Spa Weekend (2026)

Much like any other films aimed at certain demographics, comedies aimed at female viewers can't just rely on goodwill from those who end up watching them. We've made enough progress now that audiences can expect more than just the bare minimum. Spa Weekend isn't just the bare minimum. It doesn't reach that high.

Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau, and Anna Faris are the busy and stressed friends who head for the titular planned relaxation. Unfortunately, they're soon joined by the one friend (Isla Fisher) who always seems to turn things completely chaotic. Inevitably, things soon turn chaotic, putting stress on the bonds of friendship and a lot of stress on the staff of the spa resort. 

Co-written and co-directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, a duo who have given us much more enjoyable comedies throughout the past two decades, Spa Weekend is a painful waste of talent, both behind and in front of the camera. I wouldn't mind if it felt like a film that just didn't work for me, but it's a film that I can't imagine working for anyone. While comedy is highly subjective, of course, there aren't any big laughs here, aside from maybe one or two moments used in the trailer, and the character played by Isla Fisher is made so annoying that she unbalances what should be a very standard and satisfying third act.

Leslie Mann is a great comic performer. As is Michelle Buteau. As is Anna Faris. As is Isla Fisher. You'd be hard pressed to view them that way while watching this though. Buteau and Faris don't fare too badly, and they're at least allowed to play some moments in line with their strengths, but Mann spends far too much time selling us on how tired and busy her character is, and Fisher is horrendous for almost every minute of her screentime. Adam Demos gets to be a dreamy hunk able to teach yoga, cook delicious meals, and provide great orgasms, Dominic Ona-Ariki is enjoyable as the ex-husband of Buteau's character, and Erika Heynatz is the glowing, but soon-to-be-seriously-irked, Shanti.

It may be surprising to see just how messy things get for our main characters, but that's about the only thing the film has going for it. It's just a shame that Lucas and Moore can't make the mess work, comedically. It soon becomes tiresome to watch everything play out, and I guess the film-makers are relying on the fact that most people will watch this with some wine or cocktails. This is where it's important to note, however, that my partner was enjoying some wine while we watched this, and she still turned to me as the end credits rolled and exclaimed how awful it was.

Watch any other film starring any of these women and you'd be making better use of your time. Watch Babes, which features Buteau working brilliantly with her co-star, Ilana Glazer, and you're likely to laugh more during the opening sequence of that film than you are likely to laugh at anything here.

3/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Netflix And Chill: Best Of The Best (2026)

If you enjoy teen comedy dramas, if you enjoy dance movies, if you enjoyed the likes of Bring It On, and if you could easily find your ears pleased by some Bollywood-fusion tunes, then Best Of The Best might just keep you as entertained as I was. In fact, the only people who will probably hate it are those hoping for a remake of the 1989 martial arts competition movie.

Besties Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) are looking forward to life at UCLA. Anjali may need a bit more help academically, but both will enjoy distancing themselves from an embarrassing incident from near the end of their schooldays (involving an onstage dance routine and some drones that went haywire). It looks like history may repeat itself, however, when the girls decide to join a Bollywood-fusion dance team, headed up by Ronak (Ankur Rathee). Anjali is liked and viewed favourable, whereas Maya is often viewed as too strong-willed and selfish. The team needs to succeed, it needs to win, and any attempts by Maya to break from some of the traditional and stuffy elements are met with great resistance. It's a difficult time, although things get a bit better when Maya gets involved with Arjun (Chaneil Kular).

Co-written by Prashanth Venkataramanujam and Hasan Minhaj (the latter also allowed a small supporting role onscreen, as well as both creatives shepherding this through from inception to completion via their production company, 186K Films), Best Of The Best is a familiar slice of teen fun, nicely in line with the many smarter movies we've had in that sub-genre throughout the first quarter of this century. The cultural plot points are inextricably woven throughout, and this is another film that recognises the apparent paradox of very specific touchstones working to make something that has universal appeal.

Director Lena Khan may not have many features to her name, but this might serve as a great springboard for whatever she wants to do next in her directorial career.  It's a perfect balance of fun, energy, emotional turbulence, and self-reflection, and she's helped enormously by her main cast members.

Ramakrishnan delivers a star-making turn here (after impressing in a few other film roles, and playing the main character in the popular Never Have I Ever TV show). She's smart, funny, very talented, and happy to mishandle things when weighed down by prejudices and negativity from others. Kedia has the easier role, but she plays it well, especially in a third act that requires some extra honesty from her character once she sees how life has been viewed a very different way by her best friend. She also keeps up with her co-star when it comes to the impressive dance routines. Rathee is suitably driven and stubborn as he engages in a battle of wills with someone who has some ideas he would really benefit from hearing out, Kular is as sweet and charming as he needs to be in his role, and Minhaj has fun in the couple of scenes that have his Professor character being much more aware than he'd like to be of the ongoing dance team drama.

A fresh and vibrant wander through some familiar territory, Best Of The Best is easygoing entertainment that should keep most viewers happy. It's also an excellent bit of representation for some viewers who probably wouldn't expect to see themselves in such a well-platformed mainstream teen movie.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Mayday (2026)

It's the 1980s. Top Gun is a huge hit at the box office. The Cold War continues to make the USSR a very hostile place for Americans. That's what you need to know when you start watching Mayday, a buddy action comedy movie that feels as if it wants to sit alongside a number of great movies released in the decade that it's set in.

Ryan Reynolds plays Troy Kelly, a hotshot pilot who ends up on a top secret mission in enemy airspace. It shouldn't be too difficult though. It all ends badly, of course, and Kelly is wounded and behind enemy lines. He ends up in the care of Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh), a formidable Russian with a dark and deadly past. Thankfully, Nikolai is a big fan of all things American nowadays, and he hopes that helping Troy can help him to relocate. Many others will be trying to find and stop them, and they're working for the determined Alexander Volkox (Marcin Dorocinski).

Although it's enjoyable enough while on, and there are a few fun action moments throughout, Mayday is never quite as much fun as it should be. It steps up a notch when Branagh appears onscreen, Russian accent and all, but it's almost as if nobody involved in making it really knew how far to push things. This should have had some better fights, and it deserved a lot more comedy, although there aren't any major complaints about what is actually here.

Co-written and co-directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who have given us wonderful entertainment in the shape of both Game Night and the Dungeons & Dragons movie, Mayday is clearly a love letter to some of the all-time mismatched buddy flicks, and the third act kept a big grin on my face for the majority of it, but a couple of details hold it back from being truly great.

