Stowaway (2021)
TV-MA‧ Sci-fi/Drama ‧ 1h 56m
Written by Joe Penna & Ryan Morrison
Directed by ‎Joe Penna

THE CAST

Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson

THE STORY

(In their own words) A three-person crew on a mission to Mars faces an impossible choice when an unplanned passenger jeopardizes the lives of everyone on board.

THE REVIEW

There was a lot for me to be excited about this film. The premise looked amazing, love me some Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick is often a delight. Netflix has produced some really nice scifi Netflix originals. I was truly looking forward to this film. 

It’s no spoiler to say that the first 10-15 minutes are kind of an accurate representation of the film. It’s done a little odd. We get the point of view of the three astronauts, but we can’t hear them talking to mission control, let alone never see mission control. So we hear the one side of the conversation. Usually we can piece together what was said, but it is an odd choice. It makes the pacing a little disjointed and drags the scenes a little bit. And that’s how I would describe a lot of the film – disjointed and the scene drags a little bit. 

The premise of the film is that three astronauts are on their way to Mars when they discover a “stowaway”. A fourth person on the ship who was seemingly accidentally left on board before take off. The ship is going to fast and doesn’t have enough fuel to stop and turn around, leaving them with the dilemma – they don’t’ have enough air for four people. They have to figure out a way to produce more oxygen or their stowaway will have to go away. 

This is where the film starts showing to be more of a drama than a scifi film. It also starts to show it’s weaknesses here, because I really don’t care. We don’t learn very much about each character, other than each of their chances at a backstory monologue, but we don’t know enough about them to care about the fate of the travelers. Which is the ultimate sin of the filmmaker – they didn’t get me to care about anyone in the film. By the end, I could care less if they tossed the stowaway or someone else on board. 

Don’t get me wrong. The film wasn’t awful. The acting was really nice, for what the actors had to work with. Some of the cinematography was fantastic to help me feel like I’m floating through space with the actors. It’s just that somewhere between the script and direction, something got lost in space. 

THE BEST

Three BEST things about the film

1. Some lovely camera work to bring you into the moments.
2. Very nice use of a small cast
3. Nice acting job by Shamier Anderson

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Film

1. Not very much depth into characters.
2. The odd choice that we never hear or see mission control. We only hear the one side of conversations. It’s a clear choice that doesn’t work.
3. Anna Kendrick feels miscast in this. 

THE LESSON

There are lots of ways to leave your mark and make a difference.

THE FINAL WORD

More “drama than scifi.” While it has an interesting premise to allow some character exploration, it is unable to bring an emotional response to the audience for a variety of reasons. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Lose It.

A Quiet Place Part 2 (2021)
PG-13‧ Drama/Horror/Scifi ‧ 1h 37m
Written by John Krasinski
Directed by ‎John Krasinski

THE CAST
John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe

THE STORY

(In their own words) 
Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.

THE REVIEW

This is the first movie to venture me into a theater since the Covid-19 pandemic. Kind of twisted that am Apocalyptic film would be the one to bring me back to a theater after almost a year and a half. I tell you this to explain how excited I was to see A Quite Place Part II after waiting with anticipation for years since swing thr first film. 

Part II roles prequel and sequel into one, spending the first 15 minutes showing us what Day 1 of the alien invasion looked like before it jumps in time to the immediate moments following the first film. From there we are treated to a continuation of the story. 

While the we do get to see more of the remaining Abbott family and introduction of another character, director/writer John Krasinski focuses on what he did well with the first film; create a very tight story with fantastic foreshadowing, great emotional connection with the characters, and a made for the theater film experience. Perfect suspense, perfect movement of the characters and excellent cinematography.  

What the film lacks is expansion of the world in a serious way. We still don’t learn a whole lot about the world and others. But I don’t know that this film really needs that. Krasinski isn’t trying to create a whole new world like many SciFi properties. He’s simply trying to tell a good story. And he does, so it’s hard to fault him. But I will say that there were many times I wondered “why did this need to be made? What else are you gonna show that I wouldn’t have imagined already? It was nice to revisit this family, but it wasn’t necessary. And that makes the urgency feel less. 

With that said, I really enjoyed the film. If you too liked the first film, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one as well. 
It was familiar but new, which may have made it a perfect film for me to return to a theater.

THE BEST

Three BEST things about the film

1. It is a nice continuation of the story and the characters we saw before. 

2. The writing is super tight. Very well written. 

3. Keeps us wanting more.  

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Filmfreeway  

1. Doesn’t expand the world of the film very much. 

2. Nothing came out in the film that made me feel like it warranted a sequel.

3. The usage of POC in the film.  

THE LESSON

When everything seems to have fallen apart, keep moving on. You have to have hope. 

