stevencsmovies

I enjoy the FAST AND FURIOUS movies. Yes, they're dumb. Yes, they're over the top. They're also fun and entertaining. The same can be said for the NOW YOU SEE ME franchise. Just replace cars with magic tricks. NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T is the third film in the franchise, directed by Ruben Fleischer. He reunites with his cast from ZOMBIELAND, namely Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson. In this one, The Horsemen have grown apart in the past ten years, but when Daniel finds a tarot card with a note on it, he sets his sights on their biggest heist yet. He recruits three younger magicians who are trying to make a name for themselves: Charlie (Justice Smith), June (Ariana Greenblatt), and Bosco (Dominic Sessa). They also reunite with former partners: Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Jack (Dave Franco), and Henley (Isla Fisher). Their target is Veronika (Rosamund Pike), who plans on showing off the largest diamond in the world, the Heart diamond. I enjoyed my time with this one. Everybody brings their flair. They do a good job blending the old characters with the new. The banter is funny and the tricks are cool to witness. The movie does a good job being one step ahead of the audience, revealing things evenly throughout the runtime. I enjoyed the various twists and turns, even though sometimes they can be questionable. Overall, NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T is a slick yet cheesy multilocation heist film with fun illusions and twists. If you're already invested in this franchise, you should check this out.

Stephen King is having a great year watching so many of his books be adapted into shows and movies. The latest one is the 2nd adaptation of THE RUNNING MAN, the first released back in 1987 with Arnold Schwartzenegger. This one is very different, more in line with the book, which coincidentally took place in 2025. This story is about Ben Richards (Glen Powell), a notorious hothead. Having trouble keeping a job, desperate to heal his sick daughter, he has no choice but to participate in the most deadly, most profitable, reality TV show, The Running Man. 3 contestants try to survive 30 days, being hunted by...the Hunters. Citizens can also win money if they spot them using their phones. Contestants are required to film themselves for ten minutes per day, dropping off the tapes in specific mailboxes. The longer you survive, the more money you get. Nobody has ever won. What follows is a high-octane cat and mouse adventure filled with random side characters popping up, commentary about the governmental manipulation of society and how unbalanced the economy is, and of course, Glen Powell using a disguise and showing off his abs. I swear, it must be in his contract at this point. Director Edgar Wright has given us some absolute bangers throughout his career, among my favourites are the Cornetto trilogy (look it up, I had to), SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, BABY DRIVER, and LAST NIGHT IN SOHO. THE RUNNING MAN might be his weakest movie, but it's such a high bar. It has a relentless pace, although I did feel the length at a certain point. It has a good message of corporate greed and how the media can do pretty much whatever they want with A. I. and deepfakes. The script here is great, up to a certain point in the third act. I feel like it has way too many conveniences. It's a little eerie how we've been seeing many adaptations of King's more dystopian works this year. Is big Hollywood trying to tell us something? Wright does know how to shoot great action scenes though. Yes, sometimes I had to stretch my believability muscle, but at least I was having fun. It's very entertaining, but only if you don't think too hard about it. As with most movies she's in, I needed more Katy O'Brian. The antagonists are mostly bland, except for Colman Domingo playing the host of the show, bringing his enigmatic charm and energy. Other fun and memorable side characters are played by William H. Macy and Michael Cera. The tone of the movie shifts quite a lot. It can be fun, ridiculous and entertaining, but also serious and bleak at times. The third act is a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the film. What we have here is a crowd-pleasing, action-packed, often funny, "stick it to the man", "cat and mouse" adventure with a messy script that's thankfully heightened by Powell and the talented team behind the camera. You'd think a movie called THE RUNNING MAN would have Tom Cruise, but nope. You don't have to run, but I recommend walking to the theater for this one.

Can I trust this man? Can I trust this woman? People really need to stop going to cabins in the woods. It never, ever goes well. Director Osgood Perkins has been cranking out movies recently. In the past two years, he has made LONGLEGS, THE MONKEY, and now KEEPER. This is a surreal slow burn horror about Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) going to his cabin in the woods for their anniversary. It's isolated, claustrophobic, and immediately feels off. Early on, Malcolm has to go back to the city for his job, leaving Liz on her own, always a great idea. Thus begins the strange noises accompanied by the sense that somebody or something is watching her. I really like how this is shot. Characters are to the side of the frame. Things are happening in the blurry background. It's very unsettling and effective. This was shot during the writer's strike in Vancouver, when they weren't able to film THE MONKEY. Some things are very predictable, but Maslany kept me hooked with her performance. Her changing mindset is clear and precise. There are some great spooky visuals that I probably won't forget anytime soon. One of them reminded me of the video game Little Nightmares 2. Os is a wizard of unique horrors, each having a different tone. The music works well with the creepiness. It's pretty scary, but it doesn't rely on jump-scares. Only once. Okay maybe twice. I wish the script gave us more hints earlier on, instead of telling us most of what we want to know at the end. The ending itself might not be satisfying enough for some people. It was alright for me. This might not be a KEEPER for you, but I enjoyed this one enough.