One thing holding it back is Reynolds. I like Reynolds, I tend to like his usual schtick, but it's not something that works as well when he's sharing lead duties with someone else (unless that person is rolling eyes at him in his Deadpool persona). Mayday is weak when Reynolds is being Reynolds, making the earlier scenes a bit of a chore to get through. It's too familiar, and it's not what viewers will be tuning in for. Branagh is actually much more fun, for the most part, but another thing holding the movie back is the way that his character ends up not being right in the thick of more fights. The first small-scale action beat is a doozy, and I was looking forward to seeing how Branagh's character would upscale his deadly skillset in the face of larger numbers of enemies, but he sadly ends up finding a way out of bad situations more than finding a way through them. Dorocinski is a fun and menacing villain, and there are good moments for David Morse (as Troy's father) and Maria Bakalova (as Nikolai's daughter).

I enjoyed this. I would watch it again. I'd happily watch a sequel. But I know that I will also revisit some excellent 1980s action comedies multiple times while this starts to fade from my memory. And not just because it was sorely in need of a much better selection of '80s hits on the soundtrack.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

One Night Only (2026)

A raunchy rom-com based in a society that only allows single people to have pre-marital sex on one night of the year, and protection must be used, One Night Only is as ridiculous as that sounds. Well . . . it would be if it actually tried to be raunchy and fun. What you actually get is something relatively tame, something that also delivers the standard rom-com tropes, and something that forces you to buy into the concept that both Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro are two attractive people who just cannot find themselves a willing sexual partner on the one night of the year when sex is on the cards.

Turner plays Owen, a pizza shop owner who finds himself at a loss when his girlfriend (Malika, played by Maya Hawke) decides to use this special one night to try sleeping with someone else. Barbaro's character, Allie, has a plan, but it requires her to find someone who she is sexually available AND a genuinely nice guy. As the clock counts down what should be a night of pleasure and sexy time, Owen and Allie find themselves on parallel paths, often helping one another, but insisting they won't have sex. I think you can tell where things end up heading.

Written by Travis Braun, who seems to have a bit of TV work to his credit already, this is silly and implausible fluff. It's not entirely unenjoyable though, thanks largely to the nice interplay between Turner and Barbaro. Director Will Gluck knows his way around a rom-com by now, having delivered a decent handful of them, but this isn't anywhere near his best work. It's hampered by the central premise, one that would seem perfectly fine if mentioned in a rambling conversation between friends, but fails as a viable movie concept, and also hampered by the inability to lean fully into the sheer sex of it all. The sweetness helps to make up for the shortcomings elsewhere, but I'm not sure most people will hear what this is about and then look forward to something sweet.

Aside from the leads, who are both doing very well with the weak material, there are enjoyable supporting turns from Hawke, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Julia Fox, Andrew Burnap, Michelle Hurd, Charlie Gillespie, and Ella Loudon, as well as a number of amusing cameos. 

A couple of set-pieces work well, but the film peaks quite early on when people start to battle one another over ownership of a condom that has become ridiculously expensive thanks to an opportunistic vendor and surge pricing. There are a disappointingly low number of good laughs, and I have to suspect that the surprisingly tame approach to the subject matter is at least partially responsible, but at least you get a consistent amount of mild amusement throughout. Your enjoyment of the film will ultimately depend on how you respond to the charm of the leads though.

5/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Prime Time: Scared Shitless (2024)

The story of a plumber (Don, played by Steven Ogg) and his germophobic son, Sonny (Daniel Doheny), Scared Shitless is the kind of horror comedy you can easily imagine being pretty good when you think about the main elements. It has decent lead cast members (including Chelsea Clark and Marcia Bennett in main roles), it largely keeps all of the action in one location, and there are some decent practical effects bringing the central creature to life. 

Everything starts when Don and Sonny head along to an apartment building for a standard job. Don is trying to get Sonny to conquer his germophobia, and he thinks having him as his apprentice might just help. It turns out that their job isn't actually your usual plumbing job though, not when a creature seems to be moving around some of the pipes. Patricia (Clark) works in the building and wants discretion, but she may end up helping Don and Sonny when they all realise just how big a problem they might have on their hands.

Written by Brandon Cohen, expanding his short from a few years ago, Scared Shitless isn't helped by the fact that it's just a bit too under-written. Cohen has a fun idea at the heart of things, and benefits from the casting, but there's nothing here that's as funny or gruesome as it could be. Director Vivieno Caldinelli does well enough with the material, but what was needed was a much bigger selection of disposable characters and some more moments of bloody mayhem. Or maybe even some excessive amounts of fecal waste.

Ogg is a lot of fun in his role, being amusingly dry and dour for most of the runtime. Doheny plays his part well, being squeamish and jittery without spending every other minute fainting at the sight of anything that could contaminate his safe personal bubble. Clark is very easy to warm to, Bennett is a sweet and lovely resident who you don't want to see come to any harm, and the few other main characters are played by Lorna Wilson, Marty Adams, Donald Tripe, Mark McKinney, and Brynn Godenir. You may think that presents a decent selection of victims, but the film needed more bodies to be put in serious danger.

Undemanding horror comedy fans will find enough to enjoy here, especially when it comes to the presentation of the creature effects, but those who have seen a lot of films in this vein (and I count myself in that demographic) will be disappointed by the lack of creativity and style on display. Everything is okay, but nothing ever becomes more than okay. You can pick something better for your first choice when lining up an evening of viewings. If you're in a good mood then you could pick this as a secondary option. It might turn out to be a decent number two. 

5/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma (2026)

I have to start my review of Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma by reminding people that I didn't love Censor as much as most people. Why bother saying that? Well, the two films have a hell of a lot in common, although they're also easily set apart by the differences. Both features have a very firm foundation built upon the wild years of the '80s VHS horror boom, making use of a nostalgia that I said years ago was already wearing thin, both have numerous moments that play around with reality, and both do a very good job of recreating some fun period details.

The big difference, however, is that Prano Bailey-Bond, the co-writer and director of Censor, for me, felt detached from, and somehow looking down upon, the horror genre works that she was referencing. Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun, threading a needle here that mixes meta fun with complex identity and sexual journeys, feels like someone who is happy to be immersed in this world, and spends almost every minute of the runtime referencing horror tropes and observations in a way that feels equal parts authentic and slightly bonkers, in the best way.

The main plot here concerns a hotshot young director, Kris (Hannah Einbinder), who has been tasked with resurrecting and rejuvenating a tired slasher movie series. To really get things right, Kris decides that she should seek the blessing of the reclusive actress, Billy (Gillian Anderson), who played the final girl in the original movie. Billy now lives at the camp that provided the setting for that film, ensuring that Kris soon starts to become fascinated by just how thin the fabric can be between movie moments and reality. And that fabric certainly won't protect anyone if the movie killer, Little Death (Jack Haven), manages to slash their way through to our world.

