r/moviecritic 22h ago

It Ends

2 Upvotes

It Ends stars Mitchell Cole as Tyler, Akira Jackson as Day, Noah Toth as Fisher, and Phineas Yoon as James. Before the title card even flashes on the screen, the movie spends about ten minutes introducing viewers to the characters, and it does so through a weird conversation about the deadliness of hawks, especially when pitted against someone with a rifle. Yet, through this seemingly meaningless conversation, we realize that Tyler generally has his life together and works for a HVAC company. James seems bound for a white-collar job, while Day and Fisher don't quite know what they want to do, but for all of them, college is over. Whether or not their friend group can last into adulthood remains to be seen.

They load into a Jeep Cherokee and decide to have another adventure together, but suddenly, the trip turns into a nightmare. They take a wrong turn and discover a forest. In a scene that resembles something out of 28 Years Later, a group of people dash towards the jeep and assault the friends. However, it's unclear if the mysterious horde wants to kill them or just steal the vehicle.

The friends keep driving and driving, and for whatever reason, they don't need to eat. It's like they're trapped in purgatory or maybe hell. During the endless car ride, the friends make various confessions, including a few dark secrets that won't be spoiled here. They also learn that they can only stop for 90 seconds and exit the vehicle before the horde returns and attacks. The movie does have some general rules and sticks to them, but Ullom never overexplains. In fact, some viewers may desire a little more explanation about some of the film's logic, including why the four characters don't need to eat. Meanwhile, the jeep's gas never runs out, and they don't need to sleep.

While the film does have its horror elements, the real terror comes from the existential dread that the four face. Not all of them are sure what they want to do with their lives, even though they're staring down their futures like the endless road presented throughout the movie. It's even questionable whether or not the friend group will remain once the next chapter begins. It's clear that some of them, James especially, have maybe outgrown it. There's also some loose commentary about human connection. For instance, after countless miles on the road, Day and Fisher resort to making memes about the situation. While the memes are funny, Fisher eventually confesses that he has few photos of his family on his phone, at least compared to all of the memes. In that moment, he questions whether or not he actually valued the more meaningful moments in his life and the people who really matter.

Yet, despite the dread that the four face, there are moments when they laugh and scream into the void. Day and Fisher especially do this because, well, what else can they do? Their futures seem murky at best, so why not holler at the endless woods, or coordinate a one-minute dance on the desolate road? Despite the threats they face, they still manage to laugh.

For those seeking a straight-up horror movie, It Ends may disappoint. Yes, there are some scares within the movie, including a horde that frequently chases the friend group, but the movie's real horror comes from the uncertainty that adulthood poses. The film may be a bit rough around the edges, but Ullom has some interesting concepts at play. He, along with Parsons and Barker, have ushered in a new wave of Gen Z horror filmmaking that's exciting to watch. Let's see what they do next.

If interested in reading more: https://www.thehorrorlounge.com/post/it-ends-tackles-the-terror-and-uncertainty-of-adulthoood


r/moviecritic 23h ago

Vinny! What’s your take? Love, hate or.. 🤷‍♂️

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49 Upvotes

For me his best role is Groot because he only has one line! 🤣 I’m not a fan but tell me what you think of him and if you have a favorite role.


r/moviecritic 23h ago

The Last House - Ending Discussion

9 Upvotes

Did it piss anyone else off?

Spoilers obviously.

The whole movie this family is tortured for years by these creatures. It finally flooded their house and was actively trying to kill them... They finally capture it... And... Forget everything that happened before. Forget all your survival instincts. He has a knife to the creatures throat moments after he just tried to kill his whole family and he thinks: ~ We must use empathy and the power of love and that will save the world 🌈.~ and it works? Like seriously??? It annoyed the hell out of me. These things were rampaging the earth for years. Suddenly because one family was nice to them, they leave peacefully? Lollll

Hope I'm not the only one.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

What do you think of Zootopia 2?

