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More Teeth - Maddwolf
Jurassic World: Rebirth by Hope Madden Every great creature feature from King Kong to Godzilla to Jaws to Jurassic Park and on and on understands one basic principle. The monster is not the problem. Human greed is the problem. Some monster movies are just better than others at telling that story. It’s not a new … Continue reading More Teeth →
The Mushy Middle - Maddwolf
The Old Guard 2 by George Wolf Look, it’s just science. You get a glimpse of Uma Thurman and Charlize Theron in a sword fight, you get your hopes up. I did, hopeful that The Old Guard 2 on Netflix could match – or maybe even exceed the fun of the original. But while it … Continue reading The Mushy Middle →
Best Film, First Half of 2025 - Maddwolf
If the heat doesn’t get under your skin, maybe this will: 2025 is half over! What? I guess we should get those Christmas decorations down. But it has been quite a year already in terms of movies. From Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece to a grown up spy movie, incredible indie horror to revelatory documentary, awkward buddy … Continue reading Best Film, First Half of 2025 →
Promised Land - Maddwolf
40 Acres by Hope Madden At one time, a lot of people were promised 40 acres and a mule. It was a lie. But Hailey Freeman’s ancestor had freed himself, left his family behind, and walked to Canada to make his own promises. Generations later, Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler, a force of nature) will be damned … Continue reading Promised Land →
Wellness Center - Maddwolf
Pins & Needles by Hope Madden I love Max’s unapologetic nature. Writer/director James Villeneuve’s spare feature Pins & Needles shares an adventure with a biology major and insulin-dependent diabetic who has no Fs to give. The result is a nice change of pace from “likable female leads.” Max (Chelsea Clark) is leaving her biology field … Continue reading Wellness Center →
Doll Parts - Maddwolf
M3GAN 2.0 by Hope Madden Sometimes a fun horror movie needs to become a fun action movie if you really hope to have a franchise. At least, a PG13 franchise. That’s clearly Gerard Johnstone’s thinking with M3GAN 2.0 Co-writing this time with M3GAN scribes Akela Cooper and James Wan, Johnstone imagines a future where the … Continue reading Doll Parts →
At the Mountains of Madness - Maddwolf
The Sound by Adam Barney “Hey, what’s that?” is a phrase that has driven the majority of human exploration, from the first cave person to see a hill to your dad hearing a noise outside at night. This phrase also drives the plot in The Sound, as climbers ascend a forbidden mountain to check out … Continue reading At the Mountains of Madness →
Formula Won - Maddwolf
F1: The Movie by George Wolf With Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski understood the assignment better than any director in recent years. Talent, swagger, airborne thrills and pinpoint vibe control made that film better than we could have imagined. Now Kosinski brings a very similar blueprint to F1: The Movie, right down to that … Continue reading Formula Won →
Original Gangster - Maddwolf
The G by Hope Madden Get to know Dale Dickey. There is nobody else like her in film or TV, and what she brings to a role is grit and authenticity that can be heartbreaking or frightening. In the case of filmmaker Karl R. Hearne’s The G, it’s a bit of both. Dickey plays Ann, … Continue reading Original Gangster →
Boldly Gone - Maddwolf
Elio by Hope Madden Few films, animated or otherwise, breathe the rarified air of Pixar’s best. The animation giant has turned out an alarming number of outright masterpieces: Toy Story, WALL-E, Up!, Toy Story 3, Inside Out. Their second tier is better than nearly every other animated film you’ll come across. The originality, humanity, and … Continue reading Boldly Gone →
Still Crazy After All These Years - Maddwolf
28 Years Later by Hope Madden Nearly a quarter century ago (!!), director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland unleashed the genre masterpiece 28 Days Later. Smart, prescient, with a broken human heart and 113 minutes of sheer terror, it changed the “zombie” genre forever with living, breathing, running, rampaging humans infected by a rage … Continue reading Still Crazy After All These Years →
Pumpkin Spice Horror - Maddwolf
Eye for an Eye by Hope Madden Way back in 1988, legendary practical FX and make up genius Stan Winston directed his first feature film, Pumpkinhead. In it, a grieving father (Lance Henriksen) awakens an unstoppable evil to avenge his terrible tragedy. The film remains effective because it is so genuinely heartbreaking. Winston, who also … Continue reading Pumpkin Spice Horror →
Fright Club: Horrific Families - Maddwolf
The family that slays together stays together, isn’t that what they say? That was certainly a lot of the fun in Ready or Not, 5. The Hills Have Eyes (1977) Wes Craven’s original Hills – cheaply made and poorly acted – is a surprisingly memorable, and even more surprisingly alarming flick. Craven’s early career is marked by … Continue reading Fright Club: Horrific Families →
God Defend New Zealand - Maddwolf