I really don't have all the words available to me when it comes to the many ways I want to praise Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma. While Schoenbrun has made personal statements with her previous two films, and certainly inserts enough details and moments here that feel autobiographical at times, this feels like a huge step up, in terms of the scope and the conversation it has with viewers. Because, as with all Schoenbrun films, this is a film that relies on viewers actively responding to how things play out. 

Einbinder is fantastic in her role here, even if it feels like she's only a step removed from her character in Hacks at times, but it's Anderson who has the most fun, helped by an over the top Southern drawl and a selection of enigmatic speeches. She's not only the most important character in relation to Einbinder's entry point to her potential upcoming movie, she's someone who can help to explain what power and positivity can remain in many horror movies that are often reframed and re-contextualised by modern viewers. This feels like the thread that Schoenbrun is most interested in pulling at, especially when it comes to how representation and acceptance of sexuality on a spectrum have changed so much in the past few decades, but there's also something worthwhile in the way that horror movies would still, for better or worse, give prominent roles to characters you wouldn't often see in other genres.

There's a lot more to enjoy here, whether it's the obvious brilliance of the potted history we're shown that presents the Camp Miasma series as an obvious Friday The 13th proxy or the supporting performances from the likes of Kevin McDonald, Patrick Fischler, Zach Cherry, and Amanda Fix (playing the younger version of Anderson's character), but it's the layered and rewatchable nature of it that will ensure satisfaction for so many viewers, whether they're moved by the journey of the main characters or amused and entertained by the slasher movie moments, or both. Although she has her very own style, her very own perspective, and her own relationship with the movies referenced here, Schoenbrun uses her platform to give others a safe space to explore their own emotions and histories. Problematic creatives and problematic content can still become part of the fabric of who you are, part of everything that you grow to love and vouch for, without those problems necessarily having to be erased or excused by those with different views. And, if we're being as honest with ourselves as the film wants us to be, sometimes those problematic elements can be part of the appeal. It doesn't make fans bad for wanting to spend some time immersed in a fantasy.

Others may think I have completely misread this film, and they could be correct, but I'm happy to have had my own personal reaction to everything it served up. And I'll be happy to read the different interpretations of it from other people. That's the beauty of it, and it aligns perfectly with the multi-faceted nature of horror fandom, and indeed the multi-faceted nature of us humans and our messy sexual explorations.

10/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Super Troopers 2 (2018)

The gang all return for this comedy sequel that pits our titular troopers against some hostile Canadian counterparts. If you enjoy the shenanigans of the Broken Lizard comedy team then you'll find enough to amuse and entertain you here. If you don't then this won't convert you.

Having been removed from the force due to a ride along incident involving Fred Savage, the troopers have a shot at redemption when asked to help a small Canadian province transition to America. It's on the border, you see, and the border marking was wrong. So all they have to do is keep order, avoid upsetting locals who don't want to be forced into "becoming Americans", and generally avoid making any major mistakes. Oh dear.

As well as co-starring and co-writing with the rest of the team, Jay Chandrasekhar once again sits in the director's chair for this Broken Lizard feature. He's a very experienced pair of hands by now, and he's always done well enough with handling their own material anyway, which means you get a well-paced comedy that knows how to pack extra laughs into every main sequence.

Alongside Chandrasekhar is Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, and Paul Soter, all reprising their central characters with ease. There's also time to allow Brian Cox, Lynda Carter, and Marisa Coughlan to return, and a number of the main Canadians are played by Rob Lowe, Hayes MacArthur, Tyler Labine, Will Sasso, and Emmanuelle Chriqui, most of them leaning hard into the "sorry, eh" and "that sounds aboot right" comical exaggeration of the Canadian accent.

The plot works well enough, particularly when it starts to become about more than just the rivalry between the Americans and Canadians, but it's also, like the first film, slight enough to allow more space for jokes and skits. It suffers a bit, in the way that most sequels do, but it's surprisingly good, especially when you consider that the guys decided to revisit these characters over 15 years after the original proved to be such a cult comedy success.

This is all being said by someone who really likes almost everything that Broken Lizard does though. Even Quasi. They may not be the most sophisticated, or cine-literate, when it comes to their movies, but they tend to maintain a consistently satisfying gag rate. And I'll continue to reference a number of my favourite lines from their films, even if nobody else tends to get my references. I rewatched this now to get myself primed and ready for the upcoming Super Troopers 3, and I'll be very happy if that manages to be as good as this. 

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Prime Time: Slotherhouse (2023)

It's quite ironic that I was very slow to get around to this horror comedy, but I'm happy to say that I finally made time to enjoy the sheer silliness of this. While written and directed by a bunch of people I am not familiar with, Slotherhouse shows how much fun can be had when people commit to some entertaining stupidity, especially when the technical side of things is done well enough to keep it looking professional and made with at least some small amount of care.

Lisa Ambalavanar plays Emily, a young woman who wants to become the president of her sorority. She has a major fight on her hands to usurp Brianna (Sydney Craven), but soon discovers that a cute pet can help to win over many fans. Which starts to happen after she takes ownership of a sloth. The sloth isn't always as slow and cute as it appears though, and it's not long until the killings begin.

Writers Bradley Fowler and Cady Lanigan do everything they can to encourage viewers to lean into the ridiculousness of this. They start off with little moments of sloth-induced murder and mayhem, provide a montage at about the halfway point, and then deliver a third act that is all the more entertaining for being completely implausible (by the time the sloth is posting to Instagram with niche hashtags and another victim then you're either laughing or ready to turn the thing off).

Director Matthew Goodhue keeps everything looking and feeling as it should. Shot choices and framing allow for a lot of enjoyable practical effects and puppeteering, overlaid imagery use social media snapshots to deliver main character traits and developing tensions, and there are a number of fun homages throughout (some much more obvious than others, but Gremlins feels like the biggest influence at times). 

While the cast is made up of lesser-known actors, I think they deserve some praise for being so game about the whole thing. They play everything pretty straight, with the humour coming more from their Mean Girls antics than the murderous sloth, and do well at either portraying a character going through a journey (Ambalavanar) or fully embracing their stereotype (Craven). Bianca Beckles-Rose is a lot of fun as the hyper Zenny, Olivia Rouyre is good as the young woman who warns our lead against the path she seems intent on walking, and Tiff Stevenson provides some extra laughs as Ms. Mayflower, the "house mother" who secretly wants another chance to have a better position in the sorority hierarchy.

