Steven Cayer

Since 2022, director Dan Trachtenberg has single-handedly revitalized the PREDATOR franchise. Before him, I had only seen the original from 1987. His first was PREY, a story about a colony of Indigenous natives having their lives disrupted by a Predator. You can find this underrated gem on Disney Plus. His second was PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS, an animated but still violent triple tale of three different Predators in three different time periods I will call “The Shield”, “The Sword”, and “The Bullet”. Also great, also on Disney Plus. Now, in his third foray of the franchise, and his first to be released in theatres, is PREDATOR: BADLANDS. This is a sci-fi action thriller about a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), who is the runt of his Predator tribe, the Yautja. Outcast for being “weak”, he journeys to the most dangerous planet Genna (sounds like somebody’s ex), to kill the most dangerous game (no, it’s not man), the legendary alien Kalisk. As soon as he crash-lands everything is trying to kill him (is it Australia?). Everything except a synthetic robot named Thia (Elle Fanning). She is bubbly and yappy in the most charming way. She helps Dek survive the planet in exchange for him getting her to her legs that were ripped off. I absolutely love the fact that Koloamatangi actually carried Fanning on his back like a backpack for most of the runtime. Dude’s got calves for days! This is the first time in the franchise where we see from the Predator’s perspective. Their culture is very much like the Klingons of Star Trek, only the strong survive. I’ve heard some complaints from franchise fans about how it’s not as dark and violent as it needs to be, but to me, the bits of humour and light-heartedness are a bonus. On top of that, it humanizes the characters, even though there are no humans in the film. Being the runt of his tribe made me empathize with Dek; I was pretty much immediately rooting for him. He has an extremely large chip on his shoulder. The world-building is unbelievable. From the various creature designs to the deadly plant-life, it really feels like an ecosystem. Even the Predator lore and culture is there. They got the guy who created the language of the Navi in AVATAR to create the language of the Yautja. The script is tight and paced really well. The action scenes are still very violent and satisfying, even though there’s no blood. The visuals are unbelievable, considering the budget. It has a beautiful marriage between the PREDATOR and ALIEN universes without being forced in or too obvious. It feels like an odyssey of an underdog. The story gets a little predictable but there are still quite a few surprises. I love the chemistry and banter between the characters. The movie is badass, entertaining, and satisfying. Trachtenberg stated that he is well aware that Predator purists may criticize PREDATOR: BADLANDS, but insists that retreading and remaking the same thing over and over risks upsetting everyone. He also stated that if this film does well (it is), he will make one more. Yes! Take risks. Make bold choices. I am here for all of it. Keep going Dan!

The award-nominated writers of SING SING, Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley, have now upped their game even more with TRAIN DREAMS, this time with Bentley directing. It has a similar theme of the beauty and unpredictability of humanity and the world itself. Based on a novella by Denis Johnson, this is a character study of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger working on a railroad in 1917. He’s stoic, a hard-working man with a wife (Felicity Jones) and daughter to take care of. He’s a man of few words, but he’s thoughtful, looking for purpose in life. Usually, having a narrator could be seen as a crutch, but it’s done so well here, voiced by a smooth but powerful Will Patton. He gives us more insight into Robert and the world around him. The movie touches on discrimination during the “Great War”, but its main focus is Robert and how the world changes around him. The process of building a railroad represents both destruction and progress. Chopping down trees, then making the world smaller by building railroads. It also focuses on Robert’s workmates, one played by William H. Macy. His role is very small, but this might be the best he’s ever been. Speaking of “best he’s ever been”, freakin Joel Edgerton. This man does so much, with little dialogue. It’s an award-worthy performance on top of an already awesome career. Humanity’s complicated relationship with nature is another theme here. Overall, this is a poetic meditation of America, about the ups and downs of one life among many. I had the privilege of seeing TRAIN DREAMS in a sold-out theatre, and I can’t wait for you to see it when it comes to Netflix on November 21. I know this review is early, I just had to put something out there about it. Put it on a list, make a reminder, don’t pass this one by when it finally releases!

