Arts and Entertainment Archives

Culture Representation: Taking place in 1920, in Central Provinces, India, the dramatic film “Azaad” features a predominantly Indian cast of characters (with some white people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A stable worker and a resistance leader have a bond with a black stallion named Azaad, who becomes part of a horse-racing competition involving a wealthy romantic rival of the resistance leader.

Culture Audience: “Azaad” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and action-oriented dramas about horses.

Ajay Devgn (center) in “Azaad” (Photo courtesy of AA Films)

If you like feel-good stories about horses, then you’ll probably enjoy “Azaad.” The stallion title character often outshines the humans in this drama, which is an uneven mix of thrilling and mundane. The cast members performances and dialogue are adequate, but the action sequences and cinematography are above-average.

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, “Azaad” was written by Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Chandan Arora. The movie takes place in 1920, in Central Provinces, India, when India was under British colonial rule. There are a few flashbacks that take place before 1920.

“Azaad” begins in the village of Bhusar, where a young man named Govind (played by Aaman Devgan) lives with his widowed father Braj (played by Sandeep Shikhar) and Braj’s mother Nani (played by Natasha Rastogi), who is kind and loving to Govind. Growing up, Govind would hear stories from Nani about a legendary black horse with super powers. Govind has an affinity for horses and wonders if he’ll even find a special horse of his own.

Braj and Govind both work as servants for a wealthy and ruthless tyrant named Rai Bahadur (played by Piyush Mishra), who has strictly forbidden his servants from riding his horses without permission. Govind works mainly in the Bahadur family’s horse stable. One day, one of these horses gets loose, so Govind has no choice but to get on the horse to bring it back to its home. An enraged Rai punishes Govind by ordering Braj to whip Govind in front of other people.

Rai has two adult children, who are both spoiled and conceited. Kumwar “Tej” Bahadur (played by Mohit Malik) is completely cruel and irredeemable. Janaki Bahadur (played by Rasha Thadani) is haughty but she’s not a bad person.

Govind is smitten with Janaki, but she treats him in a condescending manner, by calling him “stable boy.” Govind tries to pretend that he doesn’t care and stands up to her insults. And you know what that means: Janaki will eventually become attracted to Govind.

Meanwhile, Vikram Singh (played by Ajay Devgn) has become chief of a local movement resisting British colonial rule. Vikram has an extraordinary black stallion named Azaad that can kick opponents during battles like a champion kickboxer. The first time Govind sees Vikram and Azaad, he is in awe.

Although Vikram has become a folk hero to many people in the community, his personal life isn’t going so well. He recently broke off an affair that he was having with Tej’s wife Kesar Bahadu (played by Diana Penty), who is in marriage where Tej keeps her under his abusive control. Govind happens to see Vikram break up with Kesar when he saw them together in an open field. Vikram has a long history with Kesar because she was Vikram’s lover before she married Tej.

That’s not the only love triangle in the story. There’s also a subplot about Rai wanting Janaki to marry a Brit: James Cummings (played by Andrew Crouch), the arrogant son of snooty Lord Cummings (played by Dylan Jones). James is an avid horse rider; he and his father think they are superior in every way to the Bahadu family and other Indians.

Over time, Govind befriends Vikram, who entrusts Govind to take care of Azaad. Govind and Azaad have a special bond that becomes intertwined with Govind becoming more confident and having a stronger sense of himself. As soon as it’s mentioned in the movie that there’s a big horse racing contest with a grand prize, you just know who’s going to be in the final showdown.

“Azaad” has vibrant-looking musical numbers and adrenaline-packed actions scenes. Some of the dialogue is generic, but the non-villain characters are realistically portrayed. All the villains in the story are shallow caricatures. “Azaad” is an undemanding, crowd-pleasing film that doesn’t expect viewers to think too much and does a capable job of being entertaining, even if the outcome of the movie can be predicted long before the movie ends.

AA Films released “Azaad” in U.S. cinemas and in India on January 17, 2024.

