The Crusades

The Crusades feels like a perfect adaptation of the quintessential 2000s teen comedy, updated for the 2020s. It is expertly acted with a break-out cast, and debut director and writer Leo Milano hit an absolute home run. Producer Brent Madison pulled together a terrific team and the film is beautifully shot by Dillon Schneider.

Nicholas Turturro stands out as the hilarious Coach Krieger, guiding Leo, Sean, and Nozak (Pankow, Everage, and Ashton) every step along the way. Leo Grecco is caught between a childhood crush on his teacher, Ms. Kerpial (Anna Maiche) and a girl from their fellow school, Ryan (Ashley Nicole Williams). Sean must decide between his friends and his girlfriend Jess (Indiana Massara). Jack Nozak is constantly trying to stay out of trouble with Dean Whitman (Greg Davis Jr.). What happens to the crew will keep everyone on the edge of their seat all throughout the film.

Having gone to an all boys private high school, this hit close to home. So many little nuances that brought me back to my youth. First off the film looked amazing. I think it's an indie? But would not be able to tell based on the production value. Was shot very cinematic with a classic Hollywood feel to it. All this makes it hard to tell what year you his story exactly takes place but that makes me kinda like it even more. Feels timeless and relatable no matter your age. Very strong performances and some genuine laugh out loud moments. The second half of the film is wild and well worth the build up. Was pretty shocked how far the filmmakers took the action. Overall very fun and nostalgic, will definitely keep this in the rotation.

This was a wild fun time! Well shot and edited. I had a blast throughout. The score was excellent. Strong messages underlying. Twists and turns with wonderful storytelling. Felt very much like a modern Warriors while also doing its own thing.

I related with Sean from past experiences. But Coach Krieger was quite the character. Took you back to the good ole days as a high Schooler teen. The casting was pretty spot on.

So much can can happen in a short period of time and this film captures that perfectly. This film deserves a wide release on Physical Media. The cinematography at the end with the sunrise is absolutely beautiful and perfect!

I watched this for Rudy Pankow but eventually was robbed of 90 minutes of my life. This movie is so badly written, the story line was an awful mess and the acting was unexpectedly poor if you compare it to Pankow's performance in Outer Banks!!! I cannot even look at him anymore without being reminded of his poor performance in this horrible movie. I wouldn't be surprise if this pick is going to kill his career. He should consider changing his management. When we were laughing, while watching it, we did it for all the wrong reasons. I am sorry, but the actors embarrassed themselves starring in this, so did screenwriters and the director (who supposedly graduated from Notre Dame?!). I cannot believe this was fit enough for release. More like a really bad Highschool production made by amateurs. I feel a bit sorry writing this because I recognize that there is always a lot of work involved, but the poor quality of the film genuinely upset me. Do yourselves a favor and give it a miss.

I did not know what to expect of this film since I haven't seen any marketing. Stumbled across it and decided to give a watch and honestly was shocked ive never heard of it. Some really funny moments with a really solid young up and coming cast not to mention a couple veterans. This feels like a completely fresh take on the high school genre. Was not excepting the amount of violence in the film but really made it feel realistic. By the end of the movie there is a perfect balance of heart that makes you feel for these characters while still being ridiculous in the best way. Rarely have I been pleasantly surprised when clicking on a random film but The Crusades is definitely worth the watch!