If you've been as slow as me to get around to this one then make time for it now. I'm not going to say it's an overlooked modern classic, nor am I guaranteeing that you will chuckle as often as I did, but it's a lot of fun, and I would definitely watch Slotherhouse 2: Locked In The Zoo.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Confessions Of A Window Cleaner (1974)

While I have done my bit to fight back against the erasure of the British sex comedies that helped to boost the box office numbers for a few years in the 1970s, I am far from an expert on the topic. I will persevere, however, even if it means continuing to see far more of Robin Askwith than I ever wanted. I'm not going to claim that these movies have enduring appeal, nor am I going to say that many of them have an artistry and sophistication unjustly ignored by snobs, but they have earned a place in the history of cinema that remains worthy of note.

Based on a book by Christopher Wood (as Timothy lea), this is the tale of a young man (Askwith) who finds out that being a window cleaner is about more than just cleaning windows. He has to go out of his way to ensure that every client is happy. That's easier said than done though, especially when our young lead ends up taking a proper shine to a female police officer named Elizabeth Radlett (Linda Hayden).

Adapted into screenplay form by Wood and director Val Guest, this is silly and horribly dated stuff. It's based around the idea that all attractive women are really desperate for horny men to help take care of their needs, and also tries to convince viewers that Robin Askwith can often become the main object of their desire. Askwith works in his role because he's very much an everyman, but that also works against him, considering how he is supposed to be able to stir up such a passion in a number of the featured female characters.

The most fun here comes from the supporting cast. Aside from Askwith, who simply has to look cheeky and chirpy, and always ready to jump into bed with someone, there are turns from Anthony Booth (the man who shares the lore of the mystical window cleaner lothario), the aforementioned Hayden, John Le Mesurier and Joan Hickson (sorely underused as the parents of Hayden's character), Bill Maynard and Dandy Nichols (the parents of our randy lead), and a number of other faces familiar to fans of British TV and cinema.

Guest may be very aware that he's not making any kind of absolute classic, especially in contrast to some of his much better work throughout the '50s and '60s, but he knows exactly what he's helming. There's a lot of titillation (despite the extra raunch factor of both this and the "Adventures" series, things are still presented with the emphasis on sauciness ahead of anything truly pornographic. It may be a bit more full-on than the seaside postcard humour of the Carry On movies, a series that fell by the wayside when it tried to balance the milder sensibilities and comforting companionship of the main stars with the more liberal attitudes of cinema-goers, but it's still trying to offer a bit of something for everyone (no pun intended).

People will continue to roll their eyes at me, and they'll pull my leg about my reasons for watching films like this, but I'll continue to bang the drum for the inherent value of these relics. They're a fascinating snapshot of one facet of British cinema, and I'm absolutely delighted to now own many of them in home media releases that also contain a wealth of supplementary features and information providing important context for them. 

Oh, this isn't one of my favourites though, but it's better than any of the instalments in the "Adventures" movie series. 

5/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie (2025)

Based on a web series, and a subsequent TV series, Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie should appeal to fans of those involved. I would say, however, that I ended up liking it a lot, despite my ignorance of the property. And hearing about how the show used to play out, I might not have wanted to give this my time if I thought it might end up feeling too focused on various improvised encounters with members of the public (as was common in the show).

The plot starts off simply enough. Musicians Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol (played by . . . Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol) are trying in vain to get their band booked into a venue named the Rivoli. They just want one chance, but it hasn't happened in the many years that they've been trying. No worries. The answer is clearly time travel. What starts as an unlikely joke soon turns into something quite serious when Matt spills juice over his own home-made flux capacitor, which makes it work just as it does in Back To The Future. Things can now be changed for the better, but only if our two leads can stay friends and stay focused. Which seems unlikely.

With Johnson also directing, and both he and McCarrol crafting a screenplay featuring input from pretty much everyone in their core creative group, this is very much a small-scale indie flick in all but the actual budget (which seems to have been about $2M). For better or worse, and despite the very obvious shadow cast over it by BTTF, it's quite unlike anything else I've seen in recent years, and it's all the better for being so unique.

While there is a lot of improv on display here, kudos to the film-makers for making use of most of it in a way that works in service of a surprisingly complex main narrative strand. It's one thing to go out and about, filming hours and hours of footage to get the snippets of actual material required, but it's another thing entirely to assemble everything into a feature that feels both anarchic and finely-tuned.

Johnson and McCarrol also do very well in their main roles. They may not be the best actors, but their special skillset lies in working in a way that allows them to keep many options available to them as they dance and whirl around a variety of key sequences. Nobody else onscreen may have as much work to do, but they're all very good, whether getting directly involved in the action or simply showing how they have to hang back and blend in with the surroundings.

I don't think I'll rush to watch this again, and I'm certainly not won over to the idea of checking out episodes of the show, but this was a fun time while it was on, and there were a couple of moments that felt genuinely impressive (the main one being a wild set-piece within the first 10-20 minutes). I laughed enough, I appreciated the sweetness that became more apparent as things started to move to the inevitable conclusion, and I actually started to hope that maybe one day, just maybe, these guys would get to play their dream gig at the Rivoli. 

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)

If I didn't have this little comedy drama recommended to me by someone then I doubt I would have ever though to seek it out. After all, the fact that it was both written and directed by the young man who then cast himself in the lead role makes it seem like so many other vanity projects I have either endured or avoided over the past few decades. I'm very thankful to the person who recommended this though, because it's a proper little gem of a film.

Cooper Raiff is Andrew, a young man without any real plan for his life, other than saving up enough money to travel and reconnect with a girlfriend he suspects may already be doing quite well without him. Struggling to retain the will to live in his day job, things take an upturn when he discovers that he has a marketable knack for being a party host. He ensures that things go well, and he tries to get everyone taking their turn on the dancefloor. It's at one of these parties that he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson), mother to an autistic young girl named Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). And that's when things soon start to get a bit messy.

Although I was unfamiliar with Raiff before seeing this, I'm now keen to see whatever he's attached to. Both the writing and direction here show an admirable amount of talent, and he's also genuinely good enough to handle a lead role that allows him to be intermittently likeable and loathsome, depending on how he is reacting to a complex world that he would much rather keep carefree and simple.