When you hear the word bugonia, you might think of the begonia flower. Bugonia actually refers to an Ancient Greek belief and ritual where honeybees were believed to be spontaneously generated from the carcass of a young bull. BUGONIA is also the name of the newest psychological thriller/black comedy from one of my favourite directors, Yargos Lanthimos. It’s loosely based on the 2003 South Korean film SAVE THE GREEN PLANET!. All you need to know about the story is this: Two conspiracy theorists Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aiden Delbis) kidnap pharmaceutical CEO Michelle (Emma Stone) because they think she’s an alien trying to control humanity. There have been quite a few director/actor combos that have borne fruit aplenty, such as Wilder/Brooks, Scorsese/De Niro, or Nolan/Murphy. Emma Stone has been doing the best performances of her career with Yargos Lanthimos. This is their fourth collaboration, including THE FAVORITE, POOR THINGS, and KINDS OF KINDNESS. I won’t say which is my favorite, because it wouldn’t be kind to choose one over another. Some of you might think it a poor choice. Plemons deserves an award for this performance. There have now been a few movies that highlight the apparent change that our society is going through at this point in time, but unlike EDDINGTON and AFTER THE HUNT, BUGONIA does a much better job of getting its message across, without bludgeoning the audience in the process. It has the cowriter of THE MENU and the editor, cinematographer, and the score(er?) of POOR THINGS. The score is abrasive and makes itself known, it perfectly fits. There is a lot of sympathy on both sides of this intriguing mental battle of wits. The fact that this movie made me question everything until the very end, is masterful work. It plays with the audience’s uncertainty so well. It’s strange, twisted, off-kilter, and extremely entertaining. The ending will be divisive, but it inspires reaction and conversation. I can’t stop thinking about this movie and what it says. If you know Lanthimos, you probably already know if BUGONIA will be on your frequency or not. In my opinion, go see it with an open mind! Support the bold! Humanity needs to be better, for the sake of the world, and everyone in it. In the words of Peter, Paul and Mary, “When will they ever learn?”

Who is the real monster? I am a huge fan of director Guillermo Del Toro. He is a master at infusing visual and poetic beauty in the grotesque. PAN’S LABRYNTH is my favourite of his, but his latest may have just taken the spot. Author Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein when she was 20 years old, back in 1818. There have been many iterations and adaptations since then, and I’ve seen almost none of them. Del Toro and FRANKENSTEIN is a match made in heaven. He’s been wanting to make it since 2007. This is a gothic tale about an egotistical scientist named Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who strives to create eternal life. He’s desperate to not become like his father. With the financial help of Henrich (Christoph Waltz), he succeeds in creating The Creature (Jacob Elordi). Looming but vulnerable, Elordi pulls off an amazing evolution of the character. His performance is amazing and just one of the highlights from this experience. The sense of atmosphere, production design, the visuals, the costumes, and the makeup all deserve awards. I was in awe of the spectacle. It’s a film about the fragility of life. There’s a great theme of generational trauma here. Victor has a brother named William (Felix Kammerer) who is to marry Elizabeth (Mia Goth). I’m a huge fan of Goth. Her presence always adds a unique strange feeling that’s enchanting to me. I might need to see PAN’S LABYRINTH again, but this movie might be my favorite from Del Toro. Years ago, he said: “I dream I can make the greatest FRANKENSTEIN ever, but then if I make it, I’ve made it. Whether it’s great or not, it’s done. You cannot dream about it anymore. That’s the tragedy of a filmmaker.” I would highly recommend trying to find this in a movie theatre before it releases on Netflix November 7. Oh yeah, stay during the credits! There’s no scene, but the music goes so hard! Remember, only monsters play God.

