At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

The Dead Don't Hurt

So cool of Viggo Mortensen to make a DLC for RDR2 that I would totally play.

A very solid slow-burn Western romantic drama that focuses on the more mundane life in the West. Viggo Mortensen wrote, directed, starred, and composed the music for this movie and it was pretty impressive how he managed to create these two main characters that feel real and heartfelt. The plot is more concerned with Vicky Krieps's character and her journey as she becomes more independent while Viggo Mortensen's character has gone to war. It's got a nonlinear structure that doesn't completely work as well as they wanted it to but it is effective by the time you get to the 3rd act. A lot of the movie is pretty meditative so it might not be for everyone. I thought the weak link in the movie is Solly McLeod who pretty much plays the bad guy in this and I feel like they could have given him more depth because a lot of what he did in this felt two-dimensional. Overall, for a Western, I thought it was pretty well done and had a lot of moments that worked for me.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One

I'm trying to figure out if Crime Syndicate of America would have teamed up with The Seven from The Boys or want to kill them.

An okay-ish to mediocre start to the Crisis trilogy that is meant to be the closing out of the Tomorrowverse that really never got anywhere substantial after they rebooted the DCAMU. I feel like since they are stretching out the story into three parts it seems like part one is mainly a table setter for what's to come that goes on a little too long. I thought them focusing much of part one with The Flash was pretty good and obvious even though the story gets muddled as it goes along. I also forgot how they got someone trying to mimic Gal Gadot's awful Wonder Woman, but it comes off sounding like she's from Transylvania. While I still prefer the character designs on the Tomorrowverse over the DCAMU, they still lack the same kind of animation that DC used to be great at decades ago when they had a proper animation studio with a decent budget backing them. Aside from the typical animation, they still continue having a lack of sound design so some scenes almost sound muted until someone talks. Overall, just average for a direct to video DC animated feature. Despite all the DC hero cameo fest, it was just kinda there.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two

Psycho-Pirate saw Henry Creel in the last season of Stranger Things and said "imma do that and take up half of this movie"

Somewhat of an improvement over part one but the same issues still remain. It's still incoherent, the plot is stretched out, the animation is always lacking, and it still feels hollow in its execution. Still, I thought the Bat family stuff was fun to watch and I did like seeing the stuff with the other DC characters like Doctor Fate and The Spectre. Overall, it's more or less the same.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three

Someone should lock that final scene with Kevin Conroy in the Louvre for display.

And there goes the Tomorrowverse and the last vestige of the DCAMU, it went out with both a bang and a whimper. It is more or less how the CW handled their own Crisis on Infinite Earths where the storyline is arbitrary and full of nonsense just so we can share some cameos and callbacks to previous iterations of these characters. Just like with the first two parts, it's got problems but it's also got some good moments that only diehard DC fans would get. I obviously loved the BTAS scene with Kevin Conroy's final performance as Batman and I loved they brought back The Super Friends for one last time, I just wish this trilogy had more moments like that of going back to past DC animation shows and movies. And also I thought it was neat they finally got Corey Stoll to play Lex Luthor. I'm glad they finally got their chance to wrap up this age of DC animation and looking forward, I hope James Gunn is able to elevate the craft and establish a proper studio where there is money put into the animation, voice acting, and scripts. Overall, as much as I hate how this trilogy was stretched out, I thought it ended just right and I'm glad (for now) the multiverse is over.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Deliverance

Wow, Glenn Close really did THAT and it's unintentionally the funniest scene all year.

It's a faith-based horror film directed by Lee Daniels that doesn't feel comfortable being a horror film. You can tell it's his first go into horror because 70% of the movie doesn't even remotely try to be one. It mostly feels like an elevated Tyler Perry movie which is what Lee Daniels usually makes and here you get more of that same character drama that revolves around the mother-daughter relationship with Andra Day and Glenn Close as well as her kids. While I thought some of those scenes early on did kinda work on a drama level, it still feels lacking and underwritten. When the horror stuff does eventually show up, it's poorly executed and it's laughable at times like you're watching Evil Dead 2. It's as if Lee Daniels only watched the trailers for all the Exorcist/demonic possession movies and scattered them around in the last 20 minutes with no explanation or reason. Overall, pretty bad and mishandled, but as a horror movie it's unintentionally hilarious.
1.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Touch