It helps that Raiff assembles a fantastic supporting cast around him, and everyone feels as if they responded well to the material. Johnson shows once again how much better she does in movies that aren't part of any franchise meat-grinder, Burghardt is very good in her role, although you could argue that there are a few too many affectations in her performance (but I think they work well), and Evan Assante is very sweet as our lead's younger brother, just at the right age to continue idolising his sibling even as he starts to see the obvious flaws and mistakes. Leslie Mann is a wonderful and caring mother, Brad Garrett is her partner, and his character is the butt of many jokes until Andrew starts to realise how good the man is for his mother, and Raúl Castillo is the other main man in Domino's life, much to the chagrin of Andrew.

The 107-minute runtime may feel a little long for what could be such a slight work, but I would have happily spent more time in this world with these characters if possible. Raiff judges everything perfectly, especially during a few scenes that look set to become very uncomfortable, only for Raiff to defuse the situation with a perfect punchline or some interaction that proves to be surprisingly satisfying.

A film about a young man unable to plan the next phase of his journey through life would be okay, I guess, but Cha Cha Real Smooth works as well as it does because it's about a young man who finds a very strong connection with someone that knows he has the opportunity to make so many more connections with people he could have much more in common with. It's also a glimpse at someone who, like so many of us, finds a way to relight the spark of his personality by focusing on doing something he genuinely enjoys, instead of staying stuck in a job that offers him no fulfilment whatsoever. 

Give this one a watch when you can. Not every moment works, but the highlights are so well-crafted and beautiful that you may well become as big a fan of Raiff as I now am.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Shudder Saturday: Queens Of The Dead (2025)

If you're going to wade into the overcrowded territory of zombie movies and think you can make your mark on the sub-genre then I guess it could be a huge help, or a huge hindrance, to be the child of George A. Romero AKA "the father of the zombie film". It also helps to put a different spin on things, even if that's just setting most of the movie in a club largely populated by drag queens, for instance.

Queens Of The Dead is just that, a club-set zombie movie directed and co-written by Tina Romero. There's supposed to be a big night happening, which would help club owner Dre (Katy O'Brian), but the plans are interrupted by an unexpected influx of hungry creatures. They're not the only ones who can seem fierce and fearless though. 

A debut feature for both Romero and Erin Judge (the other writer), Queens Of The Dead feels very much like a debut feature, yet it could have easily avoided the usual pitfalls. There are enough good performers, and enough familiar faces, to help it stand out from the crowd. There's a fun idea at the heart of it. And there's also a soundtrack with a few hit songs features (which, admittedly, may have taken up too much of the budget). 

O'Brian has been doing very well over the past few years, and she makes a great central character here. She's not the only one given a full journey to go on, but she has the ability to stand out from the others and feel like the actual lead. Jaquel Spivey, playing Sam, is the other person allowed to show growth and development during the escalating crisis, and does a very good job. There are smaller roles for both Margaret Cho and Riki Lindhome, two comics you may well recognise, and other core group members are played by Quincy Dunn-Baker, Tomás Matos, Nina West, Jack Haven, and Dominique Jackson. Most of them do well, but there's a very wide range of acting skill levels on display. And let's not forget a Tom Savini cameo that is neither clever nor amusing, but I guess it ticks a box when it comes to trying to appeal to fans of Romero's legacy.

It's a great shame that the screenplay isn't better, especially with the excellent potential of the premise. Some amusing insults are peppered throughout, but there's a disappointingly small amount of full-blooded snark and cutting comments. The character played by Dunn-Baker is shown to be a typical guy struggling to use the right terminology, but even he isn't used as well as he could be. And the fact that he's on his own ensures that tensions remain pretty low. Yes, that's the other big problem. There's no tension. The characters onscreen rarely accept the full seriousness of the situation, which makes it impossible for viewers to be truly concerned about the fate of anyone.

Tina Romero does just enough to keep this above the very worst of the worst zombie movies, thanks to the characters assembled and the spirit of "existence is resistance" that bonds so many of them during this horribly tough time in the real world around us, but she needs to spend more time on the writing and ways to cover up the low budget when she gets around to making whatever her next feature may be. I hope she moves away from zombies, or figures out how to mix in more horror and threat with the comedy.

5/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Power Ballad (2026)

If you want a film mixing some heart, some humour, and some very good tunes then you want a film from writer-director John Carney (here sharing the writing credit with Peter McDonald). Not only does Carney know how to entertain viewers, he knows how to give you one or two fantastic earworms when the plot requires it.

Paul Rudd plays Rick, a singer in a wedding band. He used to be in a very different kind of band, but life offered him a different path. He might spend some time trying to relive his past glory days, but he's also very happy with a life that includes a beloved wife (Aja, played by Beth Fallon) and a beloved daughter (Rachel, played by Marcella Plunkett). He's also very happy when he gets to spend an unexpected night of drunken reminiscing and song-writing with the famous Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), an ex-boyband member trying to ensure that his solo career hits the heights needed to keep him relevant. The two part ways, and life goes back to normal . . . until Rick hears the latest hit single released by Danny. It's VERY familiar. It's his song. But can he prove it?

While it was advertised in line with the plot summary I've just written there, Power Ballad has a bit more to it. Not that the core idea isn't enough. It's a fun premise, a fantastic dilemma for a man who wants to be grateful for all he has, but also doesn't want to be stiffed out of what he might be due. The real beauty of the film is in conveying the power of authenticity in art and creativity though. Rick isn't just bothered by the idea that someone rich and powerful may have stolen his work. He's bothered by the idea that someone has repurposed part of his story without them even recognising the true meaning of it.

Carney knows the power of music. It's the theme that has resonated throughout every one of his films. The impressive thing is that he seems to be able to find so many variations on a central theme. He's shown us how music connects people, he's shown us how music provides an escape and a chance for growth, and now he's shown us how it remains attached to memories and core emotions from every stage of our life.

Rudd is a great choice for the lead role. He's always easy to like, and feels believable as a man who once tried to make it as a rock star. Both Fallon and Plunkett are very good alongside him. They're slightly sidelined as the focus stays on Rudd and Jonas, but they're allowed to become frustrated by the man in their life becoming a bit obsessed over one song without ever being portrayed as unsympathetic and too harsh. Jonas also does well, particularly in the scenes that have him being a bit cold and harsh to a man who believed that they shared a common love of music and one memorable night of mutual appreciation. As well as his co-writing credit, McDonald also delivers some fun moments in the role of Sandy, a bandmate and die-hard bestie. It's also worth mentioning another great performance from Jack Reynor, this time playing a cynical and hardened music producer named Mac.

