Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Send Help 

This is a huge return to form for Sam Raimi He gives us the best film he has done since 2009’s Drag Her To Hell. The film gives the signature horror elements that is so uniquely Sam Raimi but at the same time he veers the film into a tone that feels like a thriller meets Cast Away and Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’ Brien both give the best work of their career with their performances in this film including giving truly electric onscreen chemistry. Send Help is a blood drenched film that keeps you on your toes the whole time that is about not underestimating someone when survival is the most vital thing. 

Firstly, Now I wanna say Sam Raimi after years I cannot stress enough has found his groove again! As when he took on the MCU it was a interesting take that is for sure and I still think Doctor Strange 2 is one of the darkest Marvel films which makes sense because that is Sam Raimi's style but that being said you can see the restraints on him when he was making that film and you all already know my thoughts on how that film was a missed opportunity in many ways. He best operates when he is not being tied down by the studio and he Is allowed free reign to do whatever he wants to do that is where he is the best that is why he has such a massive following for his distinctive style that when you watch his films you are fully aware it is very much his vision. Send Help is a tremendous film the way he tackles power dynamics and incorporates a Thriller like aspect to the film was so fun to see as he has never done a survival film from this approach before and having it revolve around the hierarchy of the workforce and what happens when your thrust into a life or death situation how those people would operate under intense pressure makes for entertaining content for sure. The film a lot will draw comparisons to the Stephen King adaptation of Misery for the psychological aspect and I can see that whole heartily but what makes this film so damn good is his ability as I may have already mentioned to meld the thriller and horror together without one over doing it and having a even keel of both tones and they work greatly together. The film still provides the Raimi gore and horror you have come to expect either as a casual viewer or a fan of his and their is great dramatic emotional weight that is brought to the screen thanks to the terrific two leads at the front of this film. Send Help keeps you guessing how the ending will play out as both characters come with their own emotional baggage but you never know if they will get along or if they will take one another out that is the fun aspect of the story is that it twists and Turns it’s way through the story to keep you locked in the whole way through. I think narratively this is one of Reimi’s strongest yet due to the multi layered aspect of how he went about telling the story and also by mixing genres this time around keeps him challenging himself on how he can approach horror from different angles Send Help is both a horror and a thriller that at the centre of it is about survival and how some peoples true colours prevail in incredibly tense situations and it is amazingly brought to the screen from the entire creative team involved. 

Secondly, Now there is only two performances in this film but Dylan O’ Brien and Rachel McAdams give sensational work I could argue it is the best work of their careers so far! Starting with Rachel she has been giving great work for decades now from Mean Girls, Spotlight even the underrated comedy Game Night she always brings a smile to your face and has so much fun and gives her all in each performance she gives. Here she for the first time really goes neck deep into horror territory which she isn’t that well known for and seeing her taking a bite out of a character like this I think was a great challenge for her as she gets to shed a skin we have not seen from her before and she is amazing in it. The character goes through so many stages and changes throughout and we see the evolution from this awkward shy employee to thus survivalist that has so much more then we thought truly evolve and she is so so good I think she needs to do more performances in the horror genre as she showed here she excels in it so strongly. Now Dylan O’ Brien gives a great turn as this unlikeable boss that thinks he Is smarter then he lets on.  Both performances in the film are tremendous and I can argue that they roles they play in this film is the best work of their respected careers the cast is very limited and the two central performances in this film is truly magnificent. 

Lastly, Send Help is Sam Rami operating at his highest creative level in years! It packs a punch about the switch of power dynamics and survival all the while giving us that signature horror feel to his films he is known for while exploring new themes he has yet to explore to keep his fans on their toes. Centred around two great actors giving sensational work from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’ Brien giving some of the best work of their careers. Send Help is one of the best films in Sam Rami's filmography and will no doubt go down as one of the best horror films of the year! I recommend anyone that is a fan of his work to see this on the big screen it is amazing that in 2026 we are getting original storytelling from a great filmmaker like Raimi. 

This film centres around a hard working employee who really has proven her worth to be higher up in the company and when her and her Newley appointed boss get stranded on an island it is not until then he sees he sees how he massively underestimated her

Rated R : Strong/Bloody Violence|Language

Rachel McAdams : Rachel gives the strongest and most emotionally gripping performance of her career in Send help! Now I have said for years that Rachel is underrated for her talents both as a comedic actor and as a dramatic actor as she has proven in both areas she can excel in both. She has given us comedic gold in Mean Girls, and Game Night and then you have Are you there god its me Margaret and Spotlight for the more dramatic sides of her and she is amazing in both she has such a great range but somehow she still feels like a underrated actor when it comes to discussing her body of work. Now seeing her here was amazing as she has never really strayed into the horror landscape before and she plays this very shy employee that wants to be treated fairly for her work as a good hard worker at her company but sadly she is looked at as this embarrassing, gross and overly clingy person that is an irritant to others but she the sad part is she has no idea how people perceive her until a bit later in the film as she shows she is a fan of the reality show Survivor and knows quite a lot about surviving in the wilderness. That awkward shy personaIn the first 15 minutes of the film she captures beautifully  as we the audience can admit to being like that kind of person at some point in life or knowing someone like that so the way she presents that side of her personality is incredibly emotionally relatable and authentic in her execution of it. As the film progresses we see how she sheds a more real version of who she is under all that shyness and when they are stranded on the island we see how insanely resourceful she is when it comes to staying Alive and she is so used to seeing Dylan’s character be the one in control or answering to someone their is a dynamic switch where he has to now listen to her in order for them both to remain alive as she is far more knowledgeable in the topic of being outdoors and in the wild and not him. She plays this second version of herself as someone that is confident in her decisions because she spent so many years reading up on these things her ability to handle high pressure situations comes easy to her and she isn’t easily scared or stressed due to her ability to know what she is doing and so when it comes to hunting, building shelters, fires, getting water for the two of them knowing what is okay and not okay to eat all of those things she is incredibly well versed in. We when he is trying to make her feel small and hurt her how it no longer affects her as she knows that due to their environments she is vital in order for him to stay alive and their is multiple scenes where she corrects his behaviour to remind him of that very thing. She has this uncertainty about her that she knows she could kill him within seconds if she wanted but the psychological  warfare she plays with him is quite interesting because she would not have to kill him in order for him to die she knows if she stopped looking after him nature would take care of him due to their current climate their in. That being said she has this flirtation with him that makes her at one point feel like she can trust him and they have a positive relationship somewhat blossom but as the audience we do not know if that is genuine or all smoke and mirrors to get on her good side and if he is just telling her what she wants to hear. She has this darkness in her that she knows is their and can turn in on and off in seconds and is quite terrifyingly impressive as she can be very sweet and loving and cutthroat the next and it is the way she moves back and forth between those two emotional degrees that amazed me. Rachel is operating on a level we have not seen before and she proves quite strongly that she is tremendous in the horror genre and I would love to see her do more roles like these as she has proven that she can still present sides to her we have yet to see and the takeaway from her character is not to underestimate her. She is able to show parts of kindness but don’t disguise it for weakness as she can very quickly correct your wrongs if you try to insult her and Rachel soars in this film giving her strongest performance we have seen so far she is amazing. 

Dylan O’ Brien : Dylan again gives another terrific turn in this film and I have been saying he needs to do more work like this as he has found his strong footing in roles like this! He did a hilariously amazing job in 2024’s Saturday Night and he also gave a under appreciated  performance in the Outfit which I cannot recommended enough for people to check out and then American Assassin which critics weren’t huge on but I thought him and Keaton were great in it. Now here he plays this overly cocky person that thinks because he was brought up rich he can make others feel small but there is a reason why he does that and we learn later on why. At first glance the film makes you feel like he is going to be insufferable due to the way he presents himself as this total bro that just inherited his dads company and their is so much more to him then meets the eye. Dylan is able to show multiple sides to him that shows sure he is an antagonistic jerk that has few redeeming qualities but we learn why he is the way he is and his self centred ways go away when he learns that his survival depends on Rachel’s character to help him as he would not survive a day by himself in the wild. Dylan brings this I know everything snobby mentality that makes him comes across incredibly ignorant and he does it well as he thinks because he is the boss in the office he can assert his dominance outside of the office as well which he learns is not the case at all. He is a shady character too but the difference with him is he wears his selfishness like a badge of honour as he thinks he should come first as he has higher importance and their are multiple times we learn we can’t fully trust him because you never know if he is trying to genuinely build a connection with her or if he is just manipulating her to believe that he is a good person that has seen the error of his ways. Dylan shows the eye rolling frustration of his character incredibly well but at the same time there comes a moment where he begs for her forgiveness by doubting her talents to survive as he realizes how hard it is and he cannot function on his own. Dylan brings an emotional vulnerability of seething anger to the screen that you can see build more and more overtime but he knows if he lashes out the more he shows how incapable he is to control himself. Dylan soars in this film showing sides of pure helplessness and also seething anger wrapped in charm and O’ Brien once again shows he is not just a pretty face but can bring such passion to the frame in such a staggering way and I think this is one of his strongest performances he has brought to the screen thus far. 

Sam Raimi : Raimi gives his strongest film in almost two decades with Send Help! I love his style of horror but it is so specific to him that either you like it or you hate it as his editing choices and the way he presents his horror and gore is not for everyone. He abandons his traditional horror tropes and shows a more thriller like aspect to the way he tackles this story as it is about misreading people and underestimating others in very dire situations. Now I have been very vocal for years about my disliking for the Doctor Strange film he did as he is better off when he is doing his own thing and is not chained to studio driven IP films and even though his spin on strange was uniquely him you can still tell that film had massive studio input where as in films like Evil Dead and Send Help he is more free to do what he wants. I feel that is when we see Raimi at the height of who he really is as a filmmaker and the way he paints this great portrait of these two characters that have no choice but have to learn to get along in a horrible climate is fantastically well brought to the screen. He shows how all the confidence in the world would be sucked out of people’s personality’s and you would see the most real versions of them and how they would operate in such a setting of life and death like this. It has seeds and inspirations of films like Misery in the way he presents the horror as you can see that Rachel’s character is not a bad person but she for sure has a darkness to her in her that can come out if provoked and I love how he shows the tension between the two actors as you can see them acting their hearts out in this film. he uses the space of the island really well that is a character within itself in many ways while showing the building connection between these two and how they both have their own emotional stuff going on and how we really don’t know their true intentions with each other and how they constantly lie to one another to try to get ahead of the other for their own personal motivations. Sam also like I said brings that gore we know him for now this is not Evil Dead 2 but when it gets violent it gets extremely gory and I love how Sam after all this time still remains the same guy that loves giving audiences a great scare even if it is through the lens of a thriller like setting. Some will say this isn’t as scary as his other films but I can argue it still is effective with its scares because he still actives the horror elements but shown through a different way of presenting it as their is horror in what would happen if you were stuck on an island with your terrible boss as the first thought that enters your mind when you see them stranded is she easily can kill him as their is no one else on the island and that thought never leaves the mind the whole time as you constantly keep thinking will one of them snap on each other and take it too far. Sam amazingly shows that uncertainly in not knowing what their thinking and keeping you on edge the whole time he gives a sensational turn here that I could say is a top 3 best of all time film from him you can see how much fun he had making this film and giving us an old fashioned Raimi film and the kind of film that reminded us why we fell in love with his films to begin with. Sam Raimi did an incredible job. 