I must say I have to take off a star just because they didn't play Touch by Daft Punk (feat. Paul Williams)

Loved it. It's a bittersweet romantic drama that does a great job capturing longing much in the same way as Past Lives but obviously with a completely different context and different filmmaking sensibilities. I like how they were able to go back and forth between the '60s London setting and the 2020 London/Toyko setting with just enough flashback that keep you wanting more. I also loved the cinematography and score in this. While they did a good job with the restaurant scenes, I wish we saw more from that part of the movie. I thought both Egill Ólafsson and Palmi Kormakur who play a version of Kristófer were so great and felt almost seamless in their performance when they do cut back and forth. Kōki who plays Miko and Masahiro Motoki who plays Takahashi-san were also fantastic in this and I thought the dynamic between all three characters in that first half-ish was pretty fascinating. What I thought kept this movie interesting almost goes up a level by the time we get to the 3rd act and I feel like that whole section could have gone even longer than it ended up being. Overall, it's a great film even though it never quite reached the heights of Past Lives, it gave more of an effort than most romantic dramas these days.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Sing Sing

Like I've always said, Shakespeare's Hamlet needed more Freddy Krueger.

An incredibly hopeful, soulful, human, and sometimes funny character drama about a group of inmates who participate in a theater arts program while they are incarcerated. The director Greg Kwedar does a fantastic job constructing the movie and making each scene move with such grace and tenderness that it almost reminds me of The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Colman Domingo was unbelievable in this which was expected, it's as if he was building his career to this very moment where can command the entire screen every time he shows up in a role that actually means something. What the movie doesn't really advertise until you've seen the movie is the cast is mostly made up of real-life inmates who have been sentenced to the Sing Sing correctional facility and have gone through this theater arts program. The main person who has arguably the 2nd biggest role is Clarence Maclin who is incredible in this. The dynamic between Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin is pretty much the movie and how both of their characters evolve was incredibly interesting to watch. I also really liked Sean San José who plays Colman Domingo's pal and Paul Raci continues to be the best character actor to ever give an inspirational mentor-style speech who was also great in Sound of Metal. Overall, one of the best of the year and it's a great movie that does not hit you over the head by wallowing in its sadness but in fact does the opposite.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Afraid

You know AI has gone too far when they force The Emoji Movie onto kids against their will.

A fairly predictable movie about the horrors of AI that almost goes into what you think will happen. It does have a strong enough setup that this could have been so much better under the right hands. I will say this is more of a horror movie than M3GAN ever could be and even though this got cheap jump scares, some of the weird AI imagery does kinda work. While John Cho is pretty much sleepwalking through this who plays the dad, I thought weirdly enough Katherine Waterston was trying her best in this and does deliver an interesting performance. The kids they got in this were kinda forgettable aside from maybe Lukita Maxwell who plays the daughter. Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Riki Lindhome were also in this and I honestly don't know what they were trying to go for and their characters are kinda all over the place. It's almost like they were in a completely different movie. Overall, for Blumhouse this year, this was better than Night Swim and Imaginary but it isn't saying much.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Crow

I can't wait for that twitter guy in two months to post a clip of only the Opera scene and lament about how we all let this fail.

A true-nothing burger of a movie that took a known IP and a general revenge plot and made it so convoluted, so generic, and so empty. While I didn't mind the overall idea of modernizing The Crow to today's standard of revenge flicks and even trying to remove myself from the original that I love, this doesn't do anything new that we haven't seen before even though it's not trying to copy the original. The movie trades its perfectly lit dirty gothic grunge atmosphere of the 90s for the sterile and sleek piss-blue hue of the John Wick movies.

While I enjoy seeing Bill Skarsgård, this is a completely opposite take on Brandon Lee's version where he is a weird dude with anxiety problems and childhood trauma that defines him. This version of Eric Draven isn't remotely interested in anything else other than killing the people who killed Shelly, unlike Brandon Lee's version which was filled with charisma and intrigue. The movie spends a lot of the time in the first half trying to get to know Eric and Shelly and spends the rest of the time trying to get too deep into supernatural Crow lore while having a couple of killer fight scenes.