Many who end up watching this may find themselves tougher nuts to crack. Not me. I was smiling often, I was sniffling occasionally, and I had a conflicting mix of chuckles and lip-quivering during some final scenes that were predictable enough, yes, but also hugely satisfying. Looking at it objectively, it's a bit weak compared to the better films from Carney. I struggled to look at it objectively while being moved by the titular power ballad though, and that's why I still highly recommend it to those wanting something sweet, and enjoyable . . . and surprisingly beautiful when everything opens up like a blooming flower in the third act.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

A Knight's Tale (2001)

I never loved A Knight's Tale. I figured that I should start with that confession, mainly because I have always found it slightly bewildering to be reminded of how beloved it is by many. I'm really not sure why. There are things that work very well (the main cast members being a big plus), but many other things reflect some poor decision-making from writer-director Brian Helgeland.

Things start with a death. Despite winning his latest joust, a knight has succumbed to some mortal wounds. There's still some money on the line, however, and that leads one of his squires, William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), to don the armour and do well enough to win the much-needed prize. Getting a taste for it, and knowing he could become very good, Thatcher decides to maintain his charade, travelling between tournaments with Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk). They pick up a couple of strays on their travels, in the shape of the verbose Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany) and a female blacksmith named Kate (Laura Fraser). There's a fair maiden to impress (Jocelyn, played by Shannyn Sossamon) and a mean nemesis to be conquered (Count Adhemar, played by Rufus Sewell). That's about all you need to know. Oh, and the soundtrack was/is praised for being enjoyably anachronistic.

Ledger is the main selling point here, providing a lead performance that is charming, adorable, and impossible to be impressed by. Poised on the very edge of greatness throughout the 1990s, this 2001 feature allowed him to fully showcase his charisma and presence in a way that declared him a fully-fledged star. He's helped by the fun performances from Addy and Waltz, but things step up a notch when Bettany joins the fun, the actor relishing the opportunity to deliver such great dialogue with a consistent selection of theatrical flourishes. Fraser doesn't get to do as much, but she's a good addition to the team in time for the third act. Sewell makes a fine villain, really just in that position because of his talent for jousting, as well as his attitude to the rules and rigid social hierarchies that he prefers to rigidly adhere to. The only one who doesn't really work is Sossamon, who remains one of the very worst model-turned-actress individuals to have ever been given big roles in some big hit movies. She's absolutely awful here, although admittedly not helped by the screenplay not knowing how to best treat her character. Imagine this film as it is though, but replace Sossamon with someone like Rachel Weisz, and tell me it isn't immeasurably improved.

For as much as he gets right, Helgeland must also be held responsible for what he gets wrong. The use of a huge Queen hit at the start of the movie works really well. The rest of the song choices aren't as good, due to them being less attuned to a primal beat, and also not incorporated quite as seamlessly. There's also that big failing when it comes to the romantic element, messed up by the casting and the writing. Last, but not least, it's worth considering that, unless you're at a live event, jousting . . . isn't really that exciting, certainly not in a cinematic sense. It's two people covered in metal trying to hit one another with pointy poles. And if they aren't fully in your vision at all times, as happens when a film sequence is edited, then you might just struggle to remember who you're supposed to be rooting for.

And yet, despite the mis-steps, and despite the convenience of plot points converging in time for the expected final battle (thanks, in no small part, to a very enjoyable performance from James Purefoy), I enjoy A Knight's Tale more nowadays than I ever used to. It feels more old-fashioned and cute now, a film based around a simple enough concept and one star turn, and I can see why many would happily revisit it when they want a sweet escape from the wild world around us. I still don't understand ALL the love it gets, and I don't think I'll ever view it as a great movie, but I am pleased that I gave it a rewatch after all this time (I'm pretty sure my first, and only, viewing of this was on a VHS copy rented from my local Blockbuster). It may not rock me, but it's worthy of being more than just a one knight stand.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Netflix And Chill: 72 Hours (2026)

It's almost impressive how Kevin Hart has managed to move from mediocrity to painfully unfunny in an attempt to keep cashing the streaming service paychecks. I have often gone for his movies as an easy choice for a weekend distraction, and they used to work in a very basic way, but now I'll just keep associating him with absolute awfulness. Because even many Kevin Hart fans will tell you how bad this is.

Hart plays Joe, an advertising exec trying to land a big contract with a vodka company. He has his life together, in many ways, but also hasn't given full commitment to his partner, Jennifer (Teyana Taylor), or his own career ambition. And he might be in trouble. His latest pitch hasn't gone down well, with many thinking that he's now too old to figure out how to make ads appeal to the younger generation. Thankfully, he ends up accidentally added to a WhatsApp group chat between four young guys out to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of their friend, Mason (Mason Gooding). After initially having a bit of fun with them, Joe offers to fund most of their trip in exchange for spending some time with them. The guys think that Joe just wants to party, which is partly true, but Joe is also aiming to get an insight, and some covertly-filmed footage, to help him in his job. He's certainly not aiming to cross paths with a dangerous drug dealer (Jaze, played by Michael Mando).

Tim Story is the director here. While rarely one of my favourites, he's been delivering moderately enjoyable fare for a few decades now. You wouldn't know that from watching this. Both the direction and the screenplay, written by four different people, ends up relying far too much on the star power of Hart, putting him in a variety of situations where he can do his usual mix of mugging, insults, and nervousness.

Things wouldn't be so bad if Hart was surrounded by some top-tier talent. He's not. That isn't to say that those playing the younger characters (Gooding, Marcello Hernández, Kam Patterson, and Ben Marshall) are bad. Gooding continues to be an easy onscreen presence to like, and the other three work well enough with the material they're given, but they're not up to the task of pushing one another in ways that could have turned weak material into something more amusing and entertaining. Mando does well in another role he could play in his sleep by now, Taylor is woefully underused, considering the caché she has right now, and there's not much added from the likes of Zach Cherry, Kevin Dunn, and Andy Garcia in supporting roles. It's actually another Garcia (Anna, no relation to Andy) who rises above the predictable and tired plotting to provide a couple of welcome extra laughs.

Connections are made, life lessons are learned, and things look at their bleakest before taking an upturn during the third act. You know this is going to happen from the start. Not only does the film provide no surprises, not a one, but it presents itself as if it has been created by people who believe they are doing something genuinely good. Which makes it even more saddening and infuriating. If I could at least see someone struggling to hide their pain then I would have hope. I don't, and I wouldn't be surprised if we eventually got something like Another 72 Hours in the next year or two.

3/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Prime Time: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

The argument has been made that 1999 was one of the greatest ever years for movies. I don't know if I buy into that, although it's hard to dismiss any one of the major titles that a movie fan could namecheck for you. It was an undeniably strong year though, and a number of movies created a butterfly effect still reverberating through the cinematic landscape to this day, and may keep affecting things far into the future. Drop Dead Gorgeous, on the other hand, is one 1999 movie that didn't necessarily have that kind of impact. I would argue that it's equally deserving of praise and celebration though.

The debut feature from director Michael Patrick Jann, working from a screenplay by Lona Williams (who also gave us the very enjoyable, and sadly forgotten, Sugar & Spice), Drop Dead Gorgeous is a mockumentary that I would actually rate higher than many of the films directed by Christopher "master of the mockumentary" Guest. It's all about a teen beauty pageant, and allows viewers to follow the determined Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst), the seemingly destined Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), the absolutely impartial, honest, pageant host, and mother to Becky, Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley), and a number of other wonderful and quirky characters.

As well as those already mentioned, the cast list here includes Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams, Mindy Sterling, Alexandra Holden, Matt Malloy, Michael McShane, and Will Sasso (if you don't recognise the names then, rest assured, you should recognise the faces). They're all doing great work, and everyone gets such an equal chance to shine that I would find it impossible to single anyone out ahead of anyone else. Dunst, Richards, and Alley feel like the three sides of an important trio though, and they should be happy to have this film on their respecting CVs. Between this and some of her other roles at the time, Richards shows such a knack for slyly comedic material that I am always sad we didn't get her in more features that could have made better use of her talent.

There are some moments of dubious taste, to put it mildly, and one or two words are thrown around casually that wouldn't be thrown around so much nowadays, but there's a consistent effort made to ensure that most of the jokes are targeting the concept of beauty pageants, whether it's mocking the importance bestowed upon them by people who may keep that as an all-time high point in their lives or showing the damage caused by the focus on looks, weight, and generally being viewed as an ornamental object capable of stating vapid platitudes instead of a fully-rounded human being. 

The real test of any mockumentary is just how convincing it is though, how easily can you forget that you're watching something scripted and acted. This is where Drop Dead Gorgeous manages to remain high in my own list of great 1999 movies. I struggle to think of any one moment that strikes a wrong note. Maybe a couple of the gags are just a bit too hilarious to ensure the purity of the format, but I'll happily put up with that if I can continue to cry tears of laughter as Denise Richards presents a very special interpretation of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".

Every one of the main people involved with this, behind and in front of the camera, has delivered other work in the years since it was released. Some of that other work is great, particularly when you think of the powerhouse performances we've had from Dunst and Janney in the last quarter of a century, but I would still hold this as a very high benchmark for everybody named in the credits. It's still as beautiful as ever.

9/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Mubi Monday: A Useful Ghost (2025)

When I read the very brief plot summary available for A Useful Ghost I knew that I had to make it a top priority. That summary told me that a vacuum cleaner was haunted by the spirit of a woman wanting to spend some more time with her husband. I understand that most people would probably scoff at such an idea, especially if they were more interested in standard mainstream movie options, but I was ready for whatever this film wanted to deliver.

And, oh boy, did it deliver something special.

There's a bit of a tale within a tale here, and things begin with a self-described academic ladyboy (Wisarut Homhuan) calling for someone to come and repair his vacuum cleaner. He thought he heard it coughing during the night, and then he woke up to see his floor covered in the dust that had previously been cleaned up. Krong (Wanlop Rungkumjad) soon arrives, and he has a story about a haunted factory, one that had a very special vacuum cleaner haunted by a woman (Nat, played by Davika Hoorne in non-vaccum cleaner form) aiming to reconnect with her husband (March, played by Witsarut Himmarat). March's mother, Suman (Apasiri Nitibhon), isn't pleased, of course, but soon realises that Nat could be used to help reverse the fortunes of the factory, which has been adversely affected by more than one ghost. 

The debut feature from writer-director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, this is a wildly inventive and fun work of art that uses the potential silliness of the concept to sugar-coat one hell of a bitter pill about the ways in which those in power will use any means necessary to return things to their preferred status quo, more often than not with the help of workers and/or lower-class citizens convinced to turn on their colleagues and associates in exchange for a fleeting improved lot in life.

Hoorne is excellent in her role, and manages to stay surprisingly sympathetic as she is unwittingly primed to become a major weapon against those who act like grit in the gears of the industrial machinery that ensures the ongoing success of trickle-up economics. Nitibhon is also very good, the overt villain of the piece as things are moved into place for the turbulent second half of the film. Both Homhuan and Rungkumjad are very watchable in their scenes, and it's always a treat when the film cuts back to remind viewers that Rungkumjad's character is the one telling the tale to Homhuan's character, and Himmarat works hard to be more than just a passive man bewitched by a vacuum cleaner.

Love or hate it, and I am very much in the former camp, A Useful Ghost is unlike any other film I can think of. Some come close, whether they're about sentient pieces of technology or the tactics used to ensure that members of various social classes stay firmly in the space allotted to them, but nothing else blends the two in such a perfect proportion, and manages to add the fun of some profane monks, a brawl between a vacuum cleaner and a large fridge, and a reminder of how our loved ones are kept alive by the burning flames of our memories and the sparks of powerful ideas. 

9/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Minions And Monsters (2026)

I have heard some people recently wonder just who Minions And Monsters is for. It takes the well-liked animated characters and puts them in a film packed with jokes and references to the entire history of cinema. Personally, I think many younger viewers will still enjoy the jokes for the simple silliness of the minions, but if there's one specific demographic being catered for then I'd have to say . . . it's me.

Bookended by scenes that show people wandering around a movie studio and being given information by a tour guide (Allison Janney), this starts off with familiar scenes from the past showing us the minions seeking the most appropriate horrible master to serve. Things don't go to plan, as ever, and the minions end up gate-crashing a movie production in the 1920s. Their anarchy and energy leads to them becoming major movie stars, but that stardom, as happened with people in real life, is threatened by the advent of sound becoming a fixture of movies. Maybe the minions can boost their careers by making a great monster movie. Especially when they have a powerful book of spells to help them create a proper monster.

I am absolutely aware of the fact that my opinion here may run contrary to so many others, but this is easily the best minions movie yet (and there have been a lot of fun adventures featuring these small and servile "crash test dummies"). The animation throughout it wonderful, the plotting and pacing are both perfect for the 90-minute runtime, and writer-director Pierre Coffin continues to excel as the main vocal performer, and the expert on speaking the cute gibberish that is Minionese.

