"The Good House"

 2021 * R * 1h 44m I'll freely admit that yours truly once had a drinking problem. And like most heavy drinkers, I was in denial. Fortunately, those days are long behind me. As a result, whenever I notice a film about people with drinking problems, I usually avoid them. But, when the movie stars Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline, I figure I'll at least give it a chance. That is, I'll watch a half hour of it, and if it doesn't grab me, I'll bail. Well, "The Good House" hooked me right from the start and never let me go. 

The movie is about Hildy Good (Weaver), a fairly successful realtor in an affluent New England seaside town. She's recently come out of rehab, but still drinks. She thinks she has it under control and only drinks in the evenings. But she's totally in denial, and after getting hammered, often goes out and embarrasses herself in public. So much so, that the small town starts to gossip about her. And of course, this has a negative affect on her business. 

She also reunites with an old flame Frank Getchell (Kline). He's a local handyman and jack of all trades. The two have some good times together, but he's more than aware of Hildy's drinking problem and her living her life in denial. It's painful to watch at times, and is a bit like driving by the scene of a horrible car crash. Ultimately, the film pays off with a happy ending. If you're looking for some amazing acting and an enthralling story (the film is based on the book of the same title by Ann Leary), give this one a shot. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Prime and to rent on Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango, YouTube, and other streaming services. 

"I Think We're Alone Now"

2018 * R * 1h 39m  I've been a huge science fiction fan since I was a kid. I used to read sci-fi novels and when I saw the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" I was hooked for life. A related type of movie is the post apocalyptic genre. I enjoy all of them except I'm not big on zombie films. This one was a quiet, slow-paced movie with a big surprise about 2/3rds of the way through. It also features two of my favorite actors: Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning. 

After some sort of catastrophic event Del (Dinklage) is all alone in a small, upstate New York town. He spends his days systematically cleaning out the deserted homes, and when he finds a dead body, takes it to a makeshifts graveyard, and buries it. He seems perfectly comfortable with his routine until one day, he comes across a crashed car with a young woman in it. It's non other than Grace (Fanning). He reluctantly lets her help him out with his daily tasks and the two begrudgingly become sort of friends. 

I won't tell you any more about the film--I don't want to spoil it for you. Let's just say I didn't see it coming. Anyway, if you like this one, you might also enjoy one of my favorite movies in the same genre called "The Quiet Earth" from several years ago. 

Note to parents, not sure why it's rated "R". I'd probably rate it PG-13. 

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free on Hoopla (with your library card, and Tubi. Also on Prime, Apple TV, Fandango, and other services. 

"The Family Fang"

 2015 * R * 1h 45m If you're in the mood for something a bit different, give this movie a shot. I'd never heard of it, but the unusual title piqued my attention. And when I saw the stellar cast, I was all in. It's another one of those films that I just don't understand why it isn't better known Maybe because it's so quirky!

Baxter (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Nichole Kidman) are siblings in the notorious Fang family Their parents Camille (Maryann Plunkett) and Caleb (Christopher Walken) have been performance artists since the kids were little. What they do is more public gags than actual art. The opening scene which involves a fake bank robbery is so funny, I had to stop myself from doing my workout to catch my breath. The film jumps back and forth in time via movie videos of the family in action. 

Then, one day, the parents take off on a trip and say farewell to Baxter and Annie. Little do they now that that might be the last they ever see of each other. The parent's abandoned car is found at a rest stop and due to the bloody interior, it appears that they may have been abducted. While to police are taking it seriously and suspect an abduction took place, the kids are convinced it's just another one of their pranks.

The film goes back and forth between their funny skits to the grim reality of the present situation. Bateman directed the film and he did a great job. I always love seeing Christopher Walken and he really shined in this one. 

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free on Kanopy (with your library card) and Tubi. Also on Prime and Roku and to rent on YouTube, Amazon, Apple TV and other services. 