Prime Minister by Rachel Willis New Zealand’s former prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is the subject of directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe’s documentary, Prime Minister. The film starts with Ardern’s election as leader for her country’s Labour Party, seeking to rescue it from gloomy poll numbers. That she actually wins the position of Prime Minister … Continue reading God Defend New Zealand →
Proper Credit - Maddwolf
Materialists by Hope Madden Just two years ago, filmmaker Celine Song produced a breathtakingly original romance movies in Past Lives. With that film, she delivered a love triangle of sorts where no character felt cliched, no choice felt obvious, and every moment felt achingly true. Now she sets her sights on something decidedly more mainstream, … Continue reading Proper Credit →
Mommy Can You Hear Me? - Maddwolf
Echo Valley by George Wolf The barn roof at the Echo Valley horse ranch is bad. Like $9,000 bad. And when Kate (Julianne Moore) makes the trip to her ex-husband Richard’s (Kyle MacLachlan) office for some financial help, we get some nicely organic character development. In those few important minutes, director Michael Pearce and writer … Continue reading Mommy Can You Hear Me? →
Fire in the Sky - Maddwolf
How to Train Your Dragon by Hope Madden If it weren’t for Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon would be remembered as the finest animated trilogy ever made. The tale of outsider love, parental expectations, physical limitations and dragons was as emotionally satisfying as it was visually stunning. So, it was both disappointing and … Continue reading Fire in the Sky →
Thanks for the Memories - Maddwolf
The Life of Chuck by George Wolf Near the end of The Life of Chuck, a character enters a room and is careful to test the floor as he steps in. Organic dialog earlier in the film has let us know why he’s doing this, so no voiceover narration explaining the action is necessary. This … Continue reading Thanks for the Memories →
Good Night and Good Luck - Maddwolf
Best Wishes to All by Hope Madden Filmmaker Yûta Shimotsu has seen a few Takashi Miike films. Everyone should. He’s one of the world’s greatest and most prolific genre filmmakers, so that’s not a drag on the Best Wishes to All (also known as Best Regards to All) writer/director. His first feature follows a nursing … Continue reading Good Night and Good Luck →
I Fought the Law - Maddwolf
The Prosecutor by Brandon Thomas Age isn’t much of a factor for action stars these days. Liam Neeson, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and Tom Cruise (c’mon, dude is 63) are still throwing punches, shooting guns, and hanging off planes when most actors are looking for cushy dramas. However, guys like Donnie Yen take it to … Continue reading I Fought the Law →
A Mission Not Worth Taking - Maddwolf
Resurrection Road by Daniel Baldwin Genre mash-ups are a tricky thing. A consistent tone is hard enough to maintain when one is working in one genre, but once you add any additional genres into the mix, the odds of things going off of the rails increase exponentially. More often than not, they tend to fall … Continue reading A Mission Not Worth Taking →
Hunting Season - Maddwolf
Predator: Killer of Killers by Hope Madden In 2022, director Dan Trachtenberg reinvigorated the Predator franchise by taking the story back in time and investing in character. Prey (especially the Comanche language dub) unveiled thrilling new directions for the hunt to take—directions Trachtenberg picks up with three short, animated installments in Hulu’s Predator: Killer of … Continue reading Hunting Season →
Inconvenient Arrangement - Maddwolf
Sister Midnight by Rachel Willis Watching the trailer for writer/director Karan Kandhari’s film Sister Midnight did not prepare me for the wild ride I was about to take. It is best to go into this movie knowing as little as possible, so each change in direction allows for surprise. For that reason, I will give … Continue reading Inconvenient Arrangement →
Fun With Hand Grenades - Maddwolf
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina by Hope Madden Who are the greatest female action heroes? Ellen Ripley, obviously. Beatrix Kiddo makes a good case for herself. Viola Davis cut one badass figure in G20 last year. Let’s not forget Atomic Blonde. Ana de Armas is the latest to throw her hat in the … Continue reading Fun With Hand Grenades →
Fins to the Left, Fins to the Right - Maddwolf
Dangerous Animals by George Wolf When are they going to run out of ideas for new shark movies? Well, not today. Dangerous Animals – director Sean Byrne’s first film in a decade – rises above the glut of silly sharksploitation yarns by aggressively hunting an adventure thriller of abduction and survival. Jai Courtney stuffs his … Continue reading Fins to the Left, Fins to the Right →
Crane, Meet Dragon - Maddwolf
Karate Kid: Legends by George Wolf The success of cable’s Cobra Kai probably made a new Karate Kid movie pretty inevitable. So here we are, in the Kai universe, bringing Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan and the ghost of Pat Morita all together for Karate Kid: Legends. Don’t expect “The Crane,” the new move is “Dragon … Continue reading Crane, Meet Dragon →
Jane Says - Maddwolf
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life by George Wolf The Cult of Jane is strong, for good reason. On film, Austen’s groundbreaking work has inspired faithful adaptations, inspired re-imaginings and even romance fantasy. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (Jane Austen a gâché ma vie) gets filed behind door number three, a fanciful rom-com that finds its … Continue reading Jane Says →