Coffin is joined in the writing duties by Brian Lynch (who has worked on a number of these movies, including the almost equally good Minions). Both of them seem to relish a chance to add some mayhem and cute catastrophes to iconic movie moments, and it helps that the animated form allows for a whole heap of wonderful cameos and caricatures.

It's not just all down to the writing, direction, and voice work of Coffin though. There's a fantastic mix of other celebrities willing to lend their voices to the onscreen silliness, from Janney to Christoph Waltz (a director who feels very much based on the likes of Otto Preminger, Josef von Sternberg, etc), Jeff Bridges (two powerful studio execs) to Zoey Deutch (Debbie), as well as Trey Parker (a cute monster) and Jesse Eisenberg (a cute robot named Dort).  

Whatever the joke, whether it's the standard silliness or something a bit smarter, Minions And Monsters always feels as if it has been made with care and genuine love for cinema. Every main sequence has at least one fantastic homage, and many squeeze in multiple references without feeling as if the film is losing any energy or momentum. I know that some will keep wondering how this is supposed to be aimed at children who won't be aware of most of the references, but I think they'll still have fun with everything on a surface level, and will hopefully develop a sense of curiosity that will actually make it a lot easier to  introduce them to a lot of classic cinema in non-animated form.

9/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

The Invite (2026)

I have really enjoyed hearing Olivia Wilde on the publicity trail for her latest directorial outing, The Invite. There have been some interviews that have allowed her to address some of the unfair misogyny and commentary that she received during the PR rounds for her last feature, but most interviews have just allowed her to celebrate her latest work, and appreciate the fact that many others have also already been celebrating it. Wilde has also been admirably open about this being based on a previous film, Sentimental, written and directed by Cesc Gay, adapting his own stage play to the screen. And she's not the only one to be drawn to the material. Sentimental has been remade and retitled in countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland, and South Korea, and there may be more still to come.

The premise is quite simple. An unhappily-married couple (Angela and Joe, played by Wilde and Seth Rogen) are about to host a small dinner party for their upstairs neighbours (Hawk and Piña, played by Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz). Joe would like to mention how often they can hear Hawk and Piña having enthusiastic and noisy sex, but Angela doesn't want any difficult conversations or disagreements. Hawk, on the other hand, seems to relish full and refreshing honesty. And there's plenty to be honest about, if only everyone is willing to be brave enough to speak out.

This incarnation of the tale is written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, with a decent amount of improvisation and development from the actors, and everyone works together to make the most of what should be a lean and fun four-hander. The 107-minute runtime certainly zips by, and I did enjoy a couple of the lead performances.

A four-hander really needs all four leads to be delivering top-notch turns though, and this film only delivers half of what I was expecting. Wilde remains a very savvy and skilled director, and does well to keep the apartment setting feeling intimate without it getting claustrophobic (apart from one or two moments that want to get even closer to some of the main characters), but I didn't view her performance here as anything special. She's fine, but it never felt like any kind of stretch, and perhaps she's not helped by the fact that she's given herself the least interesting of the four roles. Seth Rogen gets to stretch even less, basically doing his usual Seth Rogen schtick, but in the form of a semi-responsible husband. Thankfully, both Norton and Cruz are great. Anyone who has seen Death To Smoochy will already know how good Norton can be with comedy (he was also great in Birdman), and he easily gets one or two of the biggest laughs here, but Cruz is the highlight, mixing her sexy persona with cutting insights and commentary that often make others uncomfortable as they're faced with a big truth they spent ages trying to avoid.

I'm very much in the minority here, but this just didn't work for me as I hoped it would. Loving two performances out of the four isn't enough, nor is the approximate success rate of the lines that actually made me laugh. That's a simple measurement for a comedy, whether something broad or something more sophisticated, and The Invite sadly didn't tickle my funny bone.

It's well-made, there are one or two very good moments (mainly in the third act), and there's very good use of a Sade song in a key scene, but all of that isn't enough to make me rate this as something barely above average. Norton and Cruz save the whole thing. I'd love to watch their characters in a better vehicle.

6/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Shudder Saturday: Touch Me (2025)

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone that you know isn't necessarily great, but they help you to forget the rest of the world for a while? They feel like they're healing you from past traumas, they know just what to say and do, most of the time, and you can at least lose yourself in some throes of ecstasy during the good sex.

That's what Touch Me is all about. It's a psychodrama that also has some moments of horror and plenty of dark comedy running through it. The second film from writer-director Addison Heimann, after the interesting misfire of Hypochondria, this is a huge step up for him, and signifies the strong possibility of a bright future ahead.

Olivia Taylor Dudley is Joey, a lost young woman who finds herself drawn back to her ex, Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci). Joey's bestie, Craig (Jordan Gavaris), accompanies her, but he ends up also attracted to Brian. Brian is hard to resist, despite the fact that he's actually a multi-tentacled alien with some plan that is supposedly meant to save his home planet. Everyone knows this, including a line-in helper (Laura, played by Marlene Forte), but what are a few tentacles and dubious plans when you can feel so good for a short while every day?

Moving smoothly between light and dark, Touch Me works as an obvious analogy for more standard relationships without feeling too clumsy and obvious. It's helped by the alien tentacle content, which does a good job of distracting viewers while the central messaging remains clear and concise throughout. It's also helped by a great score, from Jimmy LaValle (who has worked numerous times with the brilliant Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, two of the producers here), and a fantastic core cast.

Dudley is excellent in the lead, one of those people who can be good enough to keep you on their side, despite the selfishness and difficult behaviour. Gavaris also does well, playing his part as equal parts supportive friend and jealous competitor as Brian takes, and maintains, a mesmerising hold over our two main humans. Pucci is given the toughest role, having to be charming, confident, persuasive, and sexually-alluring throughout. The fact that he somehow manages to be all of those things, despite the outfits that he's made to wear, is testament to his hard work. It's also great to watch him be so calm throughout most of the runtime, making the moments that have him worked up all the more effective, and I found myself believing that people could easily fall under his spell. Forte has the least of the four main roles, but she does very well with what she's given, and Ashley Lauren Nedd is a lot of fun in the couple of scenes that have her portraying Dr. Kelly, a psychiatrist certainly not about to take the tales of a wild past told to her by Dudley's character at face value.

Heimann has already received a lot of praise from those who saw this at a number of festivals, but that praise shouldn't stop now that it's more widely available. Those who know the themes being explored, and have an idea of how some familiar elements are being used to make everything feel a bit stranger and . . . out there than it otherwise would be, should be satisfied. Maybe not as satisfied as some of the main characters feel, but the satisfaction of the viewing experience comes with a lot less tentacles, trauma, or problematic untruths to be overlooked. 

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews