"The Samuel Project"

 2018 * PG-13 * 1h 32m I thought this was a well-done little indie .Part of the film deals with the Holocaust, and while it doesn't gloss over it, it doesn't overwhelm the movie either. Striking a nice balance which made for an interesting story. 

Eli (Ryan Ochoa) is a high school kid who doesn't really fit in. He's a bit of a loner and a talented artist. His dream is to become an animator. For his media class, he's tasked with creating an animated film that not only tells a story, but captures a bit of history. He decides to interview his grandpa Samuel (Hal Linden), who he really doesn't know that much about. So he begins to work in his grandfather's laundromat while encouraging him to discuss his childhood. It turns out, Samual hid out from the Nazis during the war and watched as his whole family was killed by German soldiers. 

Samuel has kept his family history a secret, and in fact, they were so painful, he never even told his own son about these events. So Eli has a fascinating story to tell, and he does a great job of creating a short animated movie. "The Samuel Project" was a fresh take on a somewhat familiar story. I thought the acting, writing, and cinematography were all great.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Hoopla. Also free on YouTube, Tubi, Freevee, Plex, The Roku Channel, and Prime Video. 

"Bad Genius"

 2024 * Not Rated * 1h 36m What an interesting film. It's based on a 2017 Thai film with the same name. Supposed the original is such better, but I must say, this version was great. It's sort of a heist thriller, but instead of swiping a pile of money, the thieves are gaming the academic testing world. And, instead of your usual ragtag bunch of con artists, you have a group of high school students. 

"Bad Genius" is about a brilliant young Chinese American girl Lynn (Callina Liang) who's received a scholarship to a prestigious school. It's not long until she's befriended by a group of rich white kids who take advantage of her by having her supply them the answers to various exams. Then they take it to the next level by having her figure out how to cheat on the SATs. 

It sounds like a boring premise, but believe me it's not. The story grabs you right from the beginning and you'll find yourself rooting for these kids until the end. I though the acting, story, and filming were all fantastic. I just noticed the original movie is streaming on Netflix, so that immediately went into my queue! Looking forward to checking it out.

3 1/2 to of 5 stars. 

Streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy. Also on Hulu and to rent on Apple TV and Amazon. 

"Suze"

 2023 * Not Rated * 1h 33m What could be better than an indie flick? Why a Canadian indie flick, of course! I was a bit skeptical going into this one, but what a pleasant surprise. Just about everything about it was picture perfect. Great acting, excellent writing, interesting story, and ultimately, a warmhearted and unpredictable movie.

Susan (Michaela Watkins), is a divorced mom who's raised her daughter by herself. After graduation, Brooke (Sara Waisglass) announces she's not going to college locally, but to McGill University in Montreal, six hours away. Susan is devastated. As is Gage (Charlie Gillespie), Brooke's clingy boyfriend. He's a totally unmotivated high school dropout and Susan despises him. After he attempts to commit suicide, Susan reluctantly agrees to take him in and to keep an eye on him. 

The two mismatched couple eventually grow closer together, while Susan tries to move on with her life. She's a very encouraging surrogate mom to Gage and the film takes numerous twists and turns, all adding up to a funny, amusing, and satisfying hour and a half of rewarding moviegoing.  If you're in the mood for something a bit different, be sure to put this film in your queue!

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy. And to rent on Apple TV, Amazon, and Fandango. 

"Omni Loop"

 2024 * Not Rated * 1h 52m Here's another one of those excellent movies that somehow slipped under the radar. It's sort of a sci-fi version of "Groundhog Day," but with more emphasis on human relationships and less on sci-fi. The acting and storyline were both excellent and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. 

Zoya Lowe (Mary-Louise Parker) is a physicist, who's done extensive studies of time. One day it's discovered that she has a black hole in her chest and she only has a short time to live. When she pops a pill from a stash she's had since she was a young girl, she goes back in time one week and the process starts all over again. In one of her trips back in time, she meets a young physics student Paula (Ayo Edebiri) who she engages to help her study the space-time continuum, and free her from the never ending time loop. 

As I've mentioned before, (last week, actually), I absolutely love time travel movies. And this one did not disappoint. It was a heartfelt story that went well beyond the usual sci-fi romp. I really enjoyed Ms. Edebiri in her role in "The Bear" and her performance here was equally great. Of course, Parker was her usual excellent self. If you're up for something a bit different, I highly recommend "Omni Loop."  

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Hoopla. Also on Hulu and to rent on Apple TV and other streaming services. 

"Don't Let Go"

 2019 * R * 1h 43m  One of my favorite genres is time travel movies. Here it's combined with a detective theme and what an exciting film it is! It had me on the edge of my seat and guessing right until the end.

Jack (David Oyelowo) is a detective. When he finds out his niece Ashley (Storm Reid) and her parents have been brutally murdered, he's devastated. Then, out of the blue, a couple days after the crime, he gets a call from his dead niece. She's actually calling from a couple days before the murder has taken place. So it immediately begins a race against time for the two of them to figure out what led to the murders and to do whatever they can to prevent it.

"Don't Le Go" is a great premise and I thought it was quite well done. The acting, writing, and cinematography are all first rate. It's a real nail-biter for sure and I just don't understand why it isn't better known. Go figure!

3.5 stars out of 5

Currently streaming on Netflix. And to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and other services 

"An Insignificant Harvey"

 2011 * Not Rated * 1h 19m This is just one more example of why I love indie movies. This is a sweet little film with a big heart. You can tell it was made on a budget, but that's part of its charm. It's a slice of life story that takes place in a small, ski town and focuses on three characters. 

Harvey (Jordan Prentice) is a little person who works as a janitor at the resort. His best friend is Lucas (Steven McCarthy) who's a wacky, lovable outcast. They've been close since they were in an orphanage together as kids. One day, Harvey is introduced to Dakota (Kristin Adams), who works as a pole dancer at a local watering hole. She's a sweetheart and he's immediately smitten with her. 

Lucas' big dream is to build a toboggan run, which he and Harvey work on together. One day, a stray husky dog befriends Harvey and the two of them become best buds. Meanwhile, Harvey, against all odds, tries to pursue Dakota. It's a fun movie with some absolutely charming moments. I really enjoyed it and hope you do as well. 

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free on Hoopla (with your library card), Prime Video, and Freevee. And to rent on Apple TV. 

"What Doesn't Float"

 2023 * Not Rated * 1h 9m This is just a little indie gem of a film. I wasn't sure what I was in for when I put this one in my queue. Actually, I feared I was in for some pretentious filmmaking and was expecting to quit it after ten or fifteen minutes. But what a pleasant surprise. Sure it's an indie, but what separates it from a lot of other movies is the lack of a plot. It's comprised of a series of little short stories, poems or rather haikus if you will. They're all seemingly unrelated for the most part. But what almost all of them have in common is water--whether the vignette takes place in the sea, or there's an aquarium as the focal point of the story. And each little story is just as long as it needs to be. None is more than ten minutes long. They're all very entertaining. 

The acting, camerawork, editing, and stories are all very well done. It's too bad this movie isn't better known. One thing is for sure is that you'll be smiling at the end of the film.

I don't know anything about the filmmaker but if this film is any indication, I think he's on the road to great things and look forward to seeing what he does next. Kudos to everyone involved!

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy and to rent on Amazon Prime.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars