancy to build a fairytale about a whimsical woman narratologist (the study of narratives) and her encounter with a creature of myth, a djinn. The titular short story in an anthology of five, The Djinn In the Nightingale's Eye is a dense work that blends the magical and mundane in ways that practically beg for adaptation into a visual medium. Needless to say, I was immediately drawn in when Australian director George Miller’s (Mad Max: Fury Road) announced his intention to finally tackle the project after years of thinking about it. It's not like he hasn’t proven adept at telling unwieldy adventures with a keen eye and insane commitment to visually stunning set designs, kinetic action, and smartly cast characters. The final result,

If there's one thing we hate here on Movie Trailer Reviews are films that have surprisingly good casts but a script that let's that cast go to waste. Samaritan is one of those films. Let's be clear here. At no point should anyone not looking at the cast list come into this film expecting a whole lot. The premise for this film feels like MGM wanting to cash in on superhero films without doing any work. You have an aging superhero, a society on the verge of collapse and a young kid who wants to believe in heroes. We've seen this before. But then you start looking at the cast list and you start thinking "well...maybe this will be good." Unfortunately the script is absolutely terrible.  This film manages to waste Pilou Asbaek (Euron fucking Greyjoy) in a villain role. Sophia Tatum's character could have been an interesting second villain but is wasted. Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black is also underused. Oh and Shameik Moore (Dope and the voice of Miles Morales) is in this film and you'll probably not r

Director: Dan Trachtenberg Screenwriter: Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes Synopsis: The origin story of the Predator in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. Naru, a skilled female warrior, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth. Prey does something that is very rare: It is the prequel to a cult classic that is released decades later that turns out to be....really really good. Prey is the best Predator film out of all the Predator films. And that's not a "grading on a curve score". This film is really good on it's own and then gets an added bonus for being a Predator film. There are so many things to love about this film. It does a great job of balancing homage with telling its own story without compromising the characters and development. It also turns the Predator back into the scary, unstoppable Boogieman that loves the challen

Vengeance follows journalist Ben Manalowitz (B.J. Novak), a self-indulgent writer for the New Yorker, desperate to find an angle that'll let him successfully pivot into podcasting. After a late night call leads him to Texas, and the funeral of Abby Shaw (Loi Tipton) a past hook-up, Ben allows himself to get roped into investigating her death - by her distraught brother Ty (Boyd Holbrook) - in the hopes he can mold the experience into a true-crime show. As writer, director, and star, B. J. Novack leads an eclectic ensemble in surprisingly entertaining a dark comedy with a finely honed satirical edge. The movie's cold opening almost guarantees you won't like Ben. His personality's mostly just vibes and pretentious assumptions. He's never bothered to learn how to be his authentic self. When people try to point out that his detachment holds him back, it goes in one ear, and out the other. So, once he's out of comfort zone, Ben doesn't know how to relate. And his belief that it's everyone else who's out of step le

Director: Jordan Peele Screenwriter: Jordan Peele Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott Runtime: 2 hour 10 minutes Synopsis: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery. Jordan Peele's latest film, Nope, will probably be his most polarizing with audiences but that's a good thing. The reason being is that Peele seems to really enjoy proving that he really has no lane that he's staying in and he's going to continue to make ambitious films that are never exactly what you might think the film will be after watching the trailers. Peele's MO is to inject blackness into situations that folks might not initially think about. With Nope you basically get black cowboys, UFOs and then commentary around the modern idea of getting famous/rich by any means necessary. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer have a great chemistry as brother and sister and are surrounded by a cast that is also very solid. Where this film might lose