I think I said this last year, but I’m tired of American musical biopics. There’s literally one per year, next year it’s Michael Jackson. This year, it’s SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE, based on the non-fiction biography of the same name written by Warren Zanes. This introspective musical biopic chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 Nebraska album. On the cusp of global stardom, Bruce (Jeremy Allen White) struggles between the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. I really enjoyed pieces of this movie. It has a rocky start, jumping between his past and his present (both serious and brooding). I found that the more interesting parts were when we see him in his element, his safe space. Him making beautiful music and seeing his process. Seeing him do things his own way, despite the pressure. Choosing to take a step back from the world instead of jumping on the rocket to global stardom. Passion vs Industry. The movie does get there, but it meanders and some people would say it has boring parts. If you are a big fan of Springsteen and his music, you probably already have your tickets. It’s a high bar, but I think this is Jeremy Allen White’s best performance and I wouldn’t be surprised if he nabbed a nomination. He doesn’t try impersonating the Boss, instead he finds the authenticity of his emotional state during that time in his life. You can tell he put in the work. Everybody else in the cast does a great job too: Jeremy Strong plays Springsteen’s manager/mentor, Stephen Graham plays his father, as well as a few small but memorable roles by Paul Walter Hauser, Marc Maron, and David Krumholtz. Yes, I’m tired of musician biopics, but SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE still delivers a solid movie.

Is Colleen Hoover alright? If we go by her published works, I’d say no. It seems like her novels have a similar theme of beauty in tragedy. Similar to Nicholas Sparks, Hoover is now in the phase of her career where her books are quickly being adapted into films, after the success of IT ENDS WITH US. She is now banking on REGRETTING YOU, a romantic drama involving loss, love, regret (obviously), and a serious lack of communication. We have a group of friends: Morgan (Allison Williams), her boyfriend Chris (Scott Eastwood), whose best friend is Jonah (Dave Franco), whose girlfriend is Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald), Morgan’s sister. Fast-forward 17 years. Morgan and Chris are now married, with a teenager Clara (McKenna Grace) with her own teenager problems. After tragedy splinters the family, they are left with many questions. Things get even more complicated when certain secrets are revealed. Emotions run high. I went into this with the knowledge of fairly bad reviews. I happily disagree with those. This does have a very simple and predictable story, but it really worked for me. Clara starts a relationship with the coolest guy in school, Miller (Mason Thames). I’ve become a fan of Thames in the past few years, with him being in THE BLACK PHONE, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, and the recent BLACK PHONE 2. Grace and Thames have a ton of chemistry and are very cute together, it’s no wonder they’re now dating in real life. We get some real conversations about emotional manipulation, which you could say is ironic for this type of melodramatic movie. It can be emotionally confusing at times, not being sure how to feel about something. Most of the film is pretty sad, but there’s also quite a bit of humor that made me laugh out loud, mostly stemming from the side characters played by Clancy Brown, Ethan Costanilla, and Sam Morelos. Overall, I definitely don’t regret seeing REGRETTING YOU. Sometimes the rose-colored glasses look good on me.

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you? What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you today? These questions were posed by writer/director Mary Bronstein to introduce her new A24 movie called IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU. Like me, you probably just chuckled. The more I think about it, the title is actually perfect. It encapsulates the tone of this panic attack of a movie so well. At times it’s humorous, but it's mostly drama with very heavy subject matter and themes. It’s about the unraveling of Linda (Rose Byrne), a therapist and worn-down mother of an ill child. A ceiling in their home collapses, starting a chaotic chain reaction of stress-inducing events. Metaphorically, she keeps having her legs kicked out from under her, hence the amazing title. This is a really well-done movie. The metaphors and symbolism are top-notch, not being too obvious or preachy. The script keeps pace while it’s shot with a lot of close-ups. Rose Byrne gives us an award-worthy performance. It’s harrowing, raw, and relatable. A lot is put on a mother’s shoulders, including blame and shame. They are the closest thing to superheroes that we can get. Hell, this is a superhero movie. Conan O’Brian is in this! Playing Linda’s therapist, he actually does a great job. So does ASAP Rocky as Linda’s neighbor. The director herself knows that this movie won’t resonate with all audiences, but I think it’ll definitely hit the people it’s aiming for. IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU isn’t going to be on my rewatch list, but it packs a lot into so many punches.