THE FINAL WORD

An enjoyable yet unnecessary sequel. If you liked the first one, you’ll probably like this one. 

THE VERDICT 
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

A Quiet Place Part II gets a Like It.

The Woman In The Window (2021)
R ‧ Mystery/Drama/Crime ‧ 1h 40m
Written by Tracy Letts
Based on a book by J. Finn
Directed by ‎Joe Wright 

THE CAST

Amy Adams Gary Oldman, Fred Hechinger, and Julianne Moore, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, and Jennifer Jason Leigh

THE STORY

(In their own words) An agoraphobic woman living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors, only to witness a disturbing act of violence.

THE REVIEW

I’ve never before had a film suck me in because of the cinematography. But from the opening shot of The Woman In The Window I was compelled to learn what was going on. The story of Anna, an agoraphobic woman trying to deal with the grief of the pending end of her marriage, leans heavily into the cinematography to capture Anna’s emotional turmoil in dealing with the outside world and her new medication. The camera takes odd positions and movements and provides sharp cuts that mirror how she is feeling. This assists with your understanding and empathy of her, along with the wonderful performance by Amy Adams. 

The mystery of the film revolves the apartment across the street, the new tenants, and Anna’s witnessing of a murder there. This film has more red herrings than a communist fish market. Trying to figure out what’s really happening and what is happening in Anna’s medicated brain is half the fun. 

The film kept me alert and on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out what was going to happen next. I credit both Amy’s Adams’ performance and solid mystery writing. There’s not a lot of films that surprise me these days and this film really had me in the dark, in a good way. 

At times the film seems almost too familiars as there are some clear nods to Hitchcock films, particularly Rear Window, which you even catch a snippet of on the TV in beginning.  While director Joe Wright may not be a Hitchcock, this film would definitely make me want to check out future mysteries he directs. 

Ultimately, isn’t that what we want from a film? Something so good you want to see what else the creators have or will make. 

THE BEST

Three BEST things about the film

1. Cinematography, really felt the film from the POV of the lead through clever cinematography. 
2. Amy Adam’s performance. Dynamite acting role in this. 
3. Writing – Particularly the aspect of the mystery. It was a great mystery. 

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Film. 

1. The female cop was too distrusting and almost belligerent of Anna. It didn’t make sense. 
2. Expositional ending. 
3. Big plot point became obvious too early. 

THE LESSON

Fear begets fear.  

THE FINAL WORD

A thriller and mystery that pulls you in from the beginning and delivers one of the best understandings of agoraphobia yet on film. 

THE VERDICT 
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 
 
The Woman In The Window gets a Like It.

ThunderForce (2021)
PG-13‧ Action Comedy‧ 1h 47m
Written by Ben Falcone
Directed by ‎Ben Falcone 

THE CAST

Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Pom Klementieff, Jason Bateman

THE STORY

(In their own words) Two childhood best friends reunite as an unlikely crime-fighting superhero duo when one invents a formula that gives ordinary people superpowers.

THE REVIEW

My fourteen year old daughter and I love watching superhero films and tv shows together. We watch a lot and there isn’t much we haven’t seen. Seeing the trailer for Netflix’s superhero film Thunder Force intrigued us both. We enjoy Melissa McCarthy’s comedies and the varied roles of Octavia Spencer. The concept of two 40-something women becoming superheroes was something we hadn’t seen yet, sonar high hopes. Thunder Force did not disappoint. 

First off, as a comedy, there’s not a lot of films that make both my daughter and I laugh. This one absolutely did. We both had many hard belly laughs during the film. This hit all the boxes for a comedy; unexpected punchlines, absurdity, impeccable timing. It delivered. 

The film was both an origin story and a fish out of water story. McCarthy and Spencer had great comedic chemistry together though had trouble connecting on a personal level, but I put more blame on the script for this as it forced the characters into a renewed friendship it hadn’t earned yet. 

Justin Bateman was the biggest surprise for me. His character of a half-man half-crab was absolutely hilarious and he played it perfectly. 

I think you’ll enjoy this movie if you are ready for some unconventional superheroes and enjoy some laughs.

THE BEST

Three BEST things about the film

1. The comedy. I had more full belly laughs than I have had in a long time.
2. Original Premise for a superhero team.
3. Justin Batman’s character as a half crab/ half human is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time. 

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Film

1. Predictable villains.
2. Relationship plot points stretched a bit far to get the story going.
3. Forced conflicts. The conflicts took a lot of twisting to make them happen. 

THE LESSON

Superpowers aren’t as important as the person who wields them. 

THE FINAL WORD

This original superhero film provided some of the hardest laughs I’ve had from a movie in a while. I watched with my teen daughter who also really liked it. Good family entertainment, with a different kind of superhero role model than you usually get. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Thunder Force gets a Like It.