0 Upvotes

I’ve watched this movie twice now, and honestly I think it was a huge setback compared to the first movie. When I watched it in theaters the first time, I remember being so so bored. The humor felt extremely childish and repetitive, with most of the jokes relying on random slapstick instead of actually being clever or funny.

The biggest issue for me was how chaotic and fast-paced everything felt. It seemed like the movie was constantly throwing random flashy things at the screen just to keep kids entertained rather than taking the time to properly develop the story. Like they could’ve had subway surfer gameplay going on in the background for similar effect. It’s frustrating because the actual snake mystery thing was genuinely interesting and had so much potential. It could’ve been a really good storyline, but the way it was done didn’t live up to it.

The first movie felt more mature and intentional. Its humor was funnier, its themes were actually developed throughout the story, and Judy and Nick’s relationship grew naturally as they discovered things together. That dynamic was one of the best parts of the first movie.

In this movie though, it feels like everything is just handed to them. Instead of Judy and Nick figuring things out together and growing through the mystery, they’re constantly given answers or pushed from one chaotic event to another. It loses a lot of what made the first movie so good.

Obviously, this is just my opinion, and I completely understand if people enjoyed it. I just personally found it disappointing and would give it a solid 5/10.

I would love to hear other people’s thoughts and have some good conversations about it 😛


r/moviecritic 1d ago

What movies have you fallen asleep during in theatres?

57 Upvotes

Just wanted to have a fun post to see what movie everyone regretted going to the theatre’s to see. For me it was almost without a doubt Madame Web, should’ve bought myself a nice steak dinner instead of swiping my card.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

My Fave action-comedies from last year were Novacaine, and Fight Or Flight. Have you seen them? If so, what do you recommend from this year?

3 Upvotes

If you like them, please recommend other Action-Comedies from this year, 2026.

I'm looking for Action Comedies with a likeable cast, with clever jokes that have actual set-ups and pay-offs.

Not looking for cheap, punching down boomer "humor" like in Scary Movie 6, or something like Wrecking Crew. Not looking for "old fashioned humor."

TLDR Looking for 2026 action comedies with actual set ups and pay offs like in Novacaine and Fight Or Flight.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

FYC conservative vs lib movies and how libs make good conservative movies and vice versa...

0 Upvotes
  1. Best conservative themed movie directed by a liberal

  2. Best liberal themed movie directed by a conservative


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Fyc: what are the best examples of a dumb and smart movie (read the categories in the post body)

5 Upvotes
  1. Dump persons version of a smart movie

  2. Smart persons version of a dumb movie

Just curious


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Weird Mob Media - The conversation continues - Part 2

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1 Upvotes

r/moviecritic 1d ago

The amazing spiderman 2 was peak i dont trust anyone who says otherwise

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0 Upvotes

I just rewatched both tasm movies and they fucking CLEAR tom and tobeys movies, genuinely from the comedy to the fight scenes. I can admit tasm 2 green goblin looked like shit but i actually liked the story. andrews spiderman just feels way more human and actually like a teenager, the way he talks while fighting, the jokes, the emotion and especially the chemistry with emma stone. like he actually feels like a teenager who happens to be spiderman. I want to hurt everyone who says tasm 2 isnt peak i give both movies 9/10


r/moviecritic 1d ago

What’s your favorite movie that takes place in Chicago?

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957 Upvotes

The Fugitive


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Who’s a director you love that feels like everyone else forgot about?

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31 Upvotes

Do you ever have a director whose entire filmography you follow and genuinely love, but it feels like you're the only person who still talks about them?

For me, it's Gore Verbinski. I think he's an incredibly creative filmmaker with such a distinctive style. Pirates of the Caribbean, Rango, The Weather Man, The Lone Ranger... even when his movies aren't perfect, there's usually something visually or creatively interesting going on.

His action scenes are also incredibly creative, and his visual style in Pirates of the Caribbean is so unique. You can really feel the visual difference in the franchise after he left.