Review: ‘The Last Front’ (2024), starring Iain Glen, Sasha Luss, Joe Anderson, Koen De Bouw, David Calder, James Downie and Emma Dupont

January 21, 2025

by Carla Hay

Iain Glenn in “The Last Front” (Photo courtesy of Enigma Releasing)

“The Last Front” (2024)

Directed by Julien Hayet-Kerknawi

Culture Representation: Taking place in Belgium during World War I, the action film “The Last Front” features an all-white cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A Belgian farmer leads a group of villagers in his community in resisting an invasion by German soldiers.

Culture Audience: “The Last Front” will appeal mainly to people who don’t mind watching generic war movies.

Sasha Luss in “The Last Front” (Photo courtesy of Enigma Releasing)

Filled with generic dialogue and bad acting, the action drama “The Last Front” re-uses the same formulas in many other movies about an underdog hero. In this case, it’s about a Belgian farmer leading a resistance against German invaders during World War I. Almost everything in this unimaginative movie can be predicted.

Directed by Julien Hayet-Kerknawi (who co-wrote “The Last Front” screenplay with Kate Wood), “The Last Front”(which was filmed on location in Belgium) has an overly simplistic story that is stretched out by tepid battle scenes. Leonard Lambert (played by Iain Glen) is a widower farmer who is dealing with the fact that his adult son Adrien (played by James Downie) is having a “forbidden” romance with Louise (played by Sasha Luss), the daughter of the prominent Dr. Janssen (played by Koen De Bouw), who doesn’t approve of the relationship.

Here’s an example of the boring and clunky dialogue in the movie: Leonard comments to Adrien about Louise: “She’s not the right woman.” Adrien replies, “But we’re in love.” Leonard says, “Your mother and I were in love. It wasn’t enough.” Adrien responds, “You don’t know Louise.” Leonard says, “I know what living on a farm does to a woman … If you love her, you’ll let her go.”

German soldiers, including the cartoonish villain Laurentz (played by Joe Anderson), invade the village where the Lambert family lives. Laurentz’s father Maximilian Von Rauch (played by Philippe Brenninkmeyer), who is in command of the soldiers, have conflicts with each other because Maximilian thinks that Laurentz’s ruthlessness is out of control. This family turmoil is treated in a very superficial manner with more dull dialogue.

Maximilian asks Laurentz: “When did you become such a monster?” Laurentz replies, “I am not a monster. I am a soldier.” Maximilian wants Laurentz to resign instead of being court martialed and says to Laurentz: “You shame our country. You shame our family.” Laurentz calls Maximilian a “sentimental old fool” at one point during their bickering.

Leonard, Louise, Leonard’s adult daughter Johanna (played by Emma Dupont), a farmhand named Fergal (played by Kevin Murphy) and a priest named Father Michael (played by David Calder) are among those fighting to stay alive during the German invasion. All of these characters have utterly bland personalities and are depicted with unimpressive acting. The resistance to the invasion plays out in the most stereotypical way that might entertain people who can’t get enough of cliché-ridden war movies where one person leads a ragtag group of underdogs to a predictable outcome.

Enigma Releasing released “The Last Front” in select U.S. cinemas on August 9, 2024.

Review: ‘Presence’ (2025), starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland and Julia Fox

January 20, 2025

by Carla Hay

Callina Liang, Chris Sullivan, Eddie Maday and Lucy Liu in “Presence” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“Presence” (2025)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed U.S. city, the horror film “Presence” features an Asian and white cast of characters (with one Latin person and one African American) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A married couple and their two teenage children move into a house, where the couple’s daughter senses that the house is haunted by a ghost.

Culture Audience: “Presence” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of director Steven Soderbergh and don’t mind watching a haunted house movie that is more of a psychological mystery than a typical supernatural horror film.