There's nothing more to this movie other than a basic plotline that is so unspecial and uncharismatic. The true death knell of the movie is finding out Danny Huston is playing the main villain who also has supernatural abilities that don't really get explained and a bunch of nameless henchmen that have no personality.

The only positive thing I can say about this movie is I think Rupert Sanders can make something look good for a few minutes and the two main action setpieces are pretty brutal and violent. Outside of that, it's a pretty miserable watch. Overall, while I don't think it's the worst movie of the year, it's by far the most disappointing.
1.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Rebel Ridge

Coconut water can do WHAT?

What a fantastic return of Jeremy Saulnier and a return to his previous films mainly Blue Ruin and Green Room. Along with those two films, this is basically a modern update to the classics like First Blood, Walking Tall, and Cop Land. It's all those movies rolled up into one and with a little bit of Cold in July thrown in considering the Don Johnson of it all. They do such a good job throwing you right into the plot without any hesitation, it doesn't even take a full minute into the film before you get into what the movie is about. Right from the get-go, Aaron Pierre, who I've seen in a couple of other things before, commands the screen and never lets go, he was absolutely made for this and it really wouldn't work without his performance. Because the movie starts off extremely hot and intense they do a good enough job slowing down the tension and elevating the script above a basic "man vs. town" movie. The AnnaSophia Robb subplot, who is good in this, might be the weakest part of the movie but it earns those moments when it gets to the 3rd act. Don Johnson is practically playing the same corrupt sheriff character in the Watchmen series and he makes for a great main antagonist to Aaron Pierre. I do like how the obvious textual ideas about systemic racism are done in such a way that they don't necessarily spell it out for you like in a lesser movie, but the point does come across brilliantly without bogging down the movie. The 3rd act is probably up there with some of the best action set pieces of the year, it's so intense and when things pick up they pick up super fast. Overall, it's one of the best movies of the year let alone one of the best action movies of the year.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Front Room

Man, Moesha was going THRU it.

Had fun with it despite all the gross out moments and had more laughs than the other movie I saw today. This is pretty much played up as a dark comedy/exploitation and less of a typical A24 horror flick even though there are elements that could be taken as horror. It's a movie that does a good job of testing your patience over an old racist mother-in-law who moves into their house and is also absolutely unhinged and conniving. Brandy, who really hasn't aged a day, and Kathryn Hunter who's been on a hot streak appearing in all of these high-concept movies, are great in this and the only weak link of the movie is Andrew Burnap and I think it was done purposely for obvious plot reasons, he's meant to suck as a husband and a son. I think a lot of the overall themes don't really click as well as they wanted and I feel like they couldn't decide on an overall tone by the time they got to the 3rd act. I think the movie is more or less like watching Jerry Springer and Maury where they get to you with a lot of shock value and not really a lot of substance. What saved the movie for me was the 3rd act and the obvious reveal which made it even funnier as the movie gets more weird. Overall, it's not bad but not A24 great.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

They didn't have to do my boy Bob like that.

It was fine and pretty much what I'd expect from Tim Burton making a sequel to an all time genre classic after three decades. I think it started off pretty well and is a reasonable continuation of the story that does make sense. I think it definitely struggles along the way and by the time you get to the end, it feels like it ran out of gas and thought it could save the big dance number as the big climax. Still, I thought for a movie shot digitally with basic LED lighting, they do a good job making it feel like the first movie and feel like there was effort put into this. I loved all the practical effects and different ghosts they thought of and all the puns they came up with, while too easy at times, were clever. Michael Keaton fully came back as Beetlejuice who was great in this and it definitely felt like he missed a step. Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara were just as fun and charming as before. And Jenna Ortega was pretty good in this even though it felt like she was just playing herself. There are a lot of cameos and actors that only show up for a couple of scenes like Danny DeVito, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe and I thought a lot of it worked even though as a movie it felt like they were cramming in way too much with a very limited amount of time. I think they didn't know which way the movie was headed so had had two or three villains trying to compete. Overall, it was a solid movie that could have been even better if they had a more fleshed-out story or expanded some of these characters.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Shout out to the filmmakers for giving a dog the "crash through the window and jumping out in slomo" shot.