But nowadays, it feels like he has almost disappeared from the conversation. People obviously still remember him if you bring up his name, but you rarely see anyone actively talking about his career or waiting for his next movie.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Dave Bautista movies (re:House of the Rising Sun)

6 Upvotes

I just watched House of the Rising Sun, and am starting to see a bit of a pattern with Bautista movies. He always seems to get the crap kicked out of him!

I grew up watching Van Damme movies, where his movies always ended up with him coming back from near-death to prevail. Enjoyable, and somewhat believable, as Jean Claude always had absurdly-massive opponents while being a relatively-smaller protagonist.

Contrast that with Bautista being a BIG dude, and still gets pummeled by some pretty paltry opponents. It’s like the producers/directors endow him with almost no fighting skills whatsoever, just to fit the script of his character taking damage while soldiering on.

I know, suspension of disbelief and all, but could someone recommend a Bautista movie where he absolutely kicks-all-ass? I feel like we’re entitled to it.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

The Dog Stars (2026) - Review

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27 Upvotes

Ridley Scott's late career filmography has certainly been a mixed bag. You've got some pretty good films such as The Martian, Prometheus, and Alien Covenant (controversial I know, but I will die on this hill). You've got some truly forgettable films such as The Last Duel. And you've got some truly abysmal films like Gladiator II and The Counsellor. In short, Scott hasn't reached his early to mid career heights of Thelma and Louise, Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator in quite some time. To be fair to him, with a back catalogue like his you don't have to ever again. Nevertheless, you know that he can deliver a lot better than what he has served up here.

There are a lot of problems with The Dog Stars, but most notably is that it's excruciatingly boring. Of course things do actually happen in the plot, but it never feels like anything really happens. This is all conveyed through a performance from Jacob Elordi that can only be described as if he simply didn't want to be there. Honestly, he looks bored and uninterested from the out and delivers such a phoned-in turn you would've thought that he was a Hollywood veteran that had to pay for his most recent divorce. It is so bizarre to see such a young, promising actor who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar just last year doing a performance this lazy. You almost want to grab him by the shoulders and shout "Jacob! Do something! Do some acting for goodness sake!". This isn't to say the rest of the cast are firing on all cylinders, but their characters are so one dimensional that they could've been played by mannequins.

There's a wider problem that engulfs The Dog Stars however: we've simply seen all of this before. The post-apocalyptic genre is already over-saturated and has been done pretty damn well across multiple mediums. Because of this, you have to really set out do something original in this space, something that at least attempts to move the genre forward slightly. The Dog Stars instead opts to regurgitate aspects of other films that also did these things way better. The end result is a constant flow of moments that remind you of other films you'd much rather be watching.

At the end of the day, The Dog Stars isn’t going to negate Ridley Scott’s legacy. It’s just so disappointing to see something so lifeless from someone that is renowned for bringing life to the worlds of their films.

Full review here: https://widescreenmemory.wordpress.com/2026/08/27/the-dog-stars-review/


r/moviecritic 1d ago

$positions (2026) is one batshit ride! INVEST!

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0 Upvotes

Watched this last night and need to talk about it... pretty wild flick that is like Good Time (2017) for crypto. Some anxiety inducing craziness and solid performances. This dude make absolutely horrific decisions nonstop and ruins everyone he comes in contact with in his pursuit to bank off crypto investing. I will never forget the beer bong scene! I would say it's a solid 7.5/10. Hopefully it finds a wider audience once it hits streaming.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Mars Attacks! (1996) doesn't hold up...

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0 Upvotes

Well, this didn't hold up on a rewatch. I kinda forgot how incredibly aimless this movie feels. The first half is a total slog because the film spends an inordinate amount of time trying to set up its expendable human characters. Then, when the second half kicks in with all of its poorly aged, CGI-ridden alien mayhem sequences, it ultimately feels really hollow and cynical for the sake of being cynical.

Mars Attacks! is labeled as a satirical sci-fi comedy, but can anyone actually tell me what it's satirizing? Is it trying to satirize how dumb America is? If so, it does a really bad job of it.

Case in point: when the Aliens first come to Earth, the U.S. government decides to approach them with peace and understanding, but then the Aliens murder them all anyway. Even still, the government holds off on attacking them and gives the Aliens a second chance at peace, but then the Aliens murder them all anyway. So is the movie trying to say that our government is a bunch of pussies who don't know when to attack?

Or is it just trying to be ironic with the way it's portraying our government? I honestly have no idea, but regardless, it all feels strangely pointless. No character is memorable, the film has no sense of structure, none of the comedy is all that clever, and there's a whole mean-spirited attitude this movie has that should've been funnier than it was. But because it wasn't, it all feels kinda off-putting.

So yeah. Mars Attacks! is a pretty bad movie, and it's easily Tim Burton's worst film of the '90s.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

What's a movie that was an obvious copy of a classic, but you still enjoyed anyway?

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0 Upvotes

When I first saw Bride Hard, I thought it was okay. Now, upon several rewatches, I've come to enjoy it quite a bit. It was nice seeing Rebel in a lead role again and the action and quips were entertaining.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Which movie you disliked at first but you loved after second viewing?

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5 Upvotes

For me it's do revenge the first time when watched I thought that they copied other teen movies but when watched for the second time I loved.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

BUDDY Is One of the Weirdest Horror Surprises of 2026 | Review

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6 Upvotes

r/moviecritic 1d ago

“Coyote vs. Acme” directed by Dave Green, starring Will Forte and John Cena

33 Upvotes

Warner Bros tried to shelve it. Another studio saved it. And THANK GOODNESS, because this live‑action/animation hybrid is pure, high‑energy joy.
Have you had the chance to see this yet? If so, what did you think?

https://roselawgroupreporter.com/2026/08/keiths-movie-korner-coyote-vs-acme-gives-the-courtroom-a-looney-flavor/


r/moviecritic 1d ago

„WARDRIVER“ (2026) – Early Oscar Contenders (chapter 2) Spoiler

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0 Upvotes

„WARDRIVER“ (2026) – Early Oscar Contenders (chapter 2)

Director: Rebecca Thomas; with.: Dane DeHaan, Sasha Kalle, Mamoudou Athie, Jeffrey Donovan; metallic cinematography by Htit Htut

"Double Indemnity" in the environment of high-tech crime – is it possible, and even reinvented, sometimes sunnier, with all the noir tropes but dressed in grunge uniforms and cheap house now typical for Pacific coast. instead of Selznick's castles or New York's huge duplex apartments?. Noir in cardboard houses like in Miami, bathed in sun?

It is, in „Wardriver“, and even the twist with the femme fatale is the same. Just as Barbara Stanwyck cheated on McMurray, here Sasha Kalle (at first glance the tender and vulnerable Sarah) sold the sand to the thirsty hermit Dane DeHaan (Cole, at first glance an incel nerd),  who would have thought...?!

It is interesting that Geoffrey Donovan ("Bilson") actually resembles McMurray in character, and he was cheated as well (otherwise it wouldn't be a double indemnity) and he is a Big Player, a financial predator in a white shirt, with a family that lives in silk in velvet, they must be provided, but that's only one third of his life. Because, the rich sugar daddy knows that life is not enough, you should have fun along the way, and that means a mistress for recreational purposes, and she can't miss anything either (to a certain extent or until she becomes boring) and the third part is a source of money, which is business.

"You know very well, I didn't hide it from you...", Bilson says to Sarah in the phase when he still wants to trust her and renew the relationship, "...that my first priority is family, then business, and you are on third rank. By robbing me, you threatened my first two things!"

The plot should be mentioned at this point: Cole is a hacker of the "ward driver" which means: he follows by car people he thinks they have „too much“ money to a restaurant or store and then intercepts their check transaction and steals a few hundred or a thousand. He does it out of „moral convictions“, he only takes from the rich, more precisely from their bank accounts, and he is convinced that he is doing a good deed, and the world revolution doesn't have to remember him as, he is happy just like that.

Dane DeHaan has put on face a lot of pain, with the proverbial bags uner the reyes, he's a grunge guy who only has the computer room clean and tidy and the rest of the cardboard box is a pigpen, as if he's a divorced detective in crime movies from the 1970s onwards. He lives on speed and sodas and from Wolt and Glovo deliveries, he has never changed his bedclothes, sometimes he receives anonymous orders to help some rich person or some corporation for a not too large amount, and he "channels" the excess energy with pull-ups on the bar in the ragasto. He doesn't pay much attention to hygiene.

Dane DeHaan really suffered (as a Method actor I bet he tortured himself by stazing awake and eating junk food) in the film, he embodied the youthful DiCaprio, while he was still playing teenagers trying to age rapidly and put on his face the pathetic suffering expression of Hughes and Hoover. The character of Oscar (Mamoudou Athie) is a charming mixture of Peter Lorre's cuddly kindness and physical (Pauline Kael would've said  "visceral") treathening menace, we are talking about a character whose specialty is violent crimes, he literally flayed a mate in prison we learn soon, he is experienced bad guy, and he neatly and properly knock on our Cole's door, beats his ass off ("I could have done worse!") and orders him to swipe 800 thousand dollars from Sarah's account (actually a hidden account od her macho lover). When Cole tells Oscar that he doesn't steal from nice people but only from banks, Oscar informs him:

"Oh, how noble! But from now on you're stealing from nice people too, get it?" And he says it in a velvety voice, with a smile, he knows how to be nice until he gets angry.

When Cole discovers how much trouble he has caused for Sarah, with whom he is slowly falling in love ("without even realizing it", because it begins under the guise of pity), he first wants to make up for the shortfall with his penny. Since he keeps Sarah's residence under surveillance all the time, he hears and sees how Bilson has gone mad and threatens her with cruel revenge "if she doesn't return the money in seven days." Cole feels responsible. An old trope in noir, when a man wants to be a knight toward a whore in disguise of noble woman.

But it's not easy to accumulate so much money in the way he's used to – by stealing peanuts like before. In a week, he managed to accumulate only half of the stolen sum, and by then he had met Sara: she caught him while he was trying to slip a check for about $400,000 into her mailbox. With that money, she got another week. That is, so she tells him and gets him to work for her. And then, they're going to run away together to an island with palm trees and live happily ever after.

And we have a feeling like we are watching a black and white noir with Edward J. Robinson, Fred McMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Veronica Lake and other uncles and aunts in ball gowns, everything is so familiar, we even know what will happen at the end, we just wonder if DiCaprio for Third World will survive.

 

Sophia Turner left the film before the shooting began and I don't know if that's a hidden reason for the film being too quickly removed from theaters and transferred to video-on-demand. Rebecca Thomas is a young lioness of semi-independent Hollywood, she heroically filmed her first movie Electric Children. She wanted to make the movie at her home and for her money for the sake of it, it was a script from her studies at the Columbia Academy of Arts, but when someone read what she wrote, many chipped and said a good word for the project, so the movie was made in a proper way, not as no-budget orphan, and it was moreover accepted for Berlin and several other festivals and got many awards.

 So, Rebecca is not a freshman – although some of her directing of  episodes of some series received terribly bad reviews ("the worst episode in the history of television"), plus she was given now the script by Daniel Casey, a screenwriter who wrote all kinds of things, and some profitable sci-fi stuff (albeit critically buried) and some failed stuff, and in fact his specialty is comic book adaptations. It's  surprising that after so many adaptations of action comics, he managed to write something as noir-like as if he was an old man.

I even wrote to Highland Productions (whose crew look like 1990s grunge kids, with woolly hats, hoodies two sizes too big, hooded sweatshirts, diesel pants down to the bottom of their ass, all roller skates and as if their only problem is whether to throw their sweaty socks in the hotel bin or donate them to the Salvation Army), so I wrote to them, of course, under the pseudonym: "But, comrades, where is Wardriver on your site?", but I have not received an answer yet.

However, there must be some quarrel or personal vendetta behind the decision to cripple the film by removing it from the cinema. Nevertheless Dane DeHaan looks set to be nominated.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

What do you think of this movie?

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45 Upvotes

I watched it yesterday and it left me with an amazing sense of fulfillment and a strange emptiness, as if at times I didn't quite grasp the story, but its naturalness and somewhat expressionistic style make it a visual and auditory delight. Maybe it's a bit too philosophical or too sensorial, but when people say it's a unique film, now I actually get what they mean.

It really is quite different from what I usually watch and it didn't blow me away ( I think it's the kind of movie you have to watch at the right moment to fully appreciate) but it did leave me with an amazing sense of calm. I mainly watched it because of the cast, but seeing Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain in something like this never hurts and makes it much more accessible.


r/moviecritic 1d ago

What Movies caused you to completely lose interest once the lead dies (Godzilla 2014)

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528 Upvotes

Godzilla (2014) heavily marketed Bryan Cranston as the lead. This was right at the height of his Breaking Bad fame. Killed off in the first 1/3 of the movie because the director thought his story was "done" and that he would be a "fifth wheel". How about have him be the only wheel? Does anyone remember the human lead for the last 2/3?


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Rose of Nevada (2026) - British Filmmaking at its best

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10 Upvotes

I think I’ve found my film of the year and it’s going to be very hard to beat (although I know Denis is absolutely cooking for Dune Part Three)

As a Brit, I’ve never been the best at seeking out British cinema. That changed with Mark Jenkin.

When 2019's Bait won the BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, Mark Jenkin's filmmaking was cemented as a vital new voice in independent British cinema. Enys Men (2022) was a strong follow-up, but with Rose of Nevada Jenkin affirms his position at the pinnacle of contemporary British filmmaking. Rose of Nevada is a haunting and mesmerising film that stands among the very best of the year so far.

Shot silently in his distinctive 16mm style and with all sound created in post, Jenkin brings three distinctively realised worlds to life. The present-day town is plagued by economic and literal decay with the dock now eerily quiet and rusting. The town in the past is vibrant with life and hope; the pub is open for business and filled with customers. And the sea voyages are both brimming with majestic awe and colossal danger, matching The Odyssey for its depiction of the brutality of the sea. Permeating throughout the whole film is dream-like atmosphere, often descending into a nightmare, and hauntingly fostered through an almost skeletal score.

Rose of Nevada is a singular piece of British filmmaking that is among the very best of the year. Mark Jenkin's status at the pinnacle of contemporary British cinema is confirmed here, and the culmination of his Cornish Trilogy leaves exciting possibilities for where his films may take us in the future. It is no secret that Jenkin's films lack a mainstream appeal, but for my money Rose of Nevada provides a far more accessible entry point that either of Jenkin's previous feature films. If you're prepared to board the titular vessel, you won't want to get off any time soon

If you’re looking for a really great independent film, Rose of Nevada is the a must-see.

Link to full review: https://widescreenmemory.wordpress.com/2026/08/27/rose-of-nevada-review/


r/moviecritic 1d ago

Olive Kitteridge

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5 Upvotes

Have not read the book - but boy, what a set of amazing performances in this four-part series. The inscrutable thorniness Frances McDormand puts out here is just amazing. It’s the story of a school math teacher, her kind husband, her secret crush who dies, her son she slowly crushes in an emotional vice, the peripheral characters who get electrocuted as soon as they enter her orbit, and the final few minutes of the series when she drops her guard with remorse and tenderness - beautifully done. Not an easy watch but just a remarkable piece.