Callina Liang, Chris Sullivan, Eddy Maday, Lucy Liu and Julia Fox in “Presence” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

The horror film Presence is told from the point of view of a silent ghost in a haunted house, so the foreboding tone is more subtle than most other supernatural movies. Viewers need patience for the buildup to the movie’s impactful ending. Anyone expecting more action and constant jump scares might be bored with “Presence,” which is a unique and competently made film, but it’s not particularly outstanding.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, “Presence” had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and its Canadian premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie takes place in an unnamed U.S. suburban city. (“Presence” was actually filmed in Cranford, New Jersey.) Almost every scene in the movie is at the house where the haunting takes place.

“Presence” begins by showing a real-estate agent named Cece (played by Julia Fox) doing a quick walking inspection of various rooms inside an empty Cape Cod-style, three-story house that could be bought on a middle-class income. Cece is taking one last look before some prosepective buyers come over to see this house, which has recently been put up for sale. In fact, the people coming over the see the house will be the first since the house when on the market again. (Even though Fox shares headline billing, she’s only in the movie for less than 10 minutes.)

The people looking at the house are a family of four: Rebecca Payne (played by Lucy Liu), Christopher “Chris” Payne (played by Chris Sullivan) and their two teenage children: Tyler “Ty” Payne (played by Eddy Maday) and Chloe Payne (played by Callina Liang), who both attend Crawford High School. Tyler is about 17 years old. Chloe is about 16 years old.

Within a few minutes of the family’s arrival, it becomes obvious that Rebecca is the most dominant person in the family. The job occupations of Rebecca and Chris are not stated in the movie, but Rebecca works as some type of high-powered position at an unnamed company, and she has a higher income than Chris. After a tour of the house, Rebecca announces that she wants to buy the house, and she’s sure that whoever sees the house next will want to buy it too.

Whatever Rebecca wants, Rebecca gets. The Paynes buy the house and don’t take long to move into their new home. After they settle in, the family dynamics start to be seen. Tyler is Rebecca’s favorite child, while Chloe is Chris’ favorite child. Rebecca has an overly close and somewhat creepy relationship with Tyler. By contrast, Chris and Chloe have a healthy father-daughter relationship with the appropriate boundaries.

In a private conversation between Rebecca and Tyler in the kitchen, she tells Tyler how she feels about him: “I’ve never felt so close to anyone,” she says in a tone that’s more like how someone would talk to a lover than to a child. Tyler asks Rebecca: “What abut Chloe?” Rebecca answers dismissively, “That’s just different.”

Although Tyler and Chloe are never seen at school in this movie, it’s easy to see that Tyler is the more popular and more outgoing sibling among their peers. Chloe is more introverted and more sensitive than Tyler. Chloe is image-conscious but not as much a Tyler, who places a lot of importance on being perceived as one of the “cool kids” at school.

Tyler and Chloe don’t really get along with each other and have a tendency to argue and insult each other. It could be just normal friction between two teenage siblings. But conversations in the movie later reveal that Chloe is in a fragile mental state.

Part of it has to do with her grieving over the death of her best friend Nadia, who died in her sleep. It’s implied that her death was drug-related because Tyler insensitively calls Nadia a “druggie” in one of his arguments with Chloe. Nadia’s death was recent and happened not long after another death of a teenage girl in the community, who died in a similar way.

At first, the ghost seems to observe the family and doesn’t want its presence to be known. But then, the ghost makes its presence known to Chloe. In one incident, while Chloe is taking a shower in the bathroom next to her bedroom, the ghost moves some books from Chloe’s bed to a dresser in the same room. When Chloe gets out of the shower, she immediately notices that the books were moved.

Chloe sees other signs that the house might be haunted. She confides in her parents about this fear. Predictably, Chris is more understanding than Rebecca. When the parents discuss Chloe’s troubled mental state, Chris says that Chloe should see a therapist. Rebecca disagrees and says, “Time is what we need.”

There’s another problem in the family that is hinted at throughout the movie. Chris is seen making secretive phone calls, asking advice from someone named Howard (who is presumably an attorney) about how much a spouse can get in trouble for knowing about the other spouse being involved in something illegal. Chris seems very conflicted about whatever is bothering him.