Mother's Little Helper - Maddwolf
Bring Her Back by Hope Madden Damn, son. The Philippou brothers know how to unsettle you. Filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou drew attention in 2022 for their wildly popular feature debut, Talk to Me. Before releasing the sequel, due out this August, the pair changes the game up with a different, but at least equally … Continue reading Mother’s Little Helper →
Samurai West - Maddwolf
Tornado by George Wolf Less than ten minutes into Tornado, you’ll be wondering about the cinematographer behind the expansive beauty on the screen. That would be the Oscar-nominated Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, Poor Things), who elevates writer/director John Maclean’s Samurai survival thriller with consistently sumptuous framing of Scotland’s savage beauty. In the late 1790’s, young … Continue reading Samurai West →
Get Your Drink On - Maddwolf
Fountain of Youth by George Wolf Knock, knock. Who’s there? Bab’s uvula. Bab’s uvula who? I don’t know, Babs, but I do know this: if you’re going to decipher the map to the fountain of youth, you’ve got to raise the wreck of the Lusitania and grab the long-lost Rembrandt painting that’s still in the … Continue reading Get Your Drink On →
Stab Me With a Spoon - Maddwolf
Fear Street: Prom Queen by George Wolf If you’ve been waiting for Netflix to bring their bloody Fear Street fun to the 1980s, Prom Queen is here to gag you with a spoon (or stab you with a hatchet). But after some satisfying time traveling to the 90s, the 70s, and 1666, part four of … Continue reading Stab Me With a Spoon →
Black & Blue Hawaii - Maddwolf
Lilo & Stitch by Hope Madden As a general rule, I’m no fan of Disney’s live action remakes. Loved Jon Favreau’s 2016 reimagining of The Jungle Book, but not a single reboot since has lived up to the impressive fun of that one, and most just feel like a soulless cash grab. Can Lilo & … Continue reading Black & Blue Hawaii →
Daddy's Little Girl - Maddwolf
The Surrender by Hope Madden At one point in writer/director Julia Max’s feature debut The Surrender, Barbara (the always reliable Kate Burton) tells her daughter, Megan (Colby Minifie), that their grief over the death of the family patriarch is not the same. After 40 years together, Barbara says, “I don’t know who I am without … Continue reading Daddy’s Little Girl →
Running Man - Maddwolf
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning by George Wolf Remember that eye-popping train stunt in Dead Reckoning? How is this latest Mission: Impossible chapter possibly going to up that ante? Well, it takes two of the film’s nearly three hours to get there, but once Tom Cruise and director/co-writer Christopher McQuarrie break out the dual … Continue reading Running Man →
That's His Name, Don't Wear it Out - Maddwolf
Pee-wee as Himself by Hope Madden If there’s one thing Matt Wolf’s 2-part documentary Pee-wee as Himself does, it reminds you what a cultural phenomenon Pee-wee Herman was in the 80s. Movies to TV to MTV to toys to talk shows, he was everywhere and he was beloved by children, college kids, and adults alike. … Continue reading That’s His Name, Don’t Wear it Out →
Fright Club: Punk Rock Horror - Maddwolf
There is a chaotic energy, a violence to punk rock that makes it a perfect score to horror. Like horror, punk frightens. It upsets the status quo, that’s its whole purpose. It’s inspired a lot of filmmakers and a lot of movies: Uncle Peckerhead, Class of 1984, Driller Killer and more. But here are our … Continue reading Fright Club: Punk Rock Horror →
This Is the End - Maddwolf
Final Destination: Bloodlines by Hope Madden I’ll give you three reasons Final Destination: Bloodlines is the best since James Wong’s clever 2000 original, if not the best in the whole franchise. Number one, gone is the nihilistic tone that had us all hating characters and waiting glibly for them to die. Instead, directors Zach Lipovsky … Continue reading This Is the End →
Voice of Experience - Maddwolf
Hurry Up Tomorrow by George Wolf After the chaotic mess that was The Idol, it would have been easy for Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) to craft Hurry Up Tomorrow as a safely commercial extension of his new album. To his credit, he doesn’t, and having Trey Edward Shults as his director and co-writer is … Continue reading Voice of Experience →
Flight of Fun - Maddwolf
Fight or Flight by Brandon Thomas Some might say we’re amidst a Josh Hartnett renaissance (Hartaissance?). 2023’s Oppenheimer saw the former teen heartthrob nearly steal the show in a more adult and subdued performance than we’re used to seeing from the actor. Last summer’s Trap was a complete 180 from the Oscar-winning drama, where Hartnett was allowed to lean … Continue reading Flight of Fun →
Send In the Clowns - Maddwolf
Clown in a Cornfield by Hope Madden Adam Cesare’s novel Clown in a Cornfield won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Horror Novel. So, there had to be something there, right? Eli Craig (of the utterly fantastic 2010 genre upending Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) handles directing duties. That seems like a good … Continue reading Send In the Clowns →