Haven't rewatched this one in full since forever but I thought it held up pretty well. There's a reason why many fans have said this is their favorite Friday the 13th movie, it's the one that has more than one main protagonist who actually does something and fights back namely Tommy Jarvis. It's also interesting what they do to Crispin Glover's character and where his arch went despite all that crazy dancing. Kimberly Beck is also a pretty decent final girl even though they don't really give her enough screen time. While Jason gets some kills that feel repetitive from the previous movies, they do a good job early on and also, especially by the time it gets to the 3rd act. I also almost forgot this is the movie where they introduced his iconic machete and the one that gives a lot of his trademark moments that make it feel like a full Friday the 13th movie. Overall, it's a solid entry and it'll always be interesting to think what if this series stopped right here.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

Copycat Jason definitely had a thing for eyes and people witnessing something, I wonder who could that be!

This is probably the one I've seen the least times, but watching it again I do admire what it was trying to go for even though it undercuts its own ambition. As a Friday the 13th, while they do keep a lot of the nudity they definitely toned down the violence aside from a couple of kills that do stand out like the blindfold tree kill. While fans hate this one because it doesn't have Jason, I did like what they were trying to do with Tommy Jarvis and try to make everyone believe he's actually taken the mantle of Jason Voorhees even though they kinda chicken out when they revealed it was someone else. I still like how it ended where they do set him up as the next Jason. The other characters themselves weren't nearly as interesting as the last couple of movies except for Reggie, his granddad, and his brother played by Miguel Núñez who gets the best scene in the movie. Overall, I still enjoyed it and while it gets a lot of bad rep for having a fake Jason running around, I did like what they were trying to do with Tommy.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Friday the 13th: Jason Lives

The groundskeeper after seeing Jason was dug up:
*stares at the camera like he's in The Office* "Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment."

Me: "Oh, that's cinema."

A true turning point in the franchise that ultimately changes how pop culture sees Jason Voorhees. In any other instance, backtracking on the previous film by almost pretending it didn't exist and bringing him back in a more mainstream fashion, adding actual kids in the mix, selling a soundtrack, toning down the gore, and cutting out the nudity entirely would have made this Friday the 13th sequel the worst in the franchise but it shockingly doesn't. It's simultaneously the most iconic Friday the 13th movie and the most self-aware comedy that absolutely works in tandem. Rewatching it again, it really did ditch trying to be scary and it was treading on self-parody that actually elevates the movie because we've seen all these tropes before. This is also the movie where Jason becomes more supernatural and becomes the more complete version that most people know through pop culture. The movie also moves at a great and breezy pace that gets you from one fun set piece to another fun set piece. It's also the first one that actually has actors who can act. Thom Mathews as Tommy Jarvis and Jennifer Cooke as Megan were actually great and charismatic. Because almost everyone in this was likable you actually do care when some of them get killed. Overall, loved it. It's definitely one of the better Friday the 13th movies and it's probably the most accessible installment for a mainstream audience.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Killer's Game

If my doctor texted me that with the same subject line, I would simply go out for revenge or collect my millions.

A fun little slick assassin flick that also doubles as a romcom. I think the opening premise/setup is probably the most interesting and creative part of the movie where you do get an unconventional romcom with Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella that actually works better than you think it does. There's also a fun montage early on that is really creative and gives you pretty much the movie as a whole. I think the moment Pom Klementieff's character shows up it becomes that dumb action movie you'd expect from John Wick or Bullet Train where characters are over the top and silly with no acting required. That being said, I think some of that does actually work in a different/more campy movie and I do like all the various assassins with their various gimmicks that almost feel like you're watching someone play Tekken or Mortal Kombat. I just wish the movie kept that groundedness with the romcom throughout the entire movie, it would have been something far more interesting than watching essentially a video game movie. I do really enjoy the action even though the blood and some gore are so noticeably CG'd that it takes away the punch that they were going for. There are also a ton of notable stars in this like Ben Kingsley, Terry Crews, Scott Adkins, and Drew McIntyre who get some of the funnier moments. Overall, it's surprisingly good and fun despite its tonal problems and a predictable 3rd act.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Speak No Evil (2024)

I couldn't believe it, I went to the theaters and they played the 1 hour and 50-minute extended cut of the trailer.