28 Years Later : The Bone Temple 

This film is a tremendous follow up to previous film! Nia DaCosta brings a different flare and approach to the franchise that is very much brutal in the execution and incredibly human in her approach to the wonderful screenplay written by Alex Garland. The film is not as stylistic as Danny Boyle’s direction that is absent from this entry but what it lacks in specific style it makes up for in sheer emotional drive which is the big thing that DaCosta Taps into more then ever with this film. The film is about a brutal world that these people have to live in it and how it has affected everyone in different ways to this new way of living and how that mentally would take a toll on people. Now that was explored in the first film and has been a ongoing theme but it explores it to great depth this time around and their are parts of this film that had my jaw on the floor 28 Years Later The Bone Temple is the first great film of 2026 that I will not be surprised if it ends up on many peoples best of the year lists including my own. 

Firstly, The way Nia DaCosta goes about exploring the arc of Samson and Ian the doctor we were introduced to in the first film is a integral focus point to the film and it is a paring you never expected would work but ended up being one of the strongest emotional aspects of the story. Now just like the last film this one is slow In the way the film unfolds it is not at all trying to be a fast paced and slick horror film by any means but instead is a meditative piece on the Human condition. That  is  an element that Nia taps into far more this time around that Danny Boyle didn’t in the previous film which is how far the brutality goes. If the first film was bleak this one cranks it to an 11 with the descent into hell of how people’s minds can turn into a very warped sense of reality and that is shown In brutal detail from what we Get to know as the Jimmy’s and the film has a huge delve into cultism and Satanic worshipping and the way Alex Garland pushes the insanity of this franchise is staggering because we see what happens in the first film when their is a sense of community to protect themselves from harm but then their is another flip side to that coin of what if their was a sense of unity and community built off the backs of evil and delivering a message that is derived off inflecting violence on others. That being said the film does not hold back it shows it all in its ugliness and how terrifying it can go if a person or group of people are pushed far enough. The ways’s it is explored on a psychological level is so interesting and Alex Garland and Nia DaCosta do a tremendous job at Bringing the great writing to the screen and I actually would go as far as saying it is as strong if not more so then what we got in the last film from a storytelling point of view. As having Samson and Dr Ian becoming unlikely friends and generating a great emotional bond was so moving to see the evolution of that and in the final act of the film the story of the Jimmy’s and the Dr Ian plot line intertwine in such a fantastic way that works so well. The film explores places of the characters in a deeper way we had not seen in the first film and Also show the darker and human sides of peoples hearts and both sides of that are greatly executed in a very emotionally affective way. Overall the way the writing has not only strengthened which I thought was impossible as it is already so good Garland still finds new ways to expand this franchise and keep it fresh and brining on Nia was great as she gives such a different look to the franchise but one that is a amazing addition. 

Secondly, The performances from everyone is great but the two actors everyone will be talking about is Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’ Connell who in their own ways give such powerful onscreen performances. Ralph Fiennes once again delivers another top notch performance that proves why he is the amazing actor we all know him for. We see him tap more into the depths of who Dr Ian is and he shows both his deep knowledge on medicine and how strict he is about his ways of living but we see how much he is in dire need of a human connection and Finnes is able to tap into that sensitive heart in a very captivating way that makes you unable to take your eyes off of him the entire time. Then you have Jack O’ Connell who delivers a performance that somehow tops what he did in Sinners with his turn as the head of the Jimmy’s. He plays this unpredictable personality that believes in a higher calling but uses it for all the wrong reasons he lures you in with his charismatic energy and once he has your attention he is able to change the temperature in the room from how he can change his emotional tone within seconds and command the screen with an iron fist of intimidation Jack O Connell is truly magnetic in this film. Everyone else all give great performances but it is the work from both Jack and Ralph that really walk away with the film in terms of performance. 

Lastly, 28 Years Later : The Bone Temple is the first truly great film of 2026 and if films are going to be on this caliber of good it is going to be a great year of films I cannot wait. Alex Garland and Nia DaCosta work together to create the bridge between the first last film with exploring the dark intentions people can have when they manipulate someone far enough in dire situations but also to show how beautiful it is to create a connection with someone and watching that evolution of a bond blossom overtime it is able to go back and forth and explore both ends of that in great detail. 28 Years : The Bone Temple is at the core of it about humans and why we do what we do in a new world that is plagued with nothing but unpredictability around every corner and how we would go about living in such a world Garland and DaCosta do a great job at giving a great follow up to the first film that pushes the world even further and deepening the depths of the characters we were introduced with in the first film with great twist and turns and a gut punch of emotion this film is truly phenomenal! I recommend everyone who likes this franchise to see it on the big screen with an audience it really will make that experience that more special. 

This film picks up where 28 Years left off with now Spike having no choice but to have joined the group known as the Jimmy’s but what they want him to do is darker then he can imagine 

Rated R : Graphic Nudity|Gore|Brief Drug Use|Language Throughout|Strong Bloody Violence

