Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain in Benoît Delhomme’s Mothers’ Instinct — PHOTO: Neon (Still image from trailer).
Directed by Benoît Delhomme — Screenplay by Sarah Conradt.
Based on the novel Derrière la haine from author Barbara Abel (and a remake of the 2018 Olivier Masset-Depasse adaptation), Benoît Delhomme’s Mothers’ Instinct tells the story of two 1960s American housewives and mothers, Celine (played by Anne Hathaway) and Alice (played by Jessica Chastain). After Celine’s son tragically died and Alice was too late to stop it from happening, Celine and Alice become distant, and, following Celine’s stay away from the suburbs that she called her home, Alice notices a change in her neighbor, who starts to become close with Alice’s son. As strange things start to happen, Alice begins to suspect that her grieving neighbor has cruel intentions.
Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain in THE GOOD NURSE — PHOTO: Netflix / JoJo Whilden.
Directed by Tobias Lindholm — Screenplay by Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
Like the many films with the word ‘American’ in the title (American Sniper, American Gangster, American Ultra, American Hustle, American Pie, etc.), films or shows with ‘Good’ in the title are a dime a dozen. The Good Dinosaur, The Good Wife, The Good Doctor, and so on and so forth. Let’s just say that Tobias Lindholm’s The Good Nurse has a very generic title. I’d love to be able to say that the film isn’t like that. But, honestly, it is a fairly generic but ‘okay’ film that somehow has a great cast, director, and screenwriter.
Christopher Miller’s The Afterparty is available on APPLE TV+ right now. – Photo: Apple TV+.
In this edition of my recurring movie and television catch-up article series titled ‘Additional Bite-Sized Reviews,’ I take a look at one of the start of the year’s best shows, and I also give you my thoughts on a (currently) Oscar-nominated film. So, get comfortable, and get ready to read my thoughts on things like Apple TV+’s latest gem and the film that very well could earn Jessica Chastain her first Academy Award tonight.
The following is a review of IT: Chapter Two — Directed by Andy Muschietti.
It would be an understatement to say that Andy Muschietti’s IT (2017) was a great success. Successfully building on audiences’ relationship with the 1990s mini-series, novel, or creature design, IT went on to become the highest-grossing Stephen King adaptation and the highest-grossing horror film in North American box office history (not adjusted for inflation). Therefore, naturally, expectations for the adaptation of the second ‘half’ of the 1000-page long clown-focused King novel were through the roof. Ultimately, although I don’t think the second chapter lives entirely up to the frightening but charming first film, IT: Chapter Two finds much more success in depicting the grown-up half of the novel than the mini-series did, and, even though I have notable problems with the film, I’m mostly satisfied with how this oversized crowdpleaser wrapped up the story. Continue reading “REVIEW: IT – Chapter Two (2019)”→
Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The following is a review of X-Men: Dark Phoenix — Directed by Simon Kinberg.
“You’re always sorry, Charles, and there’s always a speech. But nobody cares anymore,” is the line that is going to be cited to oblivion in reviews of the final Fox-controlled X-Men film, Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix. It is a line uttered by Fassbender’s Magneto-character, and, even though it certainly is in-character, it almost feels like unintentional self-directed criticism on the part of the writer-director. Or, perhaps, one might suggest it speaks to our collective disinterest in these films after Days of Future Past and Logan successfully bid farewell to that era of superhero filmmaking.
As is made painfully clear, one of the actors doesn’t even care anymore, so why should audiences? It hasn’t helped that X-Men: Apocalypse left a sour taste in people’s mouths. And the fact that Disney can now shoehorn the X-Men into their wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe whenever they see fit surely hasn’t helped in bringing new audiences to the long-running X-Men film series. Fox’s X-Men is a tired film franchise and that quote perfectly encapsulates the way many feel about these films. Continue reading “REVIEW: X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)”→
The following is a review of ‘Crimson Peak’, a Guillermo Del Toro film.
Guillermo Del Toro is a fastidious filmmaker, and has been known to master the horrific and the gothic in both his writing and directing. Del Toro is also a visually focused director, and Del Toro is at his best when he is able to build his storytelling on the strength of a beautiful set. Why am I telling you this? Because it pleases me to say that Del Toro is back. Having now seen Crimson Peak, it pleases me to state that Guillermo Del Toro has not crafted a more beautiful world since his 2006 fantasy masterpiece, Pan’s Labyrinth. Continue reading “REVIEW: Crimson Peak (2015)”→
20th Century Fox – Theatrical Release Poster – The Martian
The following is a review of The Martian, a Ridley Scott film.
In 2011, Andy Weir self-published his first ever novel, The Martian. The Martian was envisioned as a very realistic science fiction novel, and it eventually became quite a hit. Then, in 2013, 20th Century Fox optioned the film rights, with Drew Goddard announced as the scriptwriter, and, later, Ridley Scott was announced as the director. One now hoped that Goddard’s talent and Scott’s experience could make The Martian a solid film. Thankfully, it is much more than that – The Martian is one of the best films of 2015. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Martian (2015)”→
Matthew McConaughey in INTERSTELLAR — PHOTO: Warner Bros. Pictures (Still image from trailers).
The following is an updated review of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. It was updated in March 2026, as I felt, upon rewatch, the final score needed to be upped, while the writing did not reflect my current voice.
Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar follows Cooper (played by Matthew McConaughey), a NASA test pilot-turned-farmer and father of two, as he attempts to secure a future for his children, who are living in a difficult situation that threatens to only get worse. With violent dust storms and worsening conditions, Earth is falling apart, and the future of humanity is in question. When Cooper’s daughter discovers an anomaly, it becomes the starting off point for a journey that will take him far away, as Cooper is thrown into something much bigger than him and his family, i.e., interstellar travel to potentially save humanity. Cooper’s daughter, Murphy (played by multiple people, but chiefly Jessica Chastain), doesn’t agree with his decision to partake in the journey, as it means leaving them on Earth for what could be decades (and possibly forever), but he feels that he must take this chance to secure a life for his children. As Cooper goes on the mission to travel through a wormhole, encounter a black hole, and evaluate distant planets, the story truly begins.
With the focus on a father-daughter relationship and risky missions into space, this may sound like Michael Bay’s Armageddon, but this film is much more ambitious, scientifically savvy, and cerebral than that. Don’t get me wrong, the aforementioned film can be enjoyable, but the small plot points of films like Armageddon are processed much better here in Interstellar by the Nolans. The themes in this film revolve around family, self-sacrifice, and love. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Anne Hathaway, all of whom turn in instantly iconic performances. Shepherded by one of the most intelligent and gifted filmmakers of our time, Christopher Nolan, they deliver what I am comfortable in saying is one of the most breathtaking space-set adventures put to the big screen. There is also an epic surprise cameo in this film that blew me away. I’d like to add that the scenes involving Michael Caine have a lot of weight to them, and that there’s an overall message in those scenes (retrod in the scenes involving the special surprise actor). A message created by poet Dylan Thomas, which is absolutely breathtaking and at times quite emotional. It is a perfect use of a perfect poem.
The film is chock-full of memorable scenes, but none is more emotionally impactful than those that revolve around a message-in-a-bottle communication system, as Cooper sees the effect the sands of time have had on his family and his relationships back on Earth. It is an almost torturously affecting aspect of the film. McConaughey does some of his best work in the scenes wherein he receives videos from Earth. At its core, this really is a film about saving your family, and the sacrifices one is willing to make for love. Those expecting more of a horror sci-fi going in will be disappointed. Nolan, instead, aims for a balancing act of realism and reality-defying love. He focuses so much on theoretical science, but he never forgets that the story inherently has space operatic aspects. The blend works wonderfully, as it is not only satisfying from a cerebral standpoint, but also when it comes to tugging at your heartstrings. It also features breathtaking science-fiction visuals, as Nolan puts awe-inspiring alien planets, a black hole, and reality-defying locations to the big screen. It truly deserves to be watched on the biggest screen possible. It is arguably Nolan’s best-looking film to date.
Though I loved the film, I do think that one may struggle with it and have a less-than-stellar experience if they’re unable to properly relax in the film through suspension of disbelief. Also, though the film does a great job of building a credible father-daughter relationship, I do think the father-son relationship feels underdeveloped. Its biggest swing is in the final act, though, where some elements can feel a little bit clunky or confusing. The extent to which you love this film will depend on how willing you are to suspend your disbelief and go with the emotional core of what is happening rather than overthinking the details of it.
Though the film has an iffy final act, with perhaps a tad too much Hollywood-sweetness added to it, this is a great example of a proper space opera with foundations in a somewhat realistic portrayal of integral sci-fi aspects, but which is unafraid of throwing itself headfirst into the beating heart of the film, even if it may defy our sense of reality. The visuals, performances, and technical prowess make this a near-masterpiece of science-fiction filmmaking with the potential to become a true classic.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 