Reviews

IN A NUTSHELL: Characters from different backgrounds are thrown together when the plane they're traveling on crashes into the Pacific Ocean. A nightmare fight for survival ensues with the air supply running out and dangers creeping in from all sides.

The film was directed by Claudio Fah. Writing credits go to Andy Mayson.

THINGS I LIKED: Fans of Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan will be happy to see her, as she classes up the joint.

Other cast members you might recognize are Colm Meaney, Will Attenborough, and Sophie McIntosh.

Have you been to Cabo? Fun place! Unfortunately, the characters don't make it there.

If you don't like sharks, you'll get a lot of jumps and scares.

These kinds of underwater thrillers always make me hold my breath.

I always admire actors who are willing to take roles in movies that require them to spend hours and weeks filming in cold, wet sets.

A 10-year-old girl in the story tells everyone that sharks don't like bubbles. I looked it up and, apparently, it's true.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: So many of the characters don't know how to behave like a decent human being.

The lack of people on the plane is odd and could have offered more interesting interactions than what we're given with the small cast.

With a big, gaping hole in the plane, there shouldn't have been an air pocket at all, right?

A lot of bad acting moments.

The wounds look pretty fake.

We don't get to see very many sharks up close and personal.

Certain plot points are just ridiculous.

Ultimately, the film could have been so much better. As it is now, it will be instantly forgettable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity, including many F-bombs Many crude comments We see a lot of people die in various ways, often with blood.

We see dead, floating bodies.

Gory, bloody body parts are seen.

A gay man talks about wanting to marry his partner.

To see my full review, go to my YouTube channel called Movie Review Mom!

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a woman who is a literary enthusiast who works at an ad agency and runs a Jane Austen book club on the side. When she wishes Jane Austen could help her with life decisions, the famous author materializes and offers tips for love.

The Hallmark channel is featuring movies about Jane Austen fans during February. They're calling it "Love-uary." The story was written and directed by David Weaver.

THINGS I LIKED: The diverse cast includes Alison Sweeney, Benjamin Ayres, Kendra Anderson, Aadila Dosani, and more.

Many of the characters represent those in Jane Austen's books.

It's nice to see a romance with a woman who isn't 20.

If you love the famous lines in Jane Austen novels, you'll enjoy how often they're quoted in the movie. You'll definitely feel the passion for her books.

As an author of 31 books, myself, I'm always fascinated by movies about authors and where writers get their inspiration.

The last scene is pretty cute and a wink to something that Jane Austen said earlier in the film.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There's an odd, dusty filter on every scene. Is that supposed to make the modern world feel old?

The dialogue feels so stilted.

So many awkward acting moments.

It takes a long time before we see Jane Austen appear in the film.

The actor who plays the Darcy character looked more like a villain than a romantic lead.

Sadly, I didn't feel any chemistry between the two leads.

A side story halts the pacing.

Lilly's character acted like a young, awkward girl rather than an older woman settled in her career.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be extremely bored unless they're big Jane Austen fans.

We see a lot of cleavage.

Alcohol No profanity. Yay!

To see my full review, go to my YouTube channel called Movie Review Mom!

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about three elderly ladies drink a magical whisky which makes them younger. The movie was directed by Stephen Cookson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Andy Davie and Julia Stuart.

THINGS I LIKED: The cast is filled with actors that the target audience already likes (mostly Brits) such as Diane Keaton, Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, Hayley Mills, Patricia Hodge, David Bromley, and David Harewood. The young actresses who play the main starlets are Genevieve Gaunt, Hannah Howland, and Esme Lonsdale.

If you're a fan of Boy George, you'll get a kick out of seeing him in this. The three older woman are invited to perform with him, which is odd since none of them sing.

Lawrence Chaney plays himself as a famous drag queen.

The more I age, the more I can relate to this story! Hmmm...what would YOU do with a younger body transformation?

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Diane Keaton seems to be obsessed with the wrinkles on her neck because she guards and hides her neck carefully in every scene with turtlenecks, buttoned-up shirts, and scarfs. She's always dressed like the same character in Annie Hall. One of the characters sees it and calls it "French chic." The plot doesn't always follow its own rules and doesn't give us much backstory to truly root for the three main women.

Cliched dance scene at the end of the movie during rolling credits.

The movie is very woke, something I'm not sure the target (older) audience will appreciate.

I wonder why they chose Boy George to be the Las Vegas performer in the film. He wasn't exactly the Golden Generation's musical icon.

Ultimately, the movie could have been much better.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored.

Talk of a lesbian relationship. We see lesbians kiss.

A drag queen performs in Vegas.

No profanity. Yay!

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IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a woman who is suspected of murdering her husband. Their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

The legal drama has already won the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. In addition, it has 36 wins and 77 nominations from various film festivals and critics choice organizations.

THINGS I LIKED: Justine Triet wrote the screenplay specifically for Sandra Huller, who stars in the film. She's fantastic in it. The other co-writer was Arthur Harari The rest of the cast is also superb and includes Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Jehnny Beth, and more.

As an author, myself, I'm always fascinated by movies that reveal writers' inspiration and methodology.

It's interesting to see how a French court and lawsuit functions.

At the very beginning of the film, we hear an instrumental version of 50 Cent's "P. I. M. P". The song features Snoop Dogg. The first character we see is a family dog named Snoop.

The Border Collie that played Snoop actually won the "Palm Dog" award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Music plays an intriguing role in the story.

We get to visit France in an Alpine setting where the family lives.

The genius of this movie is in how it perfectly blends a murder investigation with the complex elements of family drama.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I can instantly select several scenes that could have been deleted in order to shave off the length of this film.

Some viewers won't like the ambiguous ending.

It's an emotional roller coaster that might exhaust viewers.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

We see a dead body with lots of blood pooling on the ground.

We see the naked backside of a man.

A lot of French is spoken with subtitles Conversations about death are very blunt and graphic.

Some profanity and quite a few F-bombs.

Talk of sex.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The story is based on Percival Everett's book called "Erasure." This is director Cord Jefferson's debut! He's off to a great start! He also wrote the screenplay with Percival Everett. The film has already won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. In total, it has received 90 nominations and already won 29! Well deserved.

THINGS I LIKED: Jeffrey Wright is absolutely terrific and does an excellent job carrying this film.

The rest of the cast is also fantastic and includes Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, Keith David, and more.

I'm always fascinated by movies about writers. I'm an author of 31 books (you can find them all on Amazon from various publishers...shameless plug), so I love seeing how they're portrayed in films. You can search for my books by using my nane: Trina Boice.

The movie absolutely pokes fun at white people who seem to know more about being black than actual black people.

It was heartbreaking to watch the family navigate an aging mother with Alzheimer's Disease. My family just went through that and had to say goodbye last fall. Those scenes were hard to watch for me. There are so many decisions that a family needs to make during those difficult times, and I thought the film did a good job illustrating that.

There is a lot of clever, satirical humor that pokes fun at society, race, and culture.

I love the ending of the film that shows several endings.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I really enjoyed this.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

The "N" word is used.

Profanity, including many F-bombs, which also happens to be the name of a book that's talked about a lot in the story.

Talk of gay sex. We see two gay men kiss.

We see a lot of shirtless men.

Lots of gunshots that result in a bloody death.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The heart wrenching story is based on the true events of the famous Von Erich brothers who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

The film was directed and written by Sean Durkin. Well done, Mr. Durkin. The movie has already been nominated for 7 awards, winning two for "Best Ensemble" and "2023 Top Films" by the NBR Award.

THINGS I LIKED: Zac Efron is massively bulked up and ripped to play the role of Kevin Von Erich. He gives an outstanding performance.

The rest of the cast did an incredible job and includes Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, and more.

I'm such a fan of the lovely Lily James. She is so talented with accents and just shines whenever she's on screen. I thought she was perfect in the live-action remake of Cinderella. Too many movies make you forget that she can sing too!

Ryan Nemeth is actually a professional wrestler with the All Elite Wrestling (AEW). His persona is "The Hollywood Hunk." In 2016, he fought Ross and Marshall Von Erich in real life! Maxwell Friedman is also a professional wrestler in real life with AEW.

I'm not a professional wrestling fan, so I had never heard this story or about the curse of the Von Erich family. This family definitely made a mark on the sport.

Fantastic editing.

Some original music was created by Richard Reed Parry.

The story is heartbreaking and touching.

I loved the scene about the afterlife.

In the end, we get to see a picture of what the real family looks like today. I loved that. Touching.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: A father admits he has a favorite son but tells the others they can work their ranking up or down. What a terrible thing to say to your kids.

Some details have been changed in the movie that are different from what happened in real life. For example, there were 6 sons, not 5.

It's frustrating to watch a father whose parenting techniques causes deep-seated trauma in his children.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: We see several men in their underwear many times in the film.

We see a guy pleasuring himself in a shower.

An unmarried couple does it in a car (we see them clothed).

We see people take drugs of various kinds.

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IN A NUTSHELL: After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice-cold until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia that their exes also attend. So, they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple amidst the fighting.

The film was directed by Will Gluck, who also wrote it with Ilana Wolpert.

Ultimately, this is like a rated R Hallmark movie with lots of raunch.

THINGS I LIKED: There is plenty of eye candy here for everyone. The cast is filled with good-looking people and includes Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, GaTa, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Bryan Brown, and more.

Sydney Sweeney was bit by a spider in the movie while filming. That famous clip was posted online and got a lot of stir.

We get to visit Australia during the film.

The cast is diverse, offering a variety of stories about romance and love.

The last scene takes clips from the whole movie and has all of the actors sing the same song for a feel-good moment.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Sure, everyone in the cast is hot, but the script is garbage. It sounded like it was written by a trashy version of Chat GPT.

It's supposed to be funny, but it's pathetic how they are instantly super ugly and mean-spirited to each other when they have a miscommunication.

It's SUPER predictable.

Cliched end-of-movie singing, dancing scene.

So much fighting.

So many awkward moments.

They say the movie is loosely based on Shakepeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", but I think the Bard would be disgusted by the lack of intelligent language in the script. So many F-bombs. One similarity is that they get a wedding cake from a shop called "Dogberry's", which is the name of a character in the play.

I cringed and rolled my eyes so many times.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: This movie is definitely not appropriate for kids. It portrays unhealthy relationships and extremely bad behavior.

Kids will be completely bored because it's mostly adults talking to each other.

Profanity and lots of F-bombs A lesbian couple kisses and gets married We see a topless woman We see several shirtless men A couple gropes each other inside their shorts.

Two women wear bikini tops that barely cover anything.

We see a ton of cleavage A lot of sexual innuendo. We see an unmarried couple in the shower and bed together.

We see two men smoke a joint.

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IN A NUTSHELL: It's directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy. Writing credits also go to Benjamin Renner, as well as Mike White.

It's already received a nomination for Best Original Score by the HMMA. Keegan-Michael Key recently won the Award for Film Excellence from the MMCG too! Believe it or not, this is the 4th time he has voiced a bird! Those roles were in The Angry Birds, The Star, and Toy Story 4.

THINGS I LIKED: Kudos to Keegan-Michael Key on his performance. He's consistently fantastic in everything he does. If you want to see him in a fun Christmas movie, you should definitely watch Jingle Jangle on Netflix.

Awkwafina has now voiced a bird three times after doing Storks (2016) and The Little Mermaid this year.

It's great to hear Danny DeVito's voice in an animation. This is only his 2nd time working with Illumination since his 2012 movie The Lorax.

I always get a kick out of hearing Carol Kane's unique voice.

Other talented voices in the cast include Elizabeth Banks, Kumail Nanjiani, David Mitchell, and Caspar Jennings.

There's a lot of visual humor, in addition to the verbal jokes.

The musical score was composed by John Powell.

The action sequences are almost non-stop.

Viewers will get a kick out of being introduced to a lot of characters during the adventure.

Overall, the movie is family-friendly, and something the whole fam can do during the holidays.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I was bored within minutes.

I'm REALLY tired of movies that elevate women while simultaneously making men look like buffoons...human or bird.

This is the classic kids' movie that makes a lot of noise and keeps them distracted while disinterested parents can wash the dishes and clean the house.

So much of the movie is cliched, including the obligatory, happy dance scene celebration at the end of the film.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Some physical violence Different kinds of weapons are used.

Lots of talk of cooking animals.

Kids might be interested in learning more about Jamaica and where it's located because of what they see in the film.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The film was directed by Michael Mann, who also co-produced it with over 3 dozen other people, including Adam Driver. It has been a passion project of the director ever since he started talking about over 20 years ago. This is Mann's first film in 8 years. Screenwriting credits go to Troy Kennedy Martin and Brock Yates.

The movie is set in 1957 in Italy when Enzo Ferrari's auto empire and personal life were in crisis. Ferrari was a famous racer who became an entrepreneur who pushed himself and his drivers to the dangerous edge as they launched into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1000-mile race across the country that killed racers, as well as adults and children watching from the sides. Because of the many deaths, it was the last Mille Miglia.

The movie has already been nominated 11 times for various awards, winning 2 of them by the Gotham Awards: one for the director for "Icon and Creator Tribute for Innovation" and one for Penelope Cruz for "Outstanding Supporting Performance." The National Board of Review awarded it "2023 Winner Top Films". Congrats to all!

THINGS I LIKED: I adore Adam Driver and became a huge fan after his jaw-dropping performance in Marriage Story which earned him an Oscar nomination. I almost didn't recognize him with his grey hair in this role as Enzo Ferrari. He's fantastic, of course.

Another standout is the beautiful Penelope Cruz, who gives a powerful performance. She's sure to earn an Oscar nomination for her role in this.

The rest of the terrific cast includes Patrick Dempsey, Shailene Woodley, Jack O'Connell, and Gabriel Leone.

We get to visit Italy! My husband and I love Italy so much that we remodeled our home to capture the charming, elegant look.

The racing scenes are tense and well done. Kudos to the stunt team.

Excellent production and set design.

The replicas of the racecars are very impressive!

Beautiful cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt.

The film focuses on one year of Enzo's life that was especially challenging and heart-wrenching. Because of that, there is far less racing than you assumed there would be.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some of the accents are not very good and even distracting at times.

Adam Driver didn't get to drive any of the original race cars for insurance reasons. We need to keep him safe! Patrick Dempsey, however, got to drive a replica. Dempsey has actually competed in quite a few competitions in real life, including at Daytona.

I admit I was bored a few times.

Some scenes drag on much longer than necessary. The dramatic scenes weigh down the fast-paced race scenes.

If you're worried that the majority of the film will just be racing scenes, you'll be happy to know that there is a lot more going on in this film. On the other hand, if you're hoping for lots of thrilling action, you'll probably be annoyed by all of the drama.

Some of the racing scenes are at night, which will make viewing the dark screen difficult on small devices once this film goes to streaming.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

Profanity and multiple F-bombs We see crashes, with drivers and observers killed in brutal, bloody ways We see the full backside of a naked man running into bed.

Several scenes show the start of "intimate relations"

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The story is about a top government assassin who has been living incognito as a suburban dad. His past catches up to him and he has to take his unsuspecting family on the run.

The film was directed by Simon Cellan Jones. Writing credits go to David Coggeshall.

THINGS I LIKED: I love Mark Wahlberg. He's equally talented in drama, action, and comedy. Here in Las Vegas where he lives (and I live), he has a great reputation as being a stand-up, family man. That's impressive to me. He and his co-star in this movie, Michelle Monaghan, also starred together in the movie Patriot's Day back in 2016.

I'm wondering when Michelle Monaghan and Maggie Q are ever going to start aging. They both look amazing.

A character in the movie is named Kyle but he has a fake passport with the name Van, which is the real name of the actual actor: Van Crosby.

Adele gets a couple of shoutouts during the film. Who doesn't love Adele? Mark Wahlberg's character said, "She has the voice of an angel." I loved the Las Vegas scenes. I live in Vegas, Baby! There's always so much to see and do here.

Keep watching during the final rolling credits for some cute images and more funny clips.

Vanilla Ice. Ha ha

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The characters felt like...characters. Nothing felt real in the story. I know, it's supposed to be a silly comedy, but it made the film feel hollow and overly cheesy somehow.

Teenage daughters in movies are always portrayed like complete monsters. The one in this movie was extremely unlikely until Act 3.

The scenarios are completely ridiculous. The characters' reactions to various things are unrealistic and, at times, really odd. Just check your brain out the door so you can enjoy this.

A lot of the jokes don't land.

Ultimately, the film is extremely formulaic and cliched.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity, including 1 F-bomb Some sexual innuendos and talk of sex Violence with various weapons Very high dead body count Destruction We see a shirtless man.

A mom chugs beer upside down A married couple makes out in bed People are in perilous situations A teenage girl flips the bird We see a teenage boy kill a bunch of animated people in video games.

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IN A NUTSHELL: Fans of this famous Titan will be very excited to see this; however, it's important that you know that this film is NOT in English. It features its original Japanese audio track with English subtitles.

There are 38 films in the Godzilla franchise! The original name for this addition to the collection was "Gojira -1.0".

The story takes place post World War II when Japan is at its lowest point. Godzilla came in the aftermath of the atomic bomb, presenting a new crisis to the Japanese.

The film was written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. It's already been nominated for 12 awards, winning two: Best International Film, and the Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society. (I live in Vegas, Baby!) On a personal note, I took my family to Japan a few years ago and we all fell in love with the country and people.

THINGS I LIKED: One of the nicest compliments about this film came from Gareth Edwards, who directed the 2014 Godzilla movie. He admitted to feeling jealous and stated, "This is what a Godzilla movie should be like!" James Rolfe, an internet celebrity of sorts said this is the best Godzilla movie ever made.

The title refers to when Japan was brought down to zero after WWII, but then dropped below zero (minus one) when Godzilla emerged.

The story does a great job making you really care about the characters.

There is a nice touch of visual and spoken humor.

This is the first Godzilla movie designed to be a period piece, taking place right after WWII. The movie LOOKS old and truly takes you back in time. The melodramatic tone also feels perfect for the time.

One thing that's unique about this version of a Godzilla movie is the inclusion of the Japanese concept "Tatarigami", which means "spirits that bring calamity. Godzilla is a monster but also half-god. It could be both good and bad.

The film also utilizes the "suitmation" design for Godzilla, which means that its posture is more upright rather than leaning forward. Some of the CGI moments are pretty cool, such as when Godzilla's breath creates a nuclear blast. There is a total of 610 CGI shots in this film.

The film immediately earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%. Rumor has it that when the first negative comments were posted on the site, the director said, "Finally (lol)." The film grossed $11 million in the USA during its opening weekend, which is more than any other Japanese live-action movie. Part of that probably has to do with the fact that The Boy and Heron was also released during the same weekend. Have you seen that one yet? If so, which did you like more?

Some of the original Godzilla music is used in this film.

Even though English speakers will be frustrated that the film isn't currently available in English, it feels entirely respectful and appropriate that the movie is in Japanese.

Believe it or not, you might actually cry while watching this movie!

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some of the nighttime scenes are very dark, which will make it difficult to see what's going on if you watch this on a small device once it goes to streaming.

The movie starts out VERY slowly with lots of talking.

Sadly, Godzilla only has 11 minutes of screen time in the movie! That's only 9% of the film's run time! Nooooo!

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Japanese is spoken with subtitles.

Lots of destruction People are in perilous situations Talk of death Portrayal of World War II Talk of suicide bombers Talk of the atomic bomb High dead body count.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a college student who is a bit of a genius who figures out how to clone herself. The film was written by Alexandra Boylan and Andrea Polnaszek. It's already won the ReFrame Stamp award, which is an award for featuring women in film casts and crews.

THINGS I LIKED: I love that the protagonist in the story is played by twin sisters: Scout & Sophia Tayui-lepore. I'm an identical twin, so that's what caught my eye with this movie. If you're a twin too, you HAVE to go to the annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio! It's held the first weekend of August every year. It's so much fun!

All of the Extras in the cast are actual students at Grand Canyon University.

Some of the cast members include Maria Canals-Barrera, Elester Latham, Laura Leigh Turner, and Finn Roberts.

I think everyone struggles with imposter syndrome and who they really are. Viewers will enjoy a sweet film that touches on those things, and one that encourages you to make the changes you want to see in your life.

While the movie isn't a typical Christian movie, it does mention that God created us and, because of that, we all have intrinsic worth. We see several Christian crosses and a university professor talks openly about God.

Lovely soundtrack.

I love that the movie features a girl in science who actually wants to learn. As a university professor, I love it when students actually see knowledge and take their education seriously.

It's refreshing to see a movie with lots of really nice people instead of bullies and jerks.

The classic dressing room montage is cliched but still cute.

Keep watching during the final rolling credits for some clips that show behind-the-scenes filming of the movie and outtakes.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The musical numbers were nice but it was super distracting to see how the lips didn't quite match the audio when the girl was singing.

Several college students appear to have limitless funds and constantly go shopping to buy new clothes, something which might frustrate young viewers whose expectations are that they should be able to do the same thing.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Older kids, especially girls, can be motivated and inspired by this story.

Kissing A competitive, belittling older sister.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The film is based on the book "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Presley, who also worked as the Executive Producer. It features a teenage Priscilla when she met and fell in love with Elvis. The movie was directed by Sofia Coppola. She also wrote it along with Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon.

What's interesting is that the Elvis Presley Enterprises declined to approve of the movie and didn't give permission to Sofia Coppola to use any of Elvis' famous songs. Lisa Marie Presley hated the movie and didn't give her approval of it either. She said it made her father look like a manipulative predator. She was going to speak out against it at the movie's release but, sadly, she recently passed away.

The movie has already won "Best Film" at the Venice Film Festival.

THINGS I LIKED: Cailee Spaeny does an excellent job playing a young, timid Priscilla who is treated as a possession by Elvis. He keeps her primped just like the little poodle in a cage that is gifted to Priscilla. We see her transform from an almost voiceless girl to a woman who finally learns to stand up for herself. It's amazing how much infidelity she tolerated for so long.

Jacob Elordi sounds so much like Elvis Presley! I hadn't seen him or Cailee Spaeny in anything before and thought they both did a great job.

Elvis was 10 years older than Priscilla. She was only 5'4" tall, making her 8 inches shorter than Elvis.

They were only married for 6 years. Priscilla never remarried. In an interview, she stated that "No one could ever match him." I appreciated the female perspective of a woman director.

It was clever how the crew remade so many album covers, magazine covers, and other material with the face of the new actor playing Elvis.

The team did a great job taking us back to the 1960s and 1970s. Even the smallest detail was included such as the makeup brands that Priscilla used.

The hair, makeup, and costume teams did a fantastic job.

Some of the frames are absolutely gorgeous to look at.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: It's too bad that they weren't able to use Elvis' actual songs in the film. Instead, they used music from Sofia Coppola's husband's band "Phoenix".

What kind of a man tells his pregnant wife to leave? Elvis is portrayed as a completely spoiled narcissist.

The ending is kind of strange. Priscilla leaves alone...without her daughter? They shared custody after the divorce but the movie made it look like she abandoned their young daughter. Lisa Marie was only 9 years old when Elvis died at the young age of 42.

Of course, Elvis isn't alive to defend this portrayal of him, yet we do know that he had many affairs and admitted that he wasn't prepared to be a father and raise a daughter.

Some have complained that the film is just a money grab after the success of last year's movie about Elvis Presley. The timing is curious, of course, but more interesting is to see a film from the perspective of the other person in the tumultuous marriage.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be very bored. So will some adults.

Firearms are shown and used.

Some profanity, including 1 F-bomb.

Drugs are consumed in many scenes.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The film was directed by Darin Scott, who also produced the movie and starred in it. The writers were Darin Scott and Michelle Scott.

The story takes place in Ancient America around 400 A. D. A lone Hebraic fugitive of a people called the Nephites must preserve the history of his fallen nation while being hunted by a ruthless tyrant. Rescuing the King's abused mistress awakens the warrior's past.

The story takes fictional liberties with historical events that are documented in the Book of Mormon, which is a record of Ancient America beginning 600 A. D. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ will immediately recognize who the featured man is and what he's doing at the beginning of the film. Others might be confused about the story that's being told because not everything is explained well. Unfortunately, most of the movie does not depict true events.

THINGS I LIKED: The cast members did a great job and include Billy Zane, Darin Scott, Eugene Brave Rock, Karina Lombard, and others.

At the end of the film, we read some information on the screen. We learn that the plates that Moroni buried in the ground were found and translated into English. The book was published in 1830 and is considered the 4th "most influential book" in American literature, as stated by the U. S. Library of Congress. That book contains the record of civilizations that lived on the American continent for centuries. It's called The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I REALLY wanted this movie to be good...epic even. It's just not.

There are quite a few slow-motion flashbacks that might confuse viewers because we aren't given the full story about what happened in the past. The editing is especially choppy in those moments.

The film assumes you already know the history and story.

The music in the background was often louder than the voice track, making it hard to hear what was said. Don't get me wrong; the soundtrack is lovely, just overbearing through most of the film.

The color correction of the movie makes MANY of the scenes visually dark, which will make viewing difficult if you watch this on a small device once it goes to streaming.

It's not entirely clear what is contained in the plates the protagonist tries to protect.

The Book of Mormon's focus is on Jesus Christ as the savior of the world, yet this movie doesn't talk about Jesus that much. The real story of Moroni is fascinating, but what this movie gives us is a fictional love story that doesn't even exist in the Book of Mormon.

Most of the scenes are very slow with characters pondering or staring off into the sunset. There isn't much action until the end of Act 3. Some viewers will be bored, waiting for something to "happen." It's assumed that the audience will root for Moroni, yet we aren't given much information about him and how he was a prophet or a warrior.

One of the characters kept slipping in and out of what sounded like an Irish accent. What the heck?

There are some very bad acting moments.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be very bored. So will some adults.

A man is violent with a woman.

The language bounces from English to subtitles in random ways.

Bloodless violence, but we see blood when someone is killed.

Romantic affection, but no scenes of intimacy An important character dies.

We see an attempt at some brutal deaths, but we're spared from having to watch the actual ordeal.

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IN A NUTSHELL: I lived in Georgia for 15 years and visited the famous Cabbage Patch "hospital" where these famous dolls were born. That tourist attraction is still bringing in crowds in Cleveland, Georgia! In the film, we learn that it's a big no-no to call them dolls but instead, babies. Those babies created a buying frenzy that changed American pop culture and consumerism forever.

The movie takes a look at the history and popularity of these unique "babies". The film was written and directed by Andrew Jenks.

THINGS I LIKED: We get to meet all of the people who were involved in the "birth" of Cabbage Patch dolls through interviews and video clips.

It's fun to watch a lot of the old commercials from the 1980s that kickstarted the shopping hysteria of the 80s.

We also get to learn about some of the history of toys and dolls in general.

Neil Patrick Harris narrates the documentary. It would have been cute to see him holding some of the dolls at the end.

Keep watching at the end to see images & video with on-screen text that tells us what happened to the featured people after the Cabbage Patch Kids phenomenon, as well as see a dancing video of sorts inspired by the "babies." The film does a great job showing us how these Cabbage Patch babies truly shaped the merchandising mania we now call Black Friday, underlining the entire movie by playing the 1973 hit by Alice Cooper called "Billion Dollar Babies." We also get to learn about the knock-off products and legal battles that pursued the success of this company. The second half of the film is spent going over several lawsuits associated with the CPK I. P.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: It would have been fun to see children of today being interviewed about whether or not they had one of these babies or wanted one when compared to getting an iPhone or some other toy that's popular today.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Young kids might be interested to learn about the origins of this famous doll; however, the film is a documentary that might not hold their interest for long.

No profanity Talk of the dolls being signed on their bums by the creator of the company for authenticity.

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IN A NUTSHELL: Barack and Michele Obama are the Executive Producers of the movie. Do they know something we don't know?

The story is based on a book and is about a family from New York that spontaneously rents a home out in the forest when an ominous cyberattack knocks out their devices. I haven't read the source material, so I can't speak to how closely the movie stays to the literature. Have you? If so, comment down below about which you prefer: the book or the movie!

The film was directed by Sam Esmail, who also co-wrote it with Rumaan Alam.

THINGS I LIKED: The small cast is really great and includes Academy Award winners Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Julia Roberts. Kevin Bacon is a very good actor and should have received one by now, but hasn't.

The music is creepy, and filled with tension.

It's cute how much the daughter in the story loves the popular TV show "Friends." We all were, right?

While some people may be frustrated with the ambiguous ending, I thought it was perfect.

I'm not a Doomsday Prepper, but my family and I have thought about various scenarios and prepared some things "just in case." You don't have to be fearful or go crazy with it, but just be smart about it. Two sayings come to mind: "Better safe than sorry" and "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." That being said, which of the scenarios illustrated in the movie do YOU think could actually happen?

The musical score forces you to feel tension from the very beginning.

With so many countries that distrust and dislike the USA, the possible scenarios that could cause the events illustrated in the movie are countless.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The film moves very slowly, which might frustrate viewers waiting for something to happen.

There are a lot of unanswered questions.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: This will probably bore older children and possibly frighten younger ones.

Soooo many F-bombs, as well as other profanity, often spoken by kids. I hate that.

A braless girl many times.

We see blood and dead bodies.

Firearms are shown.

People are placed in dangerous situations.

Talk of Iran wanting to kill all Americans, as well as China and/or North Korea as a political threat.

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IN A NUTSHELL: They had me at Martin Scorsese. His directing is fantastic but that's not news. He also worked as a screenwriter and producer on the film. He said that he knew he wanted to make the story into a movie as he was reading the book "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann. He spent hours with Chief Standing Bear of the Osage Nation to grant permission to film it. About the movie, Scorsese said, "It's not a whodunnit. It's a who-didn't-do-it." The screenplay was written by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese. I'm sure we'll see this nominated for Best Picture.

THINGS I LIKED: The stellar cast includes Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Brendan Fraser. Multi-award winners John Lithgow and Jesse Plemons round out the star-studded cast. Other noteworthy cast members are Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, William Belleau, and Louis Cancelmi.

I've been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio since his earliest films and always thought he was a talented chameleon. He truly transformed into the character Ernest Burkhart in this movie. DiCaprio was paid $30 million for this movie, the most money of his career for one film.

Robert De Niro looks fantastic. He's 80 years old but played a character who was 45-years old when these murders happened.

Director Martin Scorsese quickly selected Lily Gladstone for her role because of the "truthfulness in her eyes" when they met over Zoom.

Stunning cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto.

We get to learn about Indian culture, language, and even an explanation of what the Flower Moon is.

This was the last movie of actor Larry Sellers who was actually of Osage and Cherokee Indian descent.

While there are Hollywood liberties taken with the film, it's based on a true story.

I love how Scorsese incorporated the look and feel of black and white photos into the development of the story.

Fun fact: We learn in the movie that it was the investigation of the murders in Osage County that was the first case given to the newly-formed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). President J. Edgar Hoover led the case.

The movie cost $200 million to make. It's officially the most expensive biographical movie ever made.

The movie was filmed in Oklahoma.

The ending was powerful. I loved the idea and thought it was very clever to reveal the rest of the story through a radio show reenactment.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: This movie is VERY long! While Scorsese is lauded as royalty in Hollywood, a really long movie is often a sign of indulgence by a director who doesn't have the grit to make needed edits. The story could have been told in much less time. Surprisingly, this movie is only 3 minutes longer than Scorsese's film The Irishman.

I wanted to see the moment Leonardo DiCaprio's character fell in love with Lily Gladstone's character. I wanted that first, magical kiss. Instead, it goes from mild flirting in one scene to making out in the next.

Rather than tell the story in a simple chronological order, it would have been more interesting to reveal various parts as the FBI uncovered them in their investigation.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is not an appropriate movie for kids. They'll probably be bored anyway.

Profanity, including F-bombs We see several people shot, resulting in blood splats.

We see a man get poisoned to death.

We see other bloodied, dead bodies.

Violence with guns, knives, and fist fights.

Murder, fires, destruction.

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IN A NUTSHELL: When a young boy finds out he's on Santa's "Naughty" list, he puts together a group of other naughty kids with specific talents for a heist in order to steal their presents from Santa's workshop in the North Pole.

The family-friendly film was directed by Alberto Belli. Writing credits go to Jen Elinoff and Scott Thomas.

THINGS I LIKED: Winslow Fegley is adorable and very talented. He has a bright future in Hollywood. He was also adorable in Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. If you haven't seen that family-friendly movie, check it out! I thought it was super cute!

The rest of the cute cast includes Deric McCabe, Madilyn Kellam, Clara Stack, Camila Rodriguez, Ayden Elijah, Anthony Joo, and Imogen Cohen.

The characters are well-designed and different from one another. They each have unique skills and get their unique learning moment in the movie.

Fantastic sets, especially at the North Pole.

It has all of the adventure and action that kids would want in a movie like this.

Great costume design by Julia Caston.

One of the characters has a really cool tent in his bedroom. You have to look fast! I feel bad for the crew that probably spent a lot of time building it because you only see it on screen for a split second but my sons would have absolutely loved having something like that in their bedrooms.

Anthony Joo's character lives in a beautiful house. Did you see the façade?

We get to see the incredible Aurora Borealis in the sky. I got to see it when I traveled to Iceland a couple of years ago! Amazing.

Ayden Elijah can do those adorable big eyes like Puss in Boots.

Some Latinos sing a traditional Christmas song for everyone. I sang that song when I was an exchange student in Mexico!

Danny Glover as Santa.

I love it movies reference other movies. For example, the two schools in the movie area named McAllister Elementary from Home Alone in 1990 and Griswold Middle School from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in 1989.

Yep, the movie leaves a very wide-open door for a sequel. I'm up for it!

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There are some bad acting moments.

Don't get annoyed by all of the plot holes; it's a kid's movie.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Bullying We see a lot of rude, entitled kids do really mean things We hear kids lie a lot One of the kids has gay dads Kids try to convince a good girl that it's dumb to follow rules.

A little boy swears.

Fart sounds Stealing.

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IN A NUTSHELL: Netflix offers a family-friendly comedy that also serves as a holiday-themed flick. The body-switching movie was directed by McG. Writing credits go to Chris Shafer, Victoria Strouse, Adam Sztykiel, and Paul Vicknair.

The story is about a family who has a chance encounter with an astrological reader who mysteriously causes them to wake up to a full-body switch. Their next day is filled with important events for each one which complicates and entertains.

THINGS I LIKED: I adore Jennifer Garner and am always happy to see her in anything. I thought she was so fantastic in her fun TV series Alias. Did you ever see that?

While the script isn't incredible, the fantastic class makes up for it. Check out the fan favorites: Ed Helms, Matthias Schweighofer, Rita Moreno, Fortune Feimster, Howie Mandel, Paul Scheer. The new, young actors I hadn't seen before are Emma Myers and Brady Noon.

There is plenty of heart as the family learns to appreciate what each other is going through in their life.

I love it when movies reference other movies. For example, Ed Helms' character says he's "13 Going on 30" which is an adorable body-swap movie that also stars Jennifer Garner.

The movie was originally going to be called "Family Leave." It's actually not a bad name, although the current name is perfectly descriptive.

You'll get some Christmas cheer with some fun songs.

Keep watching during the final closing credits to watch some funny bloopers.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Wow, most of those high school students definitely didn't look like high school kids!

The plot doesn't exactly break any new ground in this genre, except maybe the fact that an entire family swaps places.

The situations are ridiculous with a lot of over-the-top acting moments.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of farting We see a dog urinate a lot Close-up shot of a colonoscopy Teen partying Some profanity Lots of bad behavior Spitting Adults & teens drink alcohol Awkward kissing School bullies.

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IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a man who is determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an elf to help him win, but there unintended consequences of chaos.

The family-friendly movie was directed by Reginald Hudlin. Writing credits go to Kelly Younger.

THINGS I LIKED: It's great to see Eddie Murphy in something again. He's great, of course. Giving way to the fun special effects, he plays a much more subdued character than we've seen him do before. When is he going to start aging?

Tracee Ellis Ross is fantastic in this. I loved her fun personality. Did you know she has been nominated for 58 awards and won 12, known mostly for her role in Black-ish The adorable Madison Thomas has an appropriate name for a character in a holiday movie: The other children in the movie are named Nick and Joy.

I always get a kick out of Jillian Bell and thought she was perfect in this role. She's a quirkly, likable villain.

The rest of the cast is great too, and includes Nick Offerman, Timothy Simons, Danielle Pinnock, Nancy Lenehan, Timothy Simons, and David Alan Grier as Santa!

There is so much humor, both visual and spoken. So many things made me laugh out loud.

I love the animated figurines in the old-timey houses. It seemed super old-fashioned Christmasy to me.

The special effects are really entertaining!

We've seen soooo many generic holiday movies over the years, so I loved that this story is unique and original.

This movie could have easily jumped into the horror genre if it had wanted to.

It made me laugh that USC was mentioned so many times in the movie. My brother is a USC law school grad!

That Matrix house. Ha ha We get a musical cameo from Pentatonix. I love that group!

Keep watching during the final credits for another little scene, as well as some funny outtakes.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There is a lot going on here. Sometimes, the script is too stuffed.

Even though I enjoyed the movie, it felt a little too long.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Some "light" profanity Lots of destruction and mayhem.

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IN A NUTSHELL: We get an origin story, of sorts, of President Coriolanus Snow. What the filmmakers are able to show us in only one movie reminded me of Anakin's plunge into the Dark Side that took place in 3 of the Star Wars films.

This movie is directed by Francis Lawrence who also directed 3 of the other Hunger Games movies. It's designed as a prequel to the 2012 Hunger Games film. It's supposed to take place 64 years prior.

The dramatic film was written by Michael Lesslie, Michael Arndt, and Suzanne Collins. Because they were able to secure an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA, they were able to market the movie during the 2023 actors' strike.

THINGS I LIKED: Rachel Zegler is so beautiful and has such a lovely voice! She sang all of her songs live on set! I'm excited to see her in Snow White in 2025! She and fellow co-star, Josh Andres Rivera, met while filming the 2021 movie West Side Story together. They're actually dating in real life!

Tom Blyth does a great job as Coriolanus Snow. It's fascinating to watch the story unfold when we already know how he ends up in later films. Dexter Sol Answell is completely adorable as the young Coriolanus.

Academy Award winner Viola Davis won the role of the villain in this prequel after director Francis Lawrence saw a sinister meme of her that a fan had posted online! She's excellent, of course.

I really liked seeing Jason Schwartzman slowly develop the skills he would need later as the flashy Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman.

All of the characters are well defined and it's easy to quickly feel something for them. The cast includes Peter Dinklage, Burn Gorman, Fionnula Flanagan, Pliny Harrington, Festus Creed, and many more.

The set designs are outstanding.

Cool special effects.

The movie definitely isn't a musical, yet music plays a big role in the film and perfectly fits the title of the film. I didn't expect to hear so much music in this! I know, that's silly since the word "ballad" is in the title! I really enjoyed the musical element in the storyline. It gave a real down-to-earth feeling, and the lyrics showed us how much changed and how much remained the same in the districts.

I love that costume designer Trish Summerville included Katniss and Primrose flowers on it as a respectful nod to the previous Hunger Games movies. Nice touch!

There are several references to the previous films such as when Lucy Gray curtsies at the ceremony like Katniss did in the 2012 movie.

I haven't read the book, but I hear it's a very good adaptation!

It's fun to see how the Hunger Games were more amateur in the beginning compared to the glossy veneer they acquired over the decades.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Many of the scenes are visually dark, so it'll be hard to see everything that's going on if you watch this on a small streaming device once the film goes to Video on Demand.

It seemed ridiculous that Lucy Gray Baird had a beautiful, colorful, and expensive-looking dress while living in a poor district. It was pretty though!

Some of the actors deliver lines mechanically.

It drove me nuts when Lucy Gray Baird would just sit instead of run away. She seemed super cocky considering she wasn't a very good fighter.

All of the characters looked normal, but Viola Davis was so over the top and seemed out of place.

While the movie is a prequel to the original trilogy, it's not an origin story of the actual Hunger Games.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Violence with various weapons and hand-to-hand combat Explosions and destruction Some blood and gore We see people die.

If you don't like snakes, you're going to be very uncomfortable watching some of the scenes.

IN A NUTSHELL: An ex-Special Forces operative takes a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but when a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, they are forced to escape into the jungle to survive.

This movie is directed by Pierre Morel and written by Jacob Lentz.

Based on the terribly low score of 7% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, I can say I definitely got a kick out of this movie more than other film critics. During its opening week, it sat at an embarrassing 0%. Yikes! Audiences liked it more too, giving it a 77% grade.

THINGS I LIKED: John Cena is such a beast. I get a kick out of his movie performances. How about you?

The story features a guy with Special Forces training in the Army. Those guys are total studmuffins.

I've always liked Alison Brie and was happy to see her again. She looks beautiful in every scene.

It's great to see Christian Slater again. He's looking good.

All of the cast members of this movie about the Banana Republic did a great job and included Marton Csokas, Juan Pablo Raba, and adorable Molly McCann.

The soundtrack is fun, energetic, and even humorous at times.

Snappy and funny dialogue Lots of visual and spoken humor.

I don't know why, but I always love it when characters in a movie reference other movies. In this one, it's a slam on how terrible the movie Delta Force Ha ha It also quotes a line from The Godfather.

I love twists and turns. There are quite a few of them in the story, so the viewer is never quite sure who is telling the truth.

Lots of action and fight sequences.

I thought it was funny that President Venegas' suit stayed perfectly white throughout the entire jungle ordeal.

I love that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, while at the same, sharing some insightful messages.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: It's as if the movie can't decide if it's a comedy, action, or a drama. It's a bit of all three, really, but the tone shifts so much that it's hard to know what the filmmakers were going for.

Well, there didn't have to be as much profanity, blood, and nudity...

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of profanity, including many F-bombs in English and Spanish Violence with various weapons & hand-to-hand combat A woman throws up after drinking too much alcohol Talk of having an affair Some Spanish is spoken sometimes with and without subtitles.

A little girl flips the bird.

We see people get shot and killed Some blood Explosions and destruction We see the top half of 3 naked people coming out from showers. A woman covers her chest with her hands (but she doesn't cover everything).

IN A NUTSHELL: I've had the great pleasure of going to Scotland a couple of times and adore the beautiful country, culture, and people. I love the musical Scottish accent, which we get to hear plenty of in the film.

The story is about estranged siblings who travel to Scotland at their mother's request where she reveals a huge family secret.

The film was directed by Dustin Rikert. Writing credits go to Andrea Canning and Audrey Shulman.

THINGS I LIKED: We get to spend time in beautiful Scotland and, especially, in a gorgeous Scottish castle called Duns Castle in real life. Some of the shots were actually filmed in Ireland though, also a lovely country.

The cast includes Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf, James Robinson, Kellie Blaise, Josephine, and more.

Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf also played siblings on the TV series Party of Five from 1994 to 2000. Did you ever see that? I never did.

If you love Hallmark movies, you'll probably remember that Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp played the romantic leads in several of the most recent Hallmark films. A cute moment is when Lacey's character meets Will's character and mentions that he looks familiar. Later when they dance, Lacey explains that she only knows how to waltz and tango, which is what their characters did in previous movies. True Hallmark fans should get a kick out of that.

We only get a few, quick glances at some famous Scottish food such as black pudding, Haggis, smoked Arbroath, porridge, and Scottish whiskey. We also get to see cute Shetland ponies, kilts, and a big bonfire to celebrate the winter solstice.

Two of the characters drink what they call a "Dirty Reindeer", which is crushed cookies dropped into hot cocoa. Would you drink that? Sounds yummy to me.

Lovely costume design by Keith Nielsen and pretty set decoration by Katya Greene.

The decision the siblings had to make seemed super easy to me. What would YOU have done?

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: It's annoying how unimpressed the adult kids are that they're in a gorgeous Scottish castle.

Some of the men look like they have blush on their cheeks. Did they?

It always drives me nuts when women supposedly wake up in the morning but have a full face of makeup on.

Movies like this are super cliche and visually manipulative. For example, everyone wears green because that seems so Scottish.

The requisite cheesiness is included for a Hallmark movie.

There's no talk of Jesus' birth or Santa Claus; it's just a movie set around the holidays.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

Lots of alcohol.

Adult siblings fight.

No profanity. Thank you, Hallmark!

IN A NUTSHELL: A divorced social worker takes his daughter on a crazy ride along with him on Christmas Eve.

This Christmas caper is directed by Tim Story and written by Scott Rosenberg.

THINGS I LIKED: One of the characters says that Ludacris looks like John Legend. Do you think so? Seeing him in a family-friendly holiday movie sure mixes things up from his usual high-octane action movies.

Lil Rel Howery offers an entertaining Santa Claus, including a little ring dipped in white on his requisite beard.

Madison Skye Validum is totally adorable as Charlotte. I'm sure we'll see her in much more, as she's quite a natural.

The rest of the cast did a good job and included Oscar Nunez, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Ravi Patel, Kevin Connolly, Teyonah Parris, and more.

There is plenty of Christmas decor and spirit in this goofy holiday offering.

Fun costume design by Salvador Perez Jr.

The movie was filmed in Atlanta. I lived in a suburb north of Atlanta for 15 years and loved it there. Southern hospitality is a real thing.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The villains are completely ridiculous and innocuous.

It's pretty doggone predictable and filled with cliches.

It's an occasionally amusing distraction you'd put on the TV for the kids to watch while you're in the other room wrapping presents.

Disney worked very hard at diversity. They should have worked harder at writing a good script. Did Chat GPT write this one during the writers' strike in Hollywood?

Unfortunately, the movie is forgettable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: It's family-friendly.

Talk about believing in Santa Claus Lots of shenanigans and chaotic action Talk of dishonest politicians Talk of a home invasion Talk of a divorced family An adult talks about going to therapy.

IN A NUTSHELL: Henrietta and Junior farm a secluded piece of land that has been in Junior's family for generations, but their quiet life is thrown into turmoil when an uninvited stranger shows up at their door with a startling proposal.

This futuristic, psychological thriller is directed by Garth Davis who also co-wrote it with Iain Reid who wrote the novel the movie is based on.

THINGS I LIKED: Academy Award winner Saoirse Ronan is fantastic, as always. We see a LOT of her...if you know what I mean. I'm always surprised when exceptional actresses choose to go nude in films. That seems like something desperate actresses are more willing to do. Am I the only one who thinks that?

Paul Mescal won a British Academy Television Award and also did a great job. Really great.

The other leading character in the movie is played by Aaron Pierre. I only vaguely remember him from M. Night Shyamalan's creepy movie Old. I thought he did a terrific job and look forward to seeing him in more future flicks.

Great cinematography by Bartosz Nalazek with stunning special effects.

The music is perfectly disarming, leaving you feeling uncomfortable, knowing things are not quite right.

There are a few times when you're not sure what's real and what's AI.

Twists. I love twists.

The featured house was constructed and filmed in Australia.

The movie poster makes it look like it's going to be a big, romantic drama. It is, but there's a lot more to the story than that.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Everyone seems a little nuts and unhinged.

A lot of the dialogue is just odd, despite being delivered by extremely capable actors.

The pacing is too slow and takes too long to get to the point. So many of the sex scenes could have easily been cut.

The toxic marriage reminds me of the one featured in the movie Napoleon.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be extremely bored. This is not appropriate for them anyway.

We see a married couple have intimate relations with movement, sound effects, and partial nudity several times.

A woman is braless in almost every scene.

We see a naked man from the back. He's shirtless in many scenes but no one is going to complain about his 6-pack abs.

Profanity, including many F-bombs We see a lot of dead chickens at a food-processing plant.

We see a fat bug get squashed with all of its guts hanging out.

Various weapons are used.