Ralph Fiennes : Ralph gives one of the most memorable performances of his career with his turn in this film as Dr Ian! Now this man is one of the most underrated actors that has had a crazy run of films this decade from The Dig, The Menu, Conclave to now two 28 years films the guy has had exceptional work this decade and it unfortunately is not getting the recognition he deserves. Whatever he is in he gives his absolute best and this performance is no different we saw his introduction in the first film as this eccentric doctor and yes he did get about 20ish minutes of screen time where we found out a little about him but not much. Here we really see who he is on a deeper level and he bears his heart with his work on this film. As we see his day to day ways of living and how he has survived so long by living on his own and how he has maintained a distance between him and the infected people taking his life. Their is a man that goes by the name Samson and he has found himself intrigued by him as he has sedatives that help him from getting harmed he uses on the infected but once he uses it on this one man he is interested to see if their is any way to reverse the virus and see if he can become human again. The sheer will and want for him to help him is so admirable but also you can see that both of them benefit from the situation as he is in essential need of human connection and Samson the man he is studying can be saved so it is a win win on both ways of looking at it. There is something emotion wise he taps into with this character that almost feels Shakespearian in his approach to the role that just makes you so intrigued into his arc of the character. You can see that he does not scare easily due to of seen so much violence and carnage but behind the walls of being confident in his safety their is a longing he has for wanting to have a friend or a basic connection with someone once again and it reads all over his eyes and he presents that through all the raw emotion that is right on his face and Ralph says so much without feeling the need to have to communicate that to the audience with words. Once he starts working on his relationship with Samson you can see that he feels alive again as their is something that gives him a reason to wake up in the morning and have something to look forward too instead of the same old routine day in and day out. When he expresses he is scared it comes from such a real place in his heart as it seems that nothing can shake this man but he is vulnerable like the next person but due to him getting so emotionally attached into Samson it now gives him something to loose which is not something he has had to think about in a very long time. Ralph Fiennes plays this character in a very emotionally reserved way that starts showing more of his emotional depth as the film progresses in very subtle ways and in the final act he gives some of the best acting of his career he surrenders himself to the material and gives his entire body and being to the work and you can see the sheer commitment but also fun he is having at exploring Dr Ian. Ralph Fiennes is magnificent in this film giving what I think is one of his most fascinating and emotionally captivating roles he has put to screen. 

Jack O’ Connell : O’ Connell gives his most terrifying performance yet with his work in 28 Years Later : The Bone Temple! Now Jack O’ Connell is finally getting the recognition he deserves as he has been working for so many years I remember him from way back when he did Unbroken directed by Angelina Jolie and being totally blown away by his talents and somehow in the last decade he has flown under the radar until his big villainous turn in Sinners. If you thought he played a antagonist in that film what he does here is unheard of he plays a bone chilling personality named Jimmy Crystal and brings chaos, violence and inflicts pain on anyone in his path he comes across that he wants to just cause he can. His motives we do not even learn about until later on which is terrifying which means he just does it to get a kick out of people crying in pain and he laughs out of sickening excitement and pleasure in their pain. Jack O’ Connell soaks in this role like a sponge and becomes totally immersed into the psyche of the character when you see him despite his evil and unlikeable motives he is so striking to see onscreen he has such a strong screen presence that is felt in every frame. He follows a strict guideline to being in his deranged group of followers and if you can’t stomach the pain and animalistic nature of it not only will he kick you out he will make sure you go down so you cannot get away. Jack O’ Connell’s character is a devil worshipper and follows the word of him to guide him in his day to day decisions even though it seems he uses religion in a way to justify the horrible actions he does and Jack disappears entirely into the character with the track suit and upside down cross he walks differently and has so much hate in his heart but their is a playfulness about him that is always on display he will bring down the hammer of punishment when he has too and makes that fun personality be a front for who he really is. Emotionally Jack O’ Connell gets to explore so much of who this complicated person is and Does a staggering job at that he thinks what he is doing is the right way to live and treat others which is horrifying. Jack O’ Connell gives what I think is the strongest performance he has shown onscreen thus far and he digs deep into the dark parts of himself to bring this terrifying person to the surface but it is always dripping in charisma that you can’t look away he chews up the scenery in each scene he is in and steals the show in terms of performance Jack O’ Connell is truly sensational! 

Nia DaCosta : Nia brings a beautiful addition to the franchise with giving her own interpretation on the franchise without loosing what the core message of these films are! Now Nia has a short resume she’s worked on the Candyman remake, Hedda and now this among a few others but what she brings to the table creatively was so impressive with her take on this film. She of course lets Alex Garland’s script be her guiding star but the way it is presented style wise is very different then how Danny Boyle does these films. Nia is more quiet in her approach to the story and isn’t as fast paced with kinetic energy she lets the frame burn slowly and lingers longer on shots which is fine I love her voice on this film as she also brings a sense of brutality to this film that has not gone to these kinds of heights of violence before. She never lets the brutality of it all be placed in it for the sake of it but letting it be justified in the way we better understand characters motives theirs a reason behind each decision she makes in this film and smartly at that. She and Alex worked together greatly to explore the relationship of Dr Ian and Samson and how their relationship blossoms overtime all the while exploring the sinister side of Jimmy and his whole situation and what she focuses on is what these films have always been build on which is how humans react under urgent circumstances and how psychologically it affects them and in what way they will adapt to their new settings and the way she presents it is both beautiful and terrifying as she shows the beauty and darkness that comes with that. I think Nia understood the exact kind of tone that was needed to further the plot of this trilogy and expand the arcs of these characters we have become intrigued by overall I think Nia DaCosta brings a respectful and singular vision to the franchise that is a fantastic addition that works so well.    

My Top 10 Favourite Films Of 2025

1. Sinners 
2. One Battle After Another 
3. Wake Up Dead Man : A Knives Out Mystery
4. Bugonia 
5. 28 Years Later
6. Companion 
7. Thunderbolts 
8. The Long Walk 
9. Caught Stealing 
10. One Of Them Days

My Top 10 Favourite Films Of 2024

1. Juror 2
2. The Substance 
3. Conclave 
4. Challengers 
5. Nosferatu
6. Longlegs 
7. Sing Sing
8. A Diffrent Man
9. Saturday Night 
10. Civil War

Wake Up Dead Man : A Knives Out Mystery 

This is one of the best films of the year! Now this film I think will be the most divisive film of the trilogy due to the themes this film discusses and it is not as comedically strong as the previous films as the direction this film goes into is a far more dramatic depth which I think is really cool as it refuses to repeat what it has already done. Now people will say the formula is getting repetitive but these are murder mysteries but it is all about how we get to the destination that matters and the way Rian paints these characters and the over arching look of the the plot is riveting and gives one of the most unpredictable ways to the revel you genuinely do not see coming. Wake Up Dead Man is a blast to be had with truly solid performances from the entire cast involved. 

Firstly, This is Rian Johnson’s most personal story he has written as he explores the themes of faith and devotion to religion in this film that has some of the most polarizing writing he has put to the page. We see a lot of Rian Johnson’s personal feelings about his thoughts on faith really shine through the frame in a way that comes across really exciting in his feelings on the subject. As Josh O’ Connor’s character is someone who has had a troubled past and feels finding his faith has saved him from continuing down that troubled path and Josh Brolin’s character uses his platform to spew anger to his followers and those two clash constantly on how they use their power within the church to preach very different outlooks on faith. As one is coming out of a place of anger another coming from a sense of calm and seeing both sides of that coin was very intriguing to watch unfold. You can see how this film is far more dramatic in its execution compared to the films that came before it as the first two are yes Murder mysteries but it has very smartly placed humour within the narrative this film felt more like a straight forward murder mystery in a sense and the comedy seemed to take a backseat this time around which I didn’t mind but I feel some will feel it is less good in comparison to the other two due to the lack of comedy that is here. I love that 3 films in Rian Is still bringing such fresh ideas in where he wants these films to go and what themes they can tackle and having it take on faith and beliefs I think was such a great way into this murder mystery while also not repeating the same patterns of the previous entries so it never becomes repetitive. This film takes as I mentioned a more serious approach to the subject matter and the way they go about expressing it was brilliantly tackled. The writing is still as sharp as the other two films but it is a tall order to try to top the first film as that is in many ways a perfect film that is impossible to try to recapture that magic again. But I love how episodic these films feel what I mean by that is none of these films are continuing plot lines that carry over to the next they start fresh in each film so you can watch them in any order you want. Wake Up Dead Man has razor sharp dialogue that opens up conversation about deep discussions on faith and religion while still giving that signature style of murder mystery we have come to love from this franchise. 

Secondly, The performances of the entire cast is solid but I have to say the single best performance from the ensemble is Josh O’ Connor! Now I will say a minor gripe I had with the cast here this time around they were good but they didn’t stand out to me as memorably as the past few cast we have gotten now to be fair the biggest draw of the performances aside from Daniel Craig as I mentioned is Josh O’ Connor who gives a sensational turn as a priest trying his best to be the most clear headed priest that wants to spread pure forms of faith that represents positivity in a very difficult time where it is easier to spread hate instead of joy. He brings such emotional tenderness to the role that has you invested into who he is within the first Frame Josh O Connor is magnificent in this film! Then you have Daniel Craig stepping back into the role that I will say is his second most iconic role of his career and he still finds new things to reveal about the character within the the mystery without taking away the mystique of who he is and keeping us in the dark of who he is. We for the first time see his stance on religion and the topic of faith while also delivering another sensational turn as the detective we love and here he seems more grounded in drama instead of comedy while he gives great laughs his performance of the iconic detective he played a lot more straight and I think it was amazing to see Craig still find new things to peel back about this wonderfully written character. Craig is tremendous and has a great back and forth chemistry with Josh that results in crackling chemistry onscreen. Overall the performances are all solid but Josh O Connor did steal the show with his magnetic turn as the conflicted priest in this film. 

Lastly, Wake Up Dead Man is one of the years best films that has some of the sharpest dialogue I have seen as well as Rian Johnson has crafted a film that makes him come to terms with his personal feelings on faith and giving it a fantastic platform through this film and giving great twists and turns you genuinely do not see coming and again brings another great cast together all of which give solid performances with a scene stealing Josh O’ Connor! Now the film pulls back on the comedy and grounds itself with more dramatic depth this time around and I think it is one of Rian’s best written films he has ever put to the screen and another truly fantastic entry in the Knives Out brand with Daniel Craig also giving another great charismatic and magnetic performance this film is phenomenal and will make you want to watch it over and over again! I recommend seeing it on the big screen if you can and if you’re a fan of the Knives Out films you will love this next chapter in the franchise. 

This film centres on a murder that occurs in a church after a Monsieur gives his sermon and they have to get to the bottom of who committed this heinous crime

Rated PG - 13 : Some Crude Sexual Material|Smoking|Bloody Images|Strong Language|Violent Content

Josh O’ Connor : Josh gives a sensational turn as the priest with conflicted feelings of emotional torment going on in his heart! I first really took notice of O Connor in 2024 when he did the tremendous film Challengers and his amazing turn in that film made me keep a look out for anything he does moving forward as he is a terrific actor with fantastic emotional range. He plays Father Judd who is doing his best to follow the way of Christ within a time where there are shady people everywhere he turns. You can see that he has been working his best to try to cleanse himself of his past and write a better path for himself moving forward as he yes acknowledges the person he was in the past which was angry and even hateful but he dose not want to associate himself in that emotional frame of mind anymore and instead wants to help lead people into a peaceful and loving way and unfortunately when he is transferred to a new church and the current Priest that resides there spews anger and toxic ways of using his platform to persuade people into this negative mindset and Josh O’ Connor’s character takes serious offence of using the image and representation of Christ and his faith in a negative way in any form instead of the way he was intended to be represented as in his beliefs. The two clash over their ways of speaking their views on faith and you can see how his character will stop at nothing to make sure people see the good in others and not to feel lied to and or mislead in their pursuit for finding answers that help them on their path to enlightenment. Then when a death shakes the place he is the person everyone turns to as suspect number one due to his strong disliking for the priest but even though he didn’t like him he wouldn’t go as far as ending his life to rid of him. Josh O Connor gets to play in the arena of emotional back and forth with this personality that is done in such an incredibly nuanced way that has you glued to his arc the moment he comes onscreen. You can see that he is trying his best to see the best in others even when people refuse to see the light in him he is doing his absolute best to be a shining example of how redemption in others can be shown with a troubled past. He tries not to let others shake him and he takes emotional hit after hit and their is a point where he is almost in tears within the house of god but when the detective we love comes in played by Craig it gives him someone to confide in that isn’t corrupted by the thoughts of the priest in town but sees him as a person that wouldn’t do these horrible things he has been found to be accused of. They also share differences in views on religion but they can still respect each other despite their differences which is what he can’t do with the other priest. Josh O Connor tries to prove that his past dose not define him as a person and he truly has changed into a better person and that in so many ways faith saved his life and the way O’ Connor channels into the emotional depth of the character is truly terrific to watch as you see the raw emotional pain he is for a good portion of the film for being the number one suspect but still feeling the need to prove that he isn’t the person people view him as. Josh has this way of showing the vulnerability to who he plays with great honesty through his ability to read it all over his face and his eyes and he is truly outstanding in this film I think it is one of the best pieces of acting he has shown so far and with every performance he seems to prove upon the last one as he is an amazingly talented actor that I hope goes on to do big things. Josh O Connor plays the conflicted priest who’s heart is in the right place and the amount of layers that are peeled back about this character is magnificently shown by O’ Connor in a truly sensational turn in this film. 

Daniel Craig : Craig gives another strong turn as the southern detective we all love! Now Daniel Craig has played Benoit three times now and what I love about his approach to the role each time is he finds new ways to explore sides of him we have yet to see and keep him fresh each time we see him onscreen which makes it so fun to see what fun antics he will be up to. I love the approach of not revealing everything about this amazingly well written role that is one of the most compelling original characters we have seen in the last 30 years. He does not want to tell you each aspect about him but keeping that mystique about him is part of the fun of seeing him is not knowing everything is part of the fun. Instead of just laying out his entire personality for us to know all about him he instead gives tidbits of sides to his personality within every film and case. Like we learn his stance on religion and how he does not believe and we learn why but that there is not revealing too much about him but it gives you enough to find out something new to be intrigued by and Daniel Craig gets those new bits of his personality that is revealed that he gets to play within of the detectives arc. We see him grapple with his thoughts on how faith how impacted himself personally and that Father Judd isn’t trying to convert him but try to listen to why he thinks the way he does about faith. Both of them also have amazing onscreen chemistry and they bounce off one another so well Craig does not overstay his welcome with his character which I think is important to talk about because he lets the conflict that is going on with Father Judd be explained in great detail first before dropping into the story and I love that Rian only injects Benoit into the story when he feels it is the right moment. Craig also is not as comedic as he usually is which I think was a great change of pace he does sure have moments of comedic wit for sure but it is not the driving tone of his performance this time around and I love that he will find new ways into the character to explore we don’t know about him and even if it means changing up how we have seen him in the past is amazing. Craig once again delivers another great turn as the southern detective he may not be in the film for as long as people expected but he does such a great job with the screen time he does have and shines a hole through the frame in each scene he’s in Craig is magnificent and even though Benoit may not be a believer by the end of the film you can see his newfound respect for religion and faith Daniel Craig is amazing once again. 

Rian Johnson : Rian has crafted truly one of the best films of his career with the writing on this third entry in the Knives Out Brand he has carved out for himself. Now these films he has given us over the course of 6 years have been amazing as he surrounds each film with such a terrific set of actors and all of which give their absolute all while capturing such great dialogue that perfectly suits each character and layers it with mystery and intrigue that you have no idea where the film will turn next. I wrote back in 2019 in my first review for Knives Out how incredibly hard it is to craft a well thought out murder mystery and Johnson has cracked that formula and knows exactly how to give some of the greatest murder mystery stories we have seen in over 30 plus years. Each film he has given us has had commentary on something larger at hand as the first one was about immigration and the rich and the power dynamic between the two the second film was about the pandemic and out of touch billionaires and tech bros and then with this film it is about religion. I think the way he tackles his thoughts on faith is very profound as Rian Johnson has been very vocal about his conflicted feelings on that specific subject since his early upbringing and how his relationship with faith has changed over the course of his life so incorporating those complex personal thoughts and injecting it into the narrative was a smart way for him to come to terms with his thoughts on the matter. The film is about being a better person through the prospect of faith and the way he opens the film up with Father Judd and how he has had a troubled past but wants to be better then what he was in the past is so touching and so he turned to faith for a recourse of his life going forward and how he wants to show people how they can as well be shown the positive ways of religion. When he is met with a very hostile person who uses the subject of faith in a very negative way he finds that he has to protect the church in anyway he can to preserve the pure message of what the church is supposed to represent and Rian is able to tackle all of that all before Daniel Craig even enters the frame is is amazing as he wants the audience to become emotionally so drawn into father Judd and his journey before he drops Craig into the narrative which I think is such a genius idea. As then the moment Craig is in the film we see how his relationship with Blanc is and how Blanc is not a believer of the subject of religion and despite their differences can still respect one another and the film still wraps the audience in the murder mystery you come to expect from these films but it is not just a retread of what we have seen before. He is able to pack such a powerful emotional punch with the themes of faith, redemption and religion that yes I was deeply satisfied with the way he was able to incorporate the two in a way that complimented one another and worked thematically so well. The film at times I felt this old fashioned gothic mystery element to the frame because of where the film’s location takes place. Some people will knock this film for not having a more detailed Mystery element in the sense the first film made motives on how each character could of potentially of done the murder where as this film is more about a meditation on religion and the way the murder mystery element is done is from the perspective of a locked room mystery which they actually point out within the film. I think this is right next to the first film for being the second best Knives Out Story as a film but in terms of wiring this is his sharpest Knives Out film. Rian Johnson only seems to get better and better with each entry and I cannot wait to see what direction the next one can go into As Rian Johnson has cemented him as the modern day Murder mystery genius writer overall great direction and phenomenal writing by Johnson that is about the fragility topic of religion wrapped in a murder mystery.

Bugonia

This is one of the best films of the year and is right next to Poor Things to being my nee favourite second Yorgos Lanthimos film! Now I have been very vocal of how I am a huge fan of Yorgo’s films over the years and how he has such a distinct and specific style that is so uniquely him. This film is about paranoia, damaged hearts and what happens when conspiracy theory goes to total madness Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone deliver dominating performances that are among some of the best work of their career Bugonia is strange, a twisty and turny tale of sheer insanity to the 100th degree Yorgos may have just delivered the best work of his career with his execution of this narrative. 

Firstly, As I mentioned it is no surprise I sing the praises of Yorgo’s work as I have been praising his talents since I saw the Lobster in 2015. He has given some of the most striking films with truly mind boggling stories that spark such great discussions among the film community and I love that. He always infuses his own spin on very deep rooted themes and here he gives what may be his most political take on things we have seen so far and I love the ballsy moves he is doing with this film in particular. As this film delves into the places of conspiracy theory and how maddening it can be and how there are some people that are so deep into that mindset that whatever they read off the internet they will believe with their full being to a terrifying extent. He shows what happens if someone who believes in that toxic way of thinking could go a step further to dangerous degrees and I love the exploration of it. As the film toys with the idea and concept of this woman they think is an alien and their so sure of it their is no turning their brains but what the film also shows is the paranoia of it all because the film plays devils advocate in a way where they think their an alien and Emma Stone is constantly trying to tell these two men she isn’t but what Yorgos captures so well is self doubt with the audience because he makes you start to not know who to trust because is Emma Stone being totally truthful or are they guys purely insane and made a huge mistake abducting this powerful woman. It goes back and forth arguing both sides and the film weaves through so many twist and turns that you don’t see coming it kept me on edge the entire time their was not one moment I was bored or felt disengaged from the story. Yorgos and the whole team have crafted a film that I think is one of his finest films that again is able to have serious discussions while showing it in the obscure way he likes to do and some may shrug this film off and say it is too weird and obscure but I disagree because if you have seen any of his other films you know that is how he goes about telling his stories. This film though do I think is better than kinds of Kindness? yes but that isn’t a knock on the quality of that film I just felt this film is more tightly written with a engaging plot line that grabs hold of you. He once again brings that pitch black humour to the frame he is known for the film is the exploration of madness and conspiracy to the the most wild degree and Yorgos captured it magnificently the tone set for the film was great and the way it was written is truly terrific. 

Secondly, The performances from everyone but I will say now the biggest performance of the film that really chews up the scenery is Jesse Plemons who gives I think his finest performance in this! He plays this man obsessed with the notion that their are aliens walking among us through the bodies of rich millionaires or wealthy people and he is driven by the notion of trying to stop them and he feels so sure of it that nothing can shake him and he brings a awkwardness and unpredictability to the role that is utterly terrifying but you can’t look away from it is his finest hour as an actor and shows everyone he is a perfect fit for leading man roles. Emma Stone is equally as great giving what I think is her second best performance right next to Poor Things as she plays a woman that is thrust into this situation where she has to find ways to better her situation without making it worse for herself as she knows it can end vert badly if she says the wrong thing and the way she shows the pure desperation in her eyes while also trying to remain strong in spirit is truly incredible to watch onscreen. The two performances from Jesse and Emma are phenomenal and seeing them going back and forth is a great chess match of acting to watch that left me floored. 

Lastly, Bugonia is one of Yorgos’s strongest films of his entire career with his ability to keep finding ways to bring the audience into his strange worlds and approaching them in fresh new ways that never feel repetitive as he crafts his most political spin through his obscure lens with his work on this. He never made the film feel preachy but worked it into the story that felt smart and packed a powerful punch that will make you think. the film shows what happens to someone who gets in their own head with paranoia and acts on it and goes about it in all the wrong ways to the most insane degree and the way he explores the mindset of these characters is incredible while packed with truly spectacular performances Bugonia is one of the most thought provoking and well acted films of the year that will for sure be on a lot of peoples favourite films of the year list I know it’ll be on mine for sure Bugonia is chaotic madness presented masterfully by Yorgos. I recommend if your a fan of his work or just great original storytelling go see this on the big screen. 

Two men abduct a powerful business woman under the impression she is an alien 

Rated R : Bloody Violent Content|Suicide|Grisly Images|Language

Jesse Plemons : Plemons delivers his finest work of his career with his turn in this film! Now as I said last year seeing him getting his first big lead role with Kinds Of Kindness was a big deal as he has for a long time has been playing supporting roles and he proved with his work in that he can anchor a film as the lead and here he shines amazingly as the lead of this film once again giving full confidence he is leading man material. Here he plays a man dead set on the notion that there is a woman that he has been following for a while is an alien that must be stopped. The film opens with lots of dialogue of why he thinks the way he does and we get a crack inside his brain of how he ticks and it is disturbing because their are so many people that do think the way he is speaking and their is so much reality in his performance. You can tell that what he has read on the internet has infected his way of thinking and going about his way of living we see that he is so confident in those topics because of his heavy research on it and by believing it heavily gives him a purpose as you can see in his eyes he is a lost soul that has a heavy amount of trauma and disguises it through his maddening obsession on this topic. When he abducts Emma Stone’s character at first we think he just grabbed her because he thinks she is an alien and has studied her for so long but as the film goes on we learn that they have a shared history between the two of them and the reasoning he targeted her could of been due to being emotionally motivated instead of it at first feeling like a isolated event. Jesse has perfected the ability to play these socially awkward characters that feel so uncomfortable in their skin but here he plays someone that has so many insecurities and at the core of it feels he has a handle on the situation when in reality he has no idea what he is doing and when Emma’s character calls him out on his lack of planning and sloppy execution he gets mad very easily as you can see he has a short temper that can’t take criticism. He thinks he has the upper hand in what is happening but since he is so off the deep end mentally what makes him scary is he will resort to psychical violence if it means it proves to her that he is in control and not her which is scary as it shows that he has no limit to what he can and will do to protect his pride. You can see in the way he looks that he feels so confident in the beginning but as the film goes on you can watch the layers of insecurity just shed off him like a snake and his patience and calm way of dealing with it become less and less and he starts cracking under the pressure leading to violent outbursts that make the situation only worse for himself furthering proving the point that he has no idea how to deal with what he chose to do. This character is so multi layered in insecurity and to a degree insanity as well and he didn’t just play him as this big terrifying antagonist but you can see that he took the approach of people that have been mentally unstable and clutch themselves to unhealthy things on the internet and then blow that up to a crazy degree and what would happen if someone acted on those ill thoughts and believed all these outlandish things and spoke it as if it was their truth. Jesse has this slow but gradual progression into mental madness and he cranks up the volume on it slowly but surely in a way that works for the film and is so incredibly emotionally affective in his screen delivery. I think the way he plays the character is brilliant and is his finest hour as An actor as he has so much to work with in terms of showing sides of who this person is and you can see the sheer amount of depth exploration that Plemons puts into the role is truly amazing. Jesse Plemons delivers a phenomenal performance of a man that starts as a guy that could not be rattled but then becomes sick with paranoia in his brain and the way Jesse shows that onscreen truly blew me away from his line delivery to the emotional vulnerability he presents from just the look in his eyes he is amazing here I really hope he gets award attention for his work in this film he is outstanding! 

Emma Stone : Stone gives another sensational turn with her partnership with Yorgos! These two have become such great collaborators and they creatively bring the best out of each other as once again Emma shines as this rich mogul that is thrust into a dangerous situation that she has to find a way out of without getting killed. Now I want to add Emma Stone has become one of my favourite actors working today she constantly finds characters that challenge her as an actress that raises the bar of what she can do each time which makes her so fun to watch their is really not any genre she can’t do. Here as mentioned she plays this rich mogul and when she is awakened in the basement to these two men that are under the impression she is an alien her first response is to get angry and try to tell them that their horribly mistaken and that the law enforcement will be knocking their door down any minute as she finds if she approaches it by instilling fear then that will get them to crack under the pressure of using her power status to intimate them. When she comes to the hard realization early on that tactic won’t work to her surprise as she thought it would scare them and when they are found to just laugh her off and go upstairs showing they are the ones in control she then goes to her second option which is desperation and she goes through many levels of emotional stages as the second one yeah was desperation as she begins to plea and beg to let her go and regardless how many tears she sheds or how she tries to reason with them she finds herself still cuffed to that bed and unable to go anywhere which then leads to her third attempt which is to play along and feed into their delusions when she starts cooperating and just begin agreeing that she is an alien they are at first not convinced and takes a lot for her to make them agree that she isn’t manipulating them but is she? She knows that these men are mentally not well and so why fight them when she can just try to agree for a while to talk her way out of it. She tries to be kind she really does but their is a moment where she gets into a heated disagreement with Jesse’s character over some past business they had with one another and it results in his hands being around her throat and after that moment she realizes this man’s violent outbursts has caused her to have to get out of there asap as she knows he will end her if it comes to it as at first she just he may never lay a hand on her but when that is proven false she then does her final attempt to find a way out which is shedding the begging and pleading and kindness persona and showing him that she is strong at heart and has never been weak and she has this monologue that feels 5 to 7 minutes long and it left my jaw on the floor as like I said when we first see her she is desperate but by the final act she makes Jesse full of self doubt and second guessing his moves as she proves to him he messed with the wrong person. What is so brilliant about Emma in this film is the many phases she goes through and how she is able to deliver such a powerful punch of emotion in each layer that is peeled back she brings such a amount of emotional grit to the role and again she gets so much to work with in terms of emotional range with this character. Emma is phenomenal and you can tell that upon the first night in that basement that she is someone that has the confidence Jesse’s character wishes he had and you can see the seeds of resentment grow from that first encounter. Emma Stone gives an emotional stability to Jesses’s madness which makes for a great acting showcase between the two onscreen the entire time. Emma Stone once again gives another terrific turn in this film that is among her best work she has ever done she is emotionally powerful in this film! 

Yorgos Lanthimos : Yorgos gives again another modern masterpiece with his work on this! Yorgos I will never stop gushing about his creative brain as he is one of the most imaginative creatives working today that finds such engaging stories that never feels like his previous films he is always giving fresh new takes with such unique looks on the human condition. Now again this could be his most polarizing film yet with the political take he has on it and some may say it is too heavy handed I don’t think so as I have not seen such a true and honest look at conspiracy theory to a psychotic degree shown like this before. He does not his punches he shows how mentally unstable, scary, and dangerous it can be when you let falsehoods from the internet become your version of the truth and then at the same time is Emma’s character being totally truthful we don’t know which then makes us what agree with Jesse’s character not exactly but it creates self doubt in both characters which makes for a more unpredictable ending. You have no idea how the film is going to shake out and I think Yorgos did a tremendous job at not letting people know where the plot was going to go keeping the audience on their toes the whole time. he does not spoon feed the audience and tell them who is right and who is wrong he is amazing at showing flawed characters and their actions but leaving it up to the viewer to decide if what their doing is wrong or not and the only other filmmaker that has perfected that is Scorsese. Yorgos explores paranoia, madness and what happens if someone was pushed too far to act on their own suspensions from what they read online and the way he delivers that is amazing and so well done as he also gets great performances from his lead actors while giving that signature Yorgos black comedy as well where you don’t if you should laugh at parts of the film but find yourself giggling. Yorgos once again proves why he is one of the most compelling voices working today and he has yet to find a genre he cannot tackle he loves exploring what makes people tick and here Bugonia is one of his finest films he just did a truly remarkable job.