For a movie that is a seemingly pointless almost exactly shot-for-shot remake of the original with a more cheerful ending, I was kinda surprised how well they were able to pull it off, but I should have known considering it's directed by James Watkins. Where the original is more horror-coded and more idealistic in its subtext, this remake is far more of a thriller and more practical-headed, especially by the time you get to the 3rd act where it is pretty much a reverse home invasion movie.

On principle, it still kinda sucks that they think an American audience can't handle such a downer ending, but I think what they did with it instead is still interesting in an "alternative ending you find on a dvd" kind of way. The filmmaking and performances are still incredibly well done and changing up the dynamic of the two couples to American and British does make it different despite the movie following mostly the same plot points. Mackenzie Davis, James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, and Scoot McNairy are incredible in this and I was surprised at how well they were able to cast the two kids and get them more involved in the plot which honestly is an improvement over the original.

It's also shot so incredibly well with great location scouting and slick filmmaking which you almost forget that this is produced by cheap-ass Blumhouse. While I think I prefer the original with the downer ending, they still do a good job here making a more crowd-pleasing thriller, and this version of this story about complacency, social etiquette, and cultural differences that you can recommend to your normies who can't handle a bleak ending. A rare win for Blumhouse even though it's like copying someone's homework.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Skincare

Teenage Dream by Katy Perry being the new Goodbye Horses was not on my bingo card.

A fun neon-noir paranoid thriller that takes place in the LA skincare industry setting that at times feels disposable but other times has something to say even if it's very surface level. Between the pop soundtrack, the synth score, and the cinematography, it definitely tries to mimic those LA vibes from Nightcrawler and Drive but with Elizabeth Banks and her sensibilities along with the director at the center. The movie tries a guessing game on who's behind the sabotage and it wasn't even 30 minutes before you figured out who it is which does kinda suck. However, Elizabeth Banks was pretty good in this and held her own and a lot of the supporting cast was also not bad particularly Lewis Pullman who is truly a chameleon and shows off his range as an actor. Overall, it's a shame the twist was so fairly obvious because the movie as a whole was pretty well done.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Exactly the kind of movie that would play nonstop in a pediatric clinic waiting room.

Possibly one of the worst movies of the year. It's reached the heights of lazy filmmaking that only exists to capitalize on Zachary Levi for playing Shazam and the movie Barbie from last year. There was a brief time at the very beginning of the movie when it was all animated and it was working in a children's picture book kind of way. The moment it becomes live-action it becomes a lost kids movie from the 90s in the worst way possible. It's just a collection of basic sight gags and a buddy film that tries to make up for a plot. The acting was pretty bad across the board, but Zooey Deschanel stands out the most as being so checked out of the movie and delivering one of the worst performances of the year... and I don't blame her. Overall, it's like Green Lantern but somehow worse.
1/5

 

[Kane52630]

His Three Daughters

Bro this is the saddest live action Powerpuff Girls movie ever.

A truly fantastic character drama about grief, losing a loved one, and family troubles that is also a bottle film unless you count the number of times Natasha Lyonne's character goes outside to smoke some weed. Because it's a bottle film, it has such a strong theater play vibe to it and how all the characters interact feels very real but also very clean and theatrical. It's also a great display of NYC on film just with how well they were able to decorate the apartment with tons of great attention to detail. Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, & Carrie Coon all gave lights out performances and are definitely going to be fighting for the best actress spot in the awards race. You definitely believe them as three distinct personalities who all happen to be related and have a shared history even if they've grown apart. Jay O. Sanders and Jovan Adepo also deliver some great performances and both of them have pretty much the spotlight to themselves when they show up. Overall, I loved it. It's a true acting masterclass with some great moments that keep you invested throughout.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Transformers One

If you watch all of these Transformers movies chronologically, you'll understand why they told Bumblebee to shut the f**k up.

