Tag: Keith David

Shelby Oaks (2025) | REVIEW

Camille Sullivan in SHELBY OAKS — PHOTO: Neon (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Chris Stuckmann — Screenplay by Chris Stuckmann.

I don’t think it was possible to frequent YouTube in the 2010s as a film fan without eventually running into a film review uploaded by Chris Stuckmann. Stuckmann earned himself a loyal following over the years and became one of the premier YouTube film critics until the early 2020s, at which point he admitted to wanting to focus on filmmaking. He stated that he felt it wouldn’t be right for him to speak negatively about projects going forward if he wanted to break into the industry. Although his channel still posts videos wherein he talks about new releases, this change in approach has led to a litany of videos scolding him for his decision-making. But, at the same time, Stuckmann did get his wish, as his feature debut as a filmmaker, Shelby Oaks, was released theatrically in North America in 2025. This was notably after Neon picked the film up for distribution and prominent horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan attached himself to the project as an executive producer. I finally got the chance to see Stuckmann’s first film as a writer-director yesterday, and, well, while I thought it was nice to see Stuckmann’s dream come true, the film didn’t do much for me.

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Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026) | REVIEW

(L-R) Eiza Gonzalez, James Marsden, and Vince Vaughn (x2) in Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice — PHOTO: 20th Century Studios (Still image from trailers).

Directed by BenDavid Grabinski — Screenplay by BenDavis Grabinski.

BenDavid Grabinski’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice takes place in a somewhat goofy version of an organized crime world, wherein we meet Quick-Draw Mike (played by James Marsden), who has fallen in love with Alice (played by Eiza Gonzalez). Alice, however, is married to another member of the crime world, Nick (played by Vince Vaughn), who, unbeknownst to Mike, has framed Mike as a so-called rat. Things take a strange turn when Mike agrees to help Nick complete a job. The thing is, Nick needs Mike to chloroform someone who just so happens to look exactly like Nick. Why? Well, one of the two Nicks has used a time machine to stop his past self from making the worst mistake of his life.

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REVIEW: NOPE (2022)

Steven Yeun’s character looks upward and tries to monetize what he sees in Jordan Peele’s NOPE — Photo: Universal Pictures.

Directed by Jordan Peele — Screenplay by Jordan Peele.

With Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele’s name became synonymous with the social-horror genre. A master of horror on the rise, who is still building his oeuvre, Peele’s films as a director thus far have felt like event films, to me. Get Out was a masterpiece and one of the best films of the 2010s, and Us was a fantastic horror film that I think is exceptionally rewatchable, rewarding, and thought-provoking. He didn’t land all of his big ideas with Us, but it was still one of my favorite films of 2019. I absolutely loved it. So, when his third outing as a director was announced and revealed to be a sci-fi horror flick starring two of my favorite actors of the 2010s in Daniel Kaluuya, re-teaming with Peele after Get Out, and Steven Yeun, who made his name known with The Walking Dead but whose best performance can be seen in Lee Chang-dong’s masterpiece Burning, my expectations reached a fever pitch. So, does NOPE work? In a word, yep.

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REVIEW: The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of The Nice Guys, a Shane Black film.

The Nice Guys, a crime buddy comedy, follows the enforcer Jackson Healy (played by Russell Crowe), who sees himself as an unlicensed private detective, and Holland March (played by Ryan Gosling), a miserable and cynical private detective. Healy and March start at opposite ends of the same case. March has been hired by the aunt of porn star Misty Mountain who recently died. The aunt claims to have seen her niece alive after her death, and the clues point March towards a girl named Amelia (played by Margaret Qualley). Meanwhile, Healy has been hired by Amelia to intimidate a number of people who have been following her. This causes their paths to cross. As Healy and March inevitably team-up, they are now tasked to find Amelia, who is being chased by two thugs.

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