Meanwhile, Tyler has gotten closer to a new friend at school named Ryan (played by West Mulholland), who comes from an affluent and prominent family. Ryan comes over to the Payne family home with Tyler one day after school. Tyler introduces Ryan to Chloe. Ryan and Chloe have an immediate and growing attraction to each other.

The rest of “Presence” shows how certain relationships change and how the ghost reacts to those changes. Although some of the movie’s scenes are nothing but the ghost observing mundane activities in the house, “Presence” always has an underlying tension that doesn’t really let up, because this is a horror movie, and you know something bad is bound to happen.

As for the ghost, certain actions show that the ghost is not there to scare but to protect. But who needs protecting and why? Some viewers might figure out the answer long before it’s revealed in the movie. The ghostly activities become a bg enough concern to the Payne family that a psychic medium named Lisa (played by Natalie Woolams-Torres) eventually does a reading of the house.

“Presence” is very dependent on its cinematography to make the movie be effective. And on that level, Soderbergh’s cinematography (he’s also the film’s editor) mostly succeeds, as the camera bobs and weaves like a silent observer who can float through space. At the same time, the camera from the ghost’s point of view can also make viewers feel slightly claustrophobic when the ghost is spying in a small room with a closed door.

Liu is convincing as steely Rebecca, who seems to care more about her job than her marriage. Chris is in love with Rebecca and tells her that he knows that she’s too good for him, which is a sad commentary on his self-esteem, because he doesn’t see his worth as the kind and loving spouse that Rebecca fails to be. Some of the acting performances from the younger cast members are little stiff and awkward, but Liang does an overall very good job of conveying Chloe’s vulnerability and insecurities.

“Presence” has touches of social commentary about how people can project a certain image that could be very different from their real selves behind closed doors in private situations. This is not a ghost story where viewers can expect to see demonic characters with ghoulish appearances. Rather, “Presence” is a chilling observation of monstrous danger that’s much more insidious because it looks harmless on the surface.

Neon will release “Presence” in U.S. cinemas on January 24, 2025.

True Crime Entertainment: What’s New This Week

The following content is generally available worldwide, except where otherwise noted. All TV shows listed are for networks and streaming services based in the United States. All movies listed are those released in U.S. cinemas. This schedule is for content and events premiering this week and does not include content that has already been made available.

January 20 – January 26, 2025

TV/Streaming Services

All times listed are Eastern Time/Pacific Time, unless otherwise noted.

The CW’s docuseries “Crime Nation” Season 2 premieres on Thursday, January 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Monday, January 20

“Death by Fame”
TBA (Episode 302)
Monday, January 20, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Fatal Attraction”
“Unmasking a Monster” (Episode 1604)
Monday, January 20, 9 p.m., TV One

“Contraband: Seized at the Airport”
“Catch ‘Em All” (Episode 112) **Season Finale**
Monday, January 20, 9 p.m., Discovery

“The Curious Case of …”
“The Girl Who Died Twice” (Episode 102)
Monday, January 20, 10 p.m., Investigation Discovery

Tuesday, January 21

“Road Rage”
“Angry Asphalts” (Episode 207)
Tuesday, January 21, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Exposed: Naked Crimes”
“Baring Witness” (Episode 209)
Tuesday, January 21, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

Wednesday, January 22

“Dateline”
“The Night That Kelsie Disappeared”
Wednesday, January 22, 8 p.m., Oxygen

“Live PD Presents: PD Cam”
TBA
Wednesday, January 22, 8 p.m., A&E

“Live PD Presents: PD Cam”
TBA
Wednesday, January 22, 8:30 p.m., A&E

“Murder Under the Friday Night Lights”
“A Cheerleader’s Reject” (Episode 403)
Wednesday, January 22, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Florida Heat”
(Episode 105)
Wednesday, January 22, 9 p.m., A&E

“Florida Heat”
(Episode 106)
Wednesday, January 22, 9:30 p.m., A&E

“Ozark Law”
“Refusal to Comply” (Episode 103)
Wednesday, January 22, 10 p.m., A&E

“Scam Goddess”
“Sideline Scammer” (Episode 103)
Wednesday, January 22, 10 p.m., Freeform

Thursday, January 23

“Dateline”
TBA
Thursday, January 23, 8 p.m., Oxygen

“Police 24/7”
“Foiled Again” (Episode 201) **Season Premiere**
Thursday, January 23, 8 p.m., The CW

“The First 48”
“The Tangled Web”
Thursday, January 23, 8 p.m., A&E

“Crime Nation”
“Killed for Custody” (Episode 201) **Season Premiere**
Thursday, January 23, 8 p.m., The CW

“Homicide Squad New Orleans”
“Predator on the Loose” (Episode 105)
Thursday, January 23, 9 p.m., A&E

“Fugitive Hunters Mexico”
“Hiding in Plain Sight” (Episode 103)
Thursday, January 23, 10 p.m. ET/PT, A&E

Friday, January 24

“On Patrol: First Shift”
TBA
Friday, January 24, 8 p.m., Reelz

“On Patrol: Live”
TBA
Friday, January 24, 9 p.m., Reelz

“Dateline”
TBA
Friday, January 24, 9 p.m., NBC

“20/20”
TBA
Friday, January 24, 9 p.m., ABC

“Cold Case Files”
“Blood Red Snow” (Episode 411)
Friday, January 24, 9 p.m. ET/PT, A&E

“Cold Case Files: Murder in the Bayou”
“Evil in Cajun Country” (Episode 105)
Friday, January 24, 10 p.m. ET/PT, A&E

Saturday, January 25

“On Patrol: First Shift”
TBA
Saturday, January 25, 8 p.m., Reelz

“Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler”
“Long Road to Justice” (Episode 201) **Season Premiere**
Saturday, January 25, 8 p.m. ET/PT, Oxygen

“To Catch a Smuggler: Mediterranean”
“Party Time” (Episode 207)
Saturday, January 25, 10 p.m. ET/PT, National Geographic

Sunday, January 26

“Snapped”
“Donna Horwitz” (Episode 3504)
Sunday, January 26, 7 p.m., Oxygen

“Very Scary People”
“The Real Hannibal” (Episode 608)
Sunday, January 26, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

Movies in Theaters or on Home Video

No new true crime movies premiering this week in theaters or on home video.

Radio/Podcasts

No new true crime podcast series premiering this week.

Events

Events listed here are not considered endorsements by this website. All ticket buyers with questions or concerns about the event should contact the event promoter or ticket seller directly.

All start times listed are local time, unless otherwise noted.

No new true crime events this week.

Review: ‘The Curious Case of …,’ starring Beth Karas

January 18, 2025

by Carla Hay

“The Curious Case of …”

Culture Representation: The documentary/reality series “The Curious Case of …” features a predominantly white group of people (with some people of color) talking about crimes that took place in various parts of the United States.

Culture Clash: Various people are the accusers and are accused of crimes.

Culture Audience: “The Curious Case of …” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in true crime documentaries, but the show’s tabloid approach lowers the quality of this series.

“The Curious Case of …” is a spinoff series to “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” a three-season series that became one of the biggest ratings hits for Investigation Discovery. Instead focusing on one case for the entire series, “The Curious Case of …” features a different case per episode. This shoddily made program is exploitative reality TV pretending to be an investigative docuseries. The only thing viewers will learn is how this tacky show enables attention seekers of dubious credibility.

“The Curious Case of …” is produced for Investigation Discovery by Hot Snakes Media, the same production company behind “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.” The third and final season of “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” devolved into antics and meltdowns with reality show editing. “The Curious Case of …” seems to be continuing that tone, to the detriment of the show’s subject matter.

Legal analyst Beth