This was alright for the most part. It's more or less a very conventional and contemporary animated feature about becoming heroes/villains that just happens to be about Transformers fighting each other. I thought while mostly impressive, it's a really well-made animated film that does go into Cybertron and explores what goes on in there before the major events that would later happen. I thought Chris Hemsworth and even Scarlet Johansson weren't really bringing anything interesting but Brian Tyree Henry, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jon Hamm were excellent in this especially when Brian Tyree Henry goes full Lisan al Gaib-atron in the 3rd act which is by far the best part of the movie and elevates my rating for the movie. Outside of that, it's fairly straightforward enough for most fans to go crazy over all the little things. Overall, while I don't think this beats the solo Bumblebee movie or even the 07 movie, it fits right at home as the 3rd best.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Never Let Go

Plot twist, they let go!

An interesting concept for a horror film that's directed brilliantly from Alexandre Aja who I've loved since his Hills Have Eyes remake. I thought it had a slow but unraveling plot with a nice setup that you ultimately figure out what the major plot twist is before the second act which is super unfortunate. While it's got some good scares, it's mostly a character piece about something and Halle Berry's performance was great but I thought the two kids they got here were excellent and helped carry the movie with the 3rd act. A lot of people probably won't find what they did here interesting or are disappointed with some of the choices they make, but I thought it worked really well. Some of the effects were also really well done, especially by the time you get to the end. It's also got a great music score by Rob who also did the music for the Maniac remake. Overall, while the movie was kinda losing me in the first half it mostly won me over in the second half thanks to the kid performances by Percy Daggs IV & Anthony B. Jenkins.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Substance

The most insane part about this movie is her being able to construct an elaborate secret room in one day.

Coralie Fargeat has done it again. This was an utterly fantastic body horror satire that takes you on a journey and a half about aging, the ugly side of celebrity, body dysmorphia, the cosmetic surgery industry, and being selfish and greedy to the point of despair. This is basically David Cronenberg's entire filmography, Requiem for a Dream, and even John Carpenter's The Thing all rolled into one. It has such a striking visual flair with an intense colorful color pallet which I expected from her last film Revenge that keeps you glued to the screen especially when sh** hits the fan. You never would have guessed in a million years that Demi Moore would have that in her performance-wise to go all in with a crazy ass role like this. She was incredible in this. I expected Margaret Qualley to be crazy and campy, but she manages to outdo herself in this and she also gets a couple of giant crazy moments. Dennis Quaid isn't in it much but he also does deliver a big crazy satirical performance. The movie was already really good and then it hits the 3rd act and in particular, the final 20 minutes is absolute batsh** insanity in the best way possible, it almost begs for a standing ovation. Overall, one of the best movies of the year. If you're into great body horror or great pop satire, you can't miss this.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Wolfs

I really thought that was Tina Fey for a good solid 2 minutes.

Just mostly okay. It's a job gone wrong crime thriller that is basically a two-hander for the entire movie with George and Brad. It's got elements of Pulp Fiction with Oceans Eleven with a little bit of Room 104. It's structurly and physically very barebones and having it set in the dead of night in NY during the holidays it mostly makes sense. I did like the start of this more than the rest of the movie even when things went haywire. It's got some fun moments but I thought Clooney was a more interesting character than Brad Pitt and he gets more of a main character role. And I think the dialogue gets pretty thin as the movie goes along and you notice their banter, while entertaining at times, gets super repetitive. Overall, it's exactly the kind of "fun at the moment" streaming movie that gets made and most people will forget it ever happened.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Rez Ball

A pretty standard 'based on a true story' high school sports drama that uses all the sports movie tropes but it's set in the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. It's a movie that is structurally very similar to a lot of high school basketball movies like Hoosiers and especially Coach Carter mixed with some of Reservation Dogs considering it's by Sydney Freeland & Sterlin Harjo. Some of the performances are spotty with the teens but I thought Jessica Matten, Julia Jones, and Kauchani Bratt were the best parts of the movie and they get most of the character development. There's also a fun Dallas Goldtooth performance and Amber Midthunder is weirdly barely in the movie and plays one of the girlfriends who also play ball. I thought some of the cinematography and direction especially during the basketball matches were shot pretty well. Aside from the tragic storyline that starts this movie, it pretty much focuses entirely on the basketball team and the coach which is fine but you wish they did delve even more into these characters aside from trying to win a championship but it stays pretty broad and basic in its execution which I guess is what they set out to do. I will say I thought the second half of the movie was much stronger than the first half. Overall, it's just fine aside from the importance and need to have a high school sports movie for native americans.
3/5