Starring: Jonathan Rosenthal and Tamara Perry
Directed by: Jason Satterlund
Rated: N/A
Running Time: 96 minutes

Back in the summer of 2002 I went to my local Blockbuster to rent “Cube” after going down an internet rabbit hole. “Cube” is about multiple people waking up in different colored cubed shaped rooms with tiny doors on all sides leading into another similar cube in a different color. The movie kept building and building, making you wonder what was going on and if they’d get out. I only mention this film because I kept getting that vibe from “The Abandon,” a film about an American soldier in Iraq who’s wounded during a firefight, only to be mysteriously transported to a cubed, bland room with no doors.

Miles (Rosenthal), the soldier, spends probably the first 20 minutes by himself in this cubed room, examining his surroundings at first before tending to his injuries he suffered in the gun battle. Before too long, his satellite phone rings. On the other line is Damsey (Perry), a woman who sometimes seems to know more about Miles than she leads on, but nonetheless she isn’t a soldier or in any way shape or form connected to the powers that have imprisoned Miles. She’s an elementary school math teacher who is also imprisoned in a cubed, bland room with no doors.

Despite the slow, and I mean really slow, start to the film, “The Abandon” begins to pick up as Miles’ and Damsey’s conversation gets more and more personal. It’s during these moments where some of the theories people might have begun to take shape. At the beginning, it’s easy to believe that aliens may be behind the whole plot, but before the final frame, I had several theories in my head, including that this may in fact be a secret sequel to “Cube.” That being said, these kinds of films hinge on two things, whether or not the person on screen can carry the somewhat solo adventure and if the ending reveal is worth it. Let’s call it a draw.

“The Abandon” is rarely boring past the first 20ish minutes of Miles frantically pacing around the cube and testing the walls. Not only are little bread crumbs scattered about for us to pick and piece together, but the film manages to create tension between Miles and Damsey, making us question Damsey’s motives and sometimes Miles’ motives. There’s a fascinating cat and mouse game for most of the film, that is until the climax and finale. So, this brings me to the payoff.

It’s not very good. The ambiguous nature of the ending is a bit too ambiguous. While I feel like there can be a straightforward answer, the messaging of the film is mixed. I won’t ruin the ending, but I really want to because it’s difficult to discuss films like these without spoiling everything. These films demand you watch through until the end because the end is what’s supposed to bring it all together, but “The Abandoned” seems to have abandoned any attempts at a cohesive conclusion. That’s not to say the rest of the film isn’t interesting or good, but it feels dampened by its finale.

• VAL
• Starring:  Val Kilmer
• Directed by:  Ting Poo and Leo Scott
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 49 mins
• Amazon Studios

Let me say here at the beginning that I have been a Val Kilmer fan since“Top Secret.”  Couple that performance with his role of Chris Knight in“Real Genius” and he was, by far, one of my favorite actors of the 1980s.Over the years he has been a part of some wonderful films, and has created

Such iconic performances as Jim Morrison in “The Doors” – hey Academy, I’m still waiting for you to explain why Val wasn’t nominated for his work – and, of course, “Doc” Holiday in “Tombstone.”  But there is a lot more to Val Kilmer than you or I think we know and the documentary “VAL” gives us a true look at the artist and his processes. 

The film begins with a quick montage of Mr. Kilmer’s work, then a voiceover begins the story.  I was taken aback when I heard that Mr. Kilmer had dealt with throat cancer which had ruined his speaking voice.  We then learn that, though the words were penned by Val, the narration is coming from his son, Jack, who sounds amazingly like his father.  Val does talk some during the film, but his voice is so raspy that subtitles are often required to fully understand his comments.

Mr. Kilmer informs the viewer that he was one of the first people he knew to own a video camera.  As a youngster, he and his brothers used to make their own takes on popular films, among them “Jaws.”  (how could I not love this guy?)  Outgoing and popular, he becomes the youngest person ever accepted into the acting program at Julliard and heads to New York.  There he strives to learn everything an actor needs to know for a successful career.  We see early footage of he and his classmates working on shows.  We also learn that an actor’s job is humbling.  Signed for the lead in his first New York theater production, young Val is soon asked to play a lesser role because Kevin Bacon is available.  Things get even worse when, a week later, he’s asked to take an even lesser role to accommodate Sean Penn. 

As his career takes off we are taken behind the scenes of several of his Films, including “Top Gun,” “The Doors” and, most interestingly, “The Island of Dr. Moreau.”  The last film is legendary for all of the mishaps that beset it during production.  From replacing the director to script changes, there is plenty of blame to go around.  Most of the stories I’ve heard centered around Mr. Kilmer’s alleged indifference to the project and his temperament.  Maybe.  But from the footage shared it look’s like Mr. Kilmer’s dream of working with Marlon Brando became a nightmare for all involved.  In one funny clip, Mr. Kilmer and co-star David Thewliss are talking about Brando when the actor comes on the set in full costume.  Only after studying the man do the two actors realize that isn’t really Brando   Further investigation reveals, it is a guy named Norm, who is filling in for Brando. 

One thing I enjoyed learning is that, when submitting audition tapes for roles he’d like to play, instead of just reading lines Mr. Kilmer would make short films, His takes on prospective roles in “Full Metal Jackeet”  and “Goodfellas” are quite inventive.  He shares a lot of thoughts on how he got the role of Jim Morrison in “The Doors” as well as how he took over for Michael Keaton in “Batman Forever.”  His words ring true when he says that every boy wants to be Batman.  Amen, brother. 

Something else I found fascinating is that Mr. Kilmer toured in a one-man show where he portrayed Mark Twain.  There are a few clips included and he’s marvelous.  Move over, Hal Holbrook. 

Of course, with a career like Mr. Kilmer’s, some films get glossed over.  I would love to know his thoughts on “Real Genius,” “Willow,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, “ Wonderland” and others.  But, to paraphrase Spencer Tracy, “what there is is cherse.”

Mr. Kilmer is slated to be in the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was originally slated to be released in 2020.  Can’t wait to see the Iceman again.  He can be my wingman anytime! 

Directed by: Regan Linton and Brian Malone
Rated: NR
Running Time: 77 minutes

“Imperfect” opens with Regan Linton’s morning routine of showering, putting makeup on and getting clothed, but it’s different from most. That’s because in college she was in a car accident that paralyzed her, forcing her to use a wheelchair to get around. Despite her disability, she continues to live and follow her dreams. According to her, her lifelong dream has always been acting and being on the silver screen, but her new focus in “Imperfect” is an entirely different beast, directing.

“Imperfect” follows Linton’s journey as she directs the musical “Chicago” in Denver with a cast made up entirely of people with disabilities. We see people from all walks of life come to audition, some with Parkinson’s, some with autism, and nearly every disability. However, instead of focusing on those disabilities, the documentary cleverly shows us the artistic process. That’s because we watch as art elevates everyone in the production regardless of challenges they face. We watch as Linton and her crew make accommodations or changes with production schematics so that some of the actors are able to come to life on stage.

As pointed out in the film and by Linton, audiences won’t see the disabilities, but instead will see the characters and stories they tell as long as they act as well as they promised they could at their auditions. While it is impossible to see past some of the actor’s disabilities, it makes the final product of the performance that much more impressive and heartwarming when everyone comes together and puts on a real banger of a show.

Outside of taking a behind-the-scenes look at this wholly unique production, we learn about some of the actors. Some have spent years working a basic job and have merely dreamed of being on a stage to get their big break while others actually have had a big break in Hollywood, but are still relegated to stereotypical roles suited for their disability, which in a lot of cases (as the film points out) is a damn shame. Some of these people have incredible talent, not only as actors, but as singers and dancers.

Not everything is inspiring and hopeful. At times we see the pain and frustration that comes with this overwhelming process, as well as how difficult the disabilities can be. Despite the film’s brief runtime, the film never wastes a second perfectly showing who these people are, what their talents, dreams and hopes are. It’s the kind of documentary that makes you upset you didn’t experience this production yourself. Despite its title, “Imperfect” is a near flawless look at a once-in-a-lifetime production.

Directed by: Jonah Tulis
Rated: NR
Running Time: 94 minutes
Neon

There’s a current trend happening with documentaries and I’m pointing the finger of blame directly at Youtube. This trend is to hop on a big moment in contemporary history immediately and then attempt to encompass and explain the entire scenario in a brief documentary film. I blame Youtube because Youtube content creators are doing this on a daily basis, sometimes foregoing things like facts and pertinent information that sometimes comes with the passage of time. It’s kind of like a “strike when the iron is hot” idea.

Since my full-time job is in news, I will admit that this wasn’t a structure created by Youtube, but I would say was created by TV news organizations that are wanting to quickly and briefly explain complex situations and condense lengthy interviews. Sometimes it works, but that requires a news room with a large staff with good ethics and knowledge of storytelling. So, when a documentary like “GameStop: Rise of the Players” comes out, I have to wonder if what I’m being told is the God honest truth because so many players in this story are still actively participating in what happened.

If you didn’t know, or had been doing a media break last year (and honestly, I wouldn’t blame you), a little brick-and-mortar store by the name of GameStop was, at least through public perception, dying. Stores were closing, the stock was starting to look like it was going to be worth less than a few mere dollars and the video game industry itself was evolving towards a digital market. But something odd happened, the stock began to double, then triple, then quadruple, in value, but it kept going. Not just over a period of months or week, but hours and then minutes. So, what was going on?

“GameStop: Rise of the Players” kind of explains all this with spliced footage of talking heads on 24-hour news networks, but that really isn’t the meat of the film. The best thing the documentary offers is one-on-one interviews with stock traders who benefited from GameStop’s meteoric stock. Some are simply down on their luck individuals looking to turn things around by, quite literally, gambling on the stock market. It’s these personal stories that make us root for these individuals, as well as GameStop’s stock, throughout the film. Some of the people benefiting were always going to be well off, so I can’t speak to my sympathy or rooting of them, but for the individuals who were having to move back in with their parents or who had received a devastating cancer diagnosis, I’m glad to see their David vs. Goliath story on-screen.

That being said, I wish the film had more context which wouldn’t be possible in the time frame the documentary was created. A quick Google search shows that the GameStop stock is still percolating with hot gossip, whether people are talking about the stock making another climb to infamy or media outlets looking at the aftermath as if the stock will now be left to die. The story of GameStop has yet to be fully told, yet here we are with a documentary claiming to do just that. While I knew most of what was being discussed, I couldn’t help but think that even someone who knew the basics of what happened would still be confused about what was happening. At times the documentary seems to forget that maybe you don’t know about certain things, like how these people were talking to each other over Discord or the phenomenon of people seeking financial advice on Youtube. “GameStop: Rise of the Players” attempts to tell a story, but just like GameStop’s old brick-and-mortar stores, it offers nothing new.

• tick, tick…BOOM!
• Starring:  Andrew Garfield and Vanessa Hudgens
• Directed by:  Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Rated:  PG 13
• Running time: 1 hr 55 mins
• NETFLIX

It’s sad when you don’t see your hard work come to fruition…to not see the impact it had on the world around you.  One example is Steve Gordon, the writer and director of the film “Arthur.”  He passed away shortly after the film came out and, though he had a chance to see how his work was embraced, he never lived to see “Arthur” become a true classic film.  Then there’s Jonathan Larson. 

Larson created one of the most beloved musicals of all time, RENT, which won pretty much every award possible.  Sadly, Larson never got to see how his work was embraced, passing away the night before RENT had its first public performance.  But there was more to Larson’s life, and “tick, tick…BOOM!” gives us a musical look at the man behind the music. 

Jonathan Larson (an AMAZING Andrew Garfield), is about to workshop the new musical he’s written.  He’s gotten good feedback from everyone whose heard it, from his friends to the great Stephen Sondheim (Bradley Whitford), But Larson feels he needs one more song to, in the words of the late, great Mr. Sondheim, “Put it all together.” 

What do you do after you’ve written two Tony-award winning musicals, including the brilliant “Hamilton?”  If you’re Lin-Manuel Miranda you make your feature film directing debut with a musical about one of your peers.  Miranda is a true genius and I can’t think of another modern  director who could bring all of their knowledge of musical theater and translate it to the silver screen.  I say modern because this film would have been right up Bob Fosse’s alley.  The musical numbers are brilliantly staged while the more quiet moments are framed to convey the most powerful of emotions.

Miranda is aided by a top-notch cast, including the aforementioned Mr. Garfield who, besides being one of the best young actors working today, displays a strong singing voice.  The cast is peppered with a who’s who of theater talents, including Joel Grey, Judith Light,  Judy Kuhn and Roger Bart.  I think I even caught Lin-Manuel Miranda as a singing kitchen worker. 

As the film progresses, we follow Larson though his daily routine, and as he deals with his daily struggles and those of his friends, we begin to see the first sparks of what will one day become RENT. 

“West Side Story” has garnered most of the attention this year as THE movie musical to see.  And that attention is well deserved.  However, as the Jets and the Sharks learn, there is always room for one more.  BOOM!

• RESPECT
• Starring: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker
• Directed by: Liesl Tommy
• Rated: R
• Running Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Starring: August Maturo, Mike Manning and Libe Barer
Directed by: Jeremiah Kipp
Rated: NR
Running Time: 85 minutes
Shudder

When we first meet Lucas (Maturo), he and his brother Tom (Manning) are mourning the loss of their mother. To deal with this trauma, and his brother’s trauma as well, Tom forces Lucas to mourn with him via a game called ‘slapface’, which might be exactly what you think it is. The two brothers sit across from each other and slap one another repeatedly, hitting harder as the game goes on.

When the two aren’t physically beating each other in grief, Tom is finding the bottom of a bottle of liquor and Lucas is practicing witchcraft. One of these is not like the other. “Slapface,” a film that took me a while to grasp the concept of, is about Lucas more than it is about Tom. Lucas is not only enduring physical violence at home, but is enduring mental and emotional torture from classmates who bully him as well as the Virago Witch, which he summons into existence.

I say “Slapface” took me a while to grasp the concept because I really wasn’t sure what I was getting from this film. The opening felt silly and I wasn’t quite sure why a prepubescent boy was suddenly dabbling in witchcraft, but this is the kind of film that really hits you over the head before the credits. The Witch itself isn’t scary, but it’s not there to frighten us with cheap jump scares, nor is it there to harm Lucas. The Witch, after being summoned, appears to randomly pop-up when the story calls for it, a hint at what the film is actually trying to say. Like any good dramatic horror movie, the point isn’t to simply scare us and have us move on with our lives, “Slapface” shows us the unfortunate outcome of an extreme situation that can be applied to the real world.

Maturo does an incredible job in the role, showing the wildly high strung emotions that a child his age would go through, sometimes appearing carefree about the events around him while flipping on a dime in a fit of rage or sadness. It’s clear that Lucas isn’t confronting his feelings, instead opting to bottle them up. Even during the game ‘slapface’ he withholds, possibly fearing the aggression and sadness that’s building up inside him. As an actor, Maturo channels that same kind of fear, sadness and frustration we once saw in Haley Joel Osment in “The Sixth Sense.” As for everyone else, the acting is fine, but doesn’t stand out as much as Maturo.

While the Virago Witch in “Slapface” is far from unique or creative, what the monster represents is entirely fresh. For those interested in a late night creature feature packed with scares and gore, look elsewhere. For those who want psychological horror, you’ve come to the right place, but prepare yourself for your own slap in the face.

Starring: Kenny Leu, Ciara Renee and Clifton Davis
Directed by: Aimee Long
Rated: NR
Running Time: 89 minutes
Vertical Entertainment

There are plenty of days where I feel like nuance is missing. I say that because we have so much content at our fingertips now, it’s hard to really dive into the meat of something. We need to get to the next piece of content to devour, so we look at the headline or photo and move on. Without diving too deep into the realm of politics “A Shot Through the Wall” still manages to do a very impressive job of reminding us that not everything is black and white.

Mike Tan (Leu), the son of two Chinese immigrants, is a fresh-faced street cop in New York City. Unfortunately for him, his white and also fresh-faced partner looks for trouble where it isn’t, spotting a few young African-American teens who “should be in school.” One of those teens flees, for reasons we don’t know and soon won’t care about. Tan, just a dozen steps behind the teen, ends up in an apartment complex, unholsters his gun, but accidentally fires off a shot under pressure. That one accidental gunshot enters an apartment, killing an African-American man and setting off a chain of events.

“A Shot Through the Wall” plays with a lot of unfortunate things that happen during officer-involved shootings. We see the immediate outrage from the public, even when all the facts aren’t in yet. We also see the cellphone footage that’s released of Officer Tan attempting to revive the man he accidentally shot. What the cellphone doesn’t capture, is everything that led up to that shooting, as well as everything after. Nonetheless, the cellphone footage captures only one part of the incident which still paints Officer Tan in a negative light. We also see accusations of racism and conspiratorial thinking along the lines of police cover-ups, as well as the threat of vigilantes looking for their own brand of justice. On the flip side, we do see how police attempt to smooth things over, through potential plea deals and PR campaigns. While all of this is interesting, that’s not what makes “A Shot Through the Wall” unique, because we’ve seen this before in other movies.

“A Shot Through the Wall” takes us through the emotional toll this takes on Tan, his family, his African-American fiancée and others. The movie does make a critical mistake in not showing us the emotional pain the actual victims family and friends are going through, but that may also be a creative choice on the end of Aimee Long in her first written and directed film. She’s not shy about showing some unmentionable truths, like the fact that Tan isn’t racist at all, but his parents are. Or the fact that Tan goes back and forth on whether or not to put his relationship on the line by publicly proclaiming, “I have a black girlfriend, so I can’t be a racist who shot an unarmed black man.”

In the end though, and throughout the movie, the audience has to wonder: Is Officer Tan innocent? It’s a tough call and the movie, to it’s credits, opts to let Officer Tan say if he is or isn’t himself before the credits roll. “A Shot Through the Wall” isn’t about red vs. blue, Black Lives Matter vs. Blue Lives Matter, or any of the usual nonsense that’s associated with officer-involved shootings nowadays. It’s about the pain of it all. For that, I’m grateful I watched “A Shot Through the Wall” because we sometimes need a reminder that we’re all humans on this random spinning globe and the only way to confront pain is head-on.

Starring: Skyler Davenport, Jessica Parker Kennedy and Kim Coates
Directed by: Randall Okita
Rated: R
Running Time: 92 minutes
IFC Midnight

Sophie (Davenport) is a former alpine skier who had her young career derailed by an accident that left her blind. Sympathy doesn’t extend too far for Sophie because it’s hard to tell if she’s bitter about the accident or is ignorantly irresponsible. I say this because our introduction to Sophie is brief, but it highlights how talented she is, despite being rough around the edges. We see how crafty she is when it comes to getting around after aggressively turning down her mom’s advice and help before heading off to a mansion in the middle of the woods to cat-sit. If you have any remaining sympathy for Sophie, the movie throws that out the window for you quickly after. That’s because when she arrives at the home, meets the cat and says goodbye to the homeowner as they head out the door, Sophie quickly begins scouting the location for something to steal because as she puts it later in the film, “No one suspects the blind girl.”

“See for Me” enjoys playing with the viewer’s sympathy, as much as it enjoys having Sophie play with horror clichés; for when the sun sets and Sophie heads off to bed is when some safe cracking burglars show up thinking the house is empty. With the help of a phone app, Sophie has to make several decisions over the course of the film: fight, flee or team up with the burglars who weren’t expecting a blind girl to crash their party. That last one will throw you for a loop as the movie continues to work itself into improbable scenarios with equally improbable characters.

For a movie that doesn’t quite have an original concept, it has quite the original execution. Unfortunately, the originality is very entrenched in spoilers so I can’t discuss them, but I will tell you that the movie is not without its flaws. Despite a decent cast, creepy setting and entertaining set-up, the film struggles with shaking off thriller tropes, like the bad guy reveal that’s supposed to shock us (it doesn’t) or the cat-and-mouse games played by the characters in the sprawling mansion. The action is lackluster, but the character study of Sophie is the most fascinating part. Davenport, who’s blind in real-life, is most likely channeling a lot of real-life moments into Sophie’s character, bringing a lot of authenticity to a character that’s usually portrayed by someone with vision in Hollywood. Without that authenticity, “See for Me” runs the risk of becoming cruel and unrealistic.

While “See for Me” isn’t like 2016’s “Don’t Breathe,” probably because “See for Me” is way more low budget, but it still will upend expectations for those who flip it on. A film like “Don’t Breathe” is in a complex and sometimes silly setting, while a film like “The Village” uses a handicap like a cliché. “See for Me” finds the middle ground, simplicity in its setting and treating Sophie like a person, not a trope.  

Directed by: Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 148 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In terms of films that revolutionized not only the genre that they belong in but the industry as a whole, The Matrix is a shining example of one that changed our culture and our perception of how “good” action films can really be. The sequels, while having their fans (myself included), didn’t quite receive the same amount of praise – but the influence the franchise and the Wachowski’s have had over cinema is undeniable. And with the world getting more and more tech-heavy and blatantly leaning into A.I., what better time to get a Matrix reboot/sequel than right now?

I don’t want to spoil the plot of this one, because the trailers have been pretty vague with the mystery of how certain characters return and how the Matrix universe has evolved since 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions. I can honestly say, warts and all, this film did something that not a lot of blockbusters do nowadays – it genuinely surprise me. While hardcore fans of The Matrix might have a certain idea of where the story could go, I was still shocked to find that this is the most “meta” of the entire franchise thus far.

Sometimes when franchises get to the point of repetition and they try to incorporate more meta elements to acknowledge fans’ frustrations or anxieties of the franchise, it can be truly forced and poorly done. But The Matrix Resurrections feels like an extremely personal movie for Lana Wachowski, almost like she’s expressing to us how she feels about the state of the industry and her role in revolutionizing the action genre/industry as an artist herself; and that’s what makes this stand-out amongst all the yearly reboots we get. It’s not only genuinely clever and funny, but feels like it has narrative and thematic purpose as it comes directly from the creator of the original films.

Undeniably, The Matrix Resurrections is a bit of a mess and falls into a lot of the same issues the other two sequels do with exposition and storytelling. But it’s also a truly audacious and fascinating piece of work that I think pays off greatly by the end, with wonderful action, truly gorgeous cinematography, and a surprising amount of heart to tie it all in. It doesn’t work on every level, but the film is unlike any other blockbuster playing right now and is all the better for it.

Movie: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“My Stepmother Is an Alien” is a lost comedy/sci-fi classic from 1988. It packs a stellar cast of Dan Aykroyd (“Ghostbusters”), Kim Basinger (“Batman”) and Jon Lovitz (“North”) Alyson Hannigan, (TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). It is a fun silly movie that I haven’t seen in over 30 years and probably wouldn’t have ever seen again if it wasn’t for this release from Arrow Video.

Official Premise: When widowed astronomer Steve Mills (Aykroyd) inadvertently causes a gravitational disruption in deep space, a race of hyper-advanced alien lifeforms sends one of their own to investigate, disguised in the alluring human form of Celeste (Basinger). Tasked with seducing the lovelorn Steve in a bid to gain access to his scientific research, Celeste finds herself falling for the man she’s been sent to swindle. But they’ve not counted on Steve’s young daughter Jessie (Hannigan), who’s none too thrilled by the prospect of a new mother – especially not one from another planet.

For a 1988 film, “My Stepmother is an Alien” looks solid on Blu-ray. It’s 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 aspect ratio are on point and looks great. The film was restored in 2K by Sony Pictures Entertainment and was 4K scanned from the 35mm Original Picture Negative. IT also features a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch and first pressing will also include an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Amanda Reyes.

The special features are really the only letdown on this release. There is an Audio Commentary track by from film critic Bryan Reesman. There is a short audio interview with director Richard Benjamin. Lastly there is a trailer and image gallery included. Regardless of the lack of extras, this is still a great release and is a must own for fans of this cult classic!

Directed by: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jacob Batalon
Distributed by Sony Pictures
Running time: 148 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The ending of 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, where our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’s identity was revealed to the world by Mysterio, busted the doors open for an abundance of possibilities for what could happen to Peter Parker in his next outing. Spider-Man: No Way Home picks up quite literally right where Far From Home left off, with Peter scrambling through New York while its citizens are shouting either in support of him or straight-up attacking him. This leads Peter to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where he asks Doctor Strange for help to get the world to forget he’s Spider-Man. Things don’t go quite as planned, and from there, multiversal shenanigans ensue.

Like most people, I was incredibly excited for this film. It feels like the first true event film we’ve gotten as a collective since Avengers: Endgame. As more was revealed about who would be returning and how much the film would lean into the multiverse, it both got me more excited but a tiny bit more cautious – I hoped that the film wouldn’t lose sight on our central, MCU Peter Parker in the midst of all of these returning villains or sacrifice character and story for nostalgia. And while the film will certainly be nostalgic for anyone who grew up with Spider-Man like I did, it isn’t a film that is reliant on it for anything but telling a personal and truly ambitious Spider-Man story.

I won’t name specific names in case you’ve gone this far without knowing which villains are returning exactly – but the film does a great balancing act of making them exciting foils for Peter as well as narratively important to the themes. In fact, this might just have the most personal and interesting story for Peter Parker in the MCU so far. The crux of the film is him having the crushing realization of not being able to have everything he wants and still be Spider-Man despite how hard he tries to balance both of his lives. This is a common theme throughout the entire history of the character throughout various forms of mediums – but No Way Home does a fantastic job at making both an epic yet simultaneously personal story for Peter that truly advances and grows the character in dark, powerful, and important ways.

Tom Holland delivers his absolute best outing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man yet here, working with a seriously impressive script full of nuance and moments of real weight and consequences for Peter to grapple with. His chemistry with Zendaya has truly never been better, and the way he interacts with all the villains is as equally charming as it is poetic at times. This is sure to be a massive success, and I’m happy to say that I think it’ll deliver for all the people who have already bought tickets. The action is absolutely incredible from start to finish (see it in IMAX if you can!), the humor is on point, the characters and cast that play them are the best they’ve ever been, and it is far and away the best MCU Spider-Man movie, as well as the most ambitious live-action Spider-Man film thus far. A true love-letter to the character full of heart, ambition, darkness and a whole lot of fun.