The Last Blockbuster (2020)
NR Documentary ‧ 1h 26m
Written by Zeke Kamm
Directed by ‎Taylor Morden

THE CAST

Sandi Harding, Doug Benson, Ron Funches

THE STORY

(In their own words) 
A documentary on the last remaining Blockbuster Video, located in Bend, Oregon.

THE REVIEW

This is a documentary about the final Blockbuster Video store in Bend, Oregon. The documentary details the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video and how this one blockbuster manages to stay in business through the downturn of the video rental business. 

While much of the film focuses on the franchise owner and operator Sandi Harding, The film interviews industry professionals and a lot of comedians for a trip down memory lane. At times it feels less like a documentary and more like a VH1 special.

The general appeal of this movie is this desire to take a look at nostalgia and rituals that we as a country we’re all part of. Renting videos for the weekend was one of them for a couple decades. This movie is not going to change your life in any way. You won’t feel like a more knowledgeable person, aside from a little information about why Blockbuster actually failed, which I will say was a surprise to me. Usually I watch documentaries because I want to become better educated about a subject. This one, I don’t even know why I wanted to see it. Maybe it’s just nice to see a small business owner figuring out how to prosper despite a changing world around them. 

Mostly, I think it’s just an opportunity to reminisce with my wife about an experience we both had even though we didn’t know each other. Somehow watching it together and talking about it afterwards makes us somehow feel closer. 

THE BEST

Three BEST things about the film

Lauren Lapkus’ delightful narration. 
Fun nostalgia conversation sparker.
Interesting insight into what really happened to the business.

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Film

There isn’t a ton to learn from the documentary. 
You don’t leave the documentary feeling smarter than anyone else. 
There is no message really. 

THE LESSON

Don’t give up your business until someone pries it from your cold, dead hands. 

THE FINAL WORD

If you need a walk down nostalgia lane with not too much to think about, this is a great little documentary to check out.  

THE VERDICT 
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

The Last Blockbuster gets a Like It

R ‧ Action Adventure Fantasy ‧ 4h 2m
Written by Chris Terrio
Directed by ‎Zach Snyder

THE CAST

Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill),Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller), Darkseid (Ray Porter), Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds). 

THE STORY

(In their own words) Determined to ensure Superman’s ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

THE REVIEW

What a difference a director makes. Zach Snyder’s cut of Justice League comes to HBO Max thanks to the demands of fans who really wanted to see what Snyder had intended before he stepped away from the original version after the tragic death of his daughter. Joss Whedon picked up directing the rest and ordering reshoots for a lot of the film. Between Whedon and studio demands to change the tone of the film, they released one of the worst superhero we’ve seen in a while. Much of it got blamed on Snyder at the time and that Whedon did the best with what he had. Oh, boy that was a false narrative. 

Fan sentiment and Twitter trends finally convinced the studios to give Snyder the money for a post production to put together the film he imagined. 

The original version was just two hours. The new one….a whopping 4 hours and 2 minutes. And finally, the story made sense. Finally we understood character motivations. Finally, we had the story we had been clamoring for. And while it is a long film, it is a wonderful Superhero film. We got to truly understand Superman’s resurrection, cyborg’s origin story, and all that Flash is capable of. Well rounded stories, great character development and a difficult understanding of what the hell Warner Brothers was thinking. I understand the hesitation of a 4 hour film, and that is definitely the fault of Snyder for writing such a complex story, but the story was rich and didn’t deserve the hack job of cuts that it got. 

And while Snyder is a great story teller, particularly with visuals, what he lacks is creating memorable dialogue and interactions. I honestly have trouble remember many lines that aren’t in the trailer. 

The saddest part of Snyder’s Justin League is knowing this is the end. After the disaster of the original Justice League, plans for a DCU were essentially scrapped. And Snyder set up some fun things for future movies that likely will never happen. 

THE BEST

Three BEST things about the film

SUCH a better film than the original release. 
Fantastic world creation and bringing different DC properties together.  
It takes its time to tell every story that needs telling.  

THE WORST

The three WORST things about the Film

It’s a 4 hour movie!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I loved it, but it should’ve been released as a mini-series. 
Too heavy on CGI focus at the expense of story. 
The dialogue. Very little for memorable dialogue.

THE LESSON

We are stronger together than apart.  

THE FINAL WORD

Snyder’s Justice League is a far superior film than the original and is so much different it is practically a different movie. This is the one you should see. Just set some time up for it. 

THE VERDICT 
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.   

Zach Snyder’s Justice League gets a LIKE IT

This week Samantha & Silas review the new films Malcolm & Marie on Netflix and The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things on Amazon Prime.