"Train to Busan"

2016 * Not Rated * 1h 58m This is not your typical zombie movie. This Korean flick goes up to 11! It’s one intense experience from the opening scene, until the very end. We first see a truck cruising down the street when it hits a deer. The driver gets out and discovers the animal is dead. However, after he drives away, the animal gets up and runs off. You know right from the get-go, something mysterious is in the air. Sure enough, there’s apparently some type of virus that’s been unleashed that instantly turns people into zombies.

The rest of the action is about a dad Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) trying to get his daughter Soo-an (Kim Su-an) from Seoul to Busan by train. It isn’t long after they leave the station before a huge band of zombies boards the train and makes their lives holy hell. It’s one bloody scene after another as the human passengers try to outwit the zombies. I thought the special effects were amazing and totally believable. As you’d expect, it’s a wild, nail-biting ride from start to finish!

Currently streaming for free on Kanopy and Hoopla (with your library card), Netflix, and Plex. And to rent on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, Fandango, and other services.

***1/2 out of 5 stars

 

"Sisu"

 2022 * R * 1h 31m If you're up for an over the top action movie, you'll absolutely love this flick. The lead character is sort of a John Wick on steroids. If you can imagine that. 

The movie takes place during the closing days of WWII. Our hero Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is a hardened Finnish veteran living in the far north of the country. One day, he strikes gold and manages to unearth a couple large satchels of the valuable mineral. On his way to the big city, he encounters a platoon of German soldiers. They're fleeing the battleground, hoping to make it to freedom. When they encounter Aarami and his stash, they figure it'll help pay their way after the war ends. 

Well, they picked the wrong guy to take on. He's famous for the huge number of Russian soldiers he's already killed. He a one-man army, to say the least.And he's not going to let a band of Nazis get in his way. The whole rest of the movie is him battling the Germans in countless different ways. Some of the scenes are just unbelievable. But if you're into Nazi-killing themed movies, this one's for you. I don't think I need to warn you, there are a ton of bloody scenes. This film is not for the squeamish!

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Hulu and to rent on Apple TV, Amazon, and a bunch of other streaming services. 

"Furious 7"

2015 * PG-13 * 2h 17m I've seen a bunch of the "Fast & Furious" films and they're all just wall to wall action. Perfect for a night when you just want to shut your brain off and enjoy some cheap thrills. Actually, I thought the one that took place in Japan was really dumb and had to turn it off after about 20 minutes. 

This one is about Deckard Shaw (Jason Stathem) looking for revenge against Dominic Toretto (Vin Deisel) and the rest of the gang for his comatose brother. It's so over the top it isn't funny. Just about ever scene is either a barrage of bullets and explosions, a hand-to-hand combat sequence, or a balls out racing scene. And it never lets down for two hours and seventeen minutes. It's also the last film that starred Paul Walker. He was in a fatal car crash before the movie was finished, but they managed to complete it without him. 

There was a definite note of sadness at the conclusion of the movie, which was dedicated to him in the closing credits. If you're looking for one of the most adrenaline pumping films of all time, don't miss this one.

It's on Netflix and Tubi (for free) and to rent on YouTube, Amazon, Fandango, and other streaming services. 

4 out of 5 stars

"Foe"

 2023 * R * 1h 50m Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres and Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite actors. So when you combine the two, you know you're in for some exceptional movie viewing. And this film did not disappoint. Sure it was a bit slow moving at times and could easily have been 20 minutes shorter. But that said, it still was a captivating film. 

The movie takes place in the near future and the planet looks pretty bleak. As does the chances for human survival. So the government is looking to populate a large space station. While we learn about these plans, most of the action takes place out in a rural part of the United States. Hen (Ronan) lives out on a farm with her husband Junior (Paul Mescal). One day Terrance (Aaron Pierre), a government representative arrives and informs them that Junior has been selected to travel out to space for a year, but first they need some time to evaluate him. So Terrance moves in with the couple. The plan is that when Junior is sent to the space station, an AI robot will move in with Hen to keep her company. 

The movie moves along at a gentle pace until near the end. Then there's a plot twist I certainly didn't see coming. And then there's a second plot twist as the film ends. I won't even hint at what's to come. You'll simply have to check out this well-crafted and well-acted movie and find out for yourself. 

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Prime Video.