If you care about spoilers for THE BLACK PHONE, stop reading now! Alright, I warned you. In that movie, a serial killer known as The Grabber kidnaps the wrong kid and ends up dead. You’d think it would be almost impossible to make a sequel from that, right? Well, director Scott Derrickson found a creative way of bringing him back in BLACK PHONE 2, terrorizing Finn (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) once more. This time they go to a snowed-in Christian Youth Camp. This is very much a homage to NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and other horror icons, but it doesn’t feel like a rip-off or cash-grab. It’s more violent than the original, making it feel like the story has grown up with the characters. This is what a horror sequel should be like. I enjoyed getting a little more information about The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), albeit through a very exposition heavy scene. The way they use super 8 film during Gwen’s nightmares is so cool, making it look very grainy. Her visions and nightmares are legit scary; things Hollywood probably don’t have the balls to do. I could feel the confidence behind the scenes. The visual effects are gory but they felt real. It’s thrilling and surprisingly emotional. It probably could be a few minutes shorter. I had some issues with the dialogue and the “hearability” of it, especially from a phone or behind a mask. These are now two movies that are based on a short story written by Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son. It’s pretty rare that Blumhouse has a horror hit, let alone a creative sequel. Kudos to them for doing it right with BLACK PHONE 2!

Director Luca Guadagnino seemingly enjoys making uncomfortable movies, such as BONES AND ALL, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, and CHALLENGERS. His latest movie takes the cake. AFTER THE HUNT is a psychological drama about four individuals who have their perfectly curated worlds shattered when one of them makes an accusation of sexual misconduct on another. Alma (Julia Roberts) is a well-respected philosophy professor at Yale University. Frederick (Michael Stuhlbarg) is her psychiatrist husband. Maggie (Ayo Edebiri) is Alma’s favourite student. She accuses Hank (Andrew Garfield), Alma’s colleague and very good friend. This movie is a bit frustrating. Beneath the surface, this is an intellectual battle between generations. One where society internalized their feelings, and one where society externalized their feelings. The movie says a lot, but the message is muddled. Guadagnino makes many references to things and people that are no longer acceptable in today’s society, seemingly poking the audience to see how they react. The score is unique, but I found it intentionally abrasive, annoying and a distraction. Garfield shows a different side of himself as an actor, and I commend him for that. Michael Stuhlbarg comes in yet again as the unsung MVP of the movie. Unfortunately, he’s pretty much the only character I liked. I think my mind got whiplashed just trying to think about everything this movie is trying to say. This is a very messy movie, but I think that’s the point. There is a great movie somewhere in here, but it’s buried under a lot of philosophy and meaningful themes trying to fight for attention. Eventually, me and my metaphorical shovel got tired. The ending just left me confused and unsatisfied. Overall, AFTER THE HUNT is a good think-piece with great performances, with the rest just overwhelming, feeling like artistic Tourette’s. Remember, not everything in the world is supposed to make you comfortable.

To save the world, or to weaponize it? This is the source of the conflict in the legacy sequel TRON: ARES. Two big tech corporations are fighting for supremacy: ENCOM is run by Eve Kim (Greta Lee), who wants to use A.I to help the world. Dillinger Systems is led by childish nepo baby tech bro Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), son of Elisabeth (Gillian Anderson) and grandson of Ed from the original TRON (1982). Julian has the capability to basically 3D print things from the digital world (The Grid) to the real world. His only problem is the programs only last 29 minutes before disintegrating. So the hunt is on for the Permanence Code, which would solve that problem. This is where Ares (Jared Leto) finally comes in. He is a program created by Julian that is fascinated with the real world. This movie is not as bad as people say it is. It’s a mishmash of Frankenstein, Pinocchio, and TERMINATOR 2, with the addition of the A.I element. I love the juxtaposition of having things come into the real world from the Grid. Most of the characters are flat and forgettable. It has a fine pace. The visuals are very good, but the trailer showed the best parts of the movie. There’s a great reference to the original. I was entertained enough. No offense to Nine Inch Nails, but I prefer what Daft Punk did in TRON: LEGACY, which is still my favourite in this franchise. I recommend seeing TRON: ARES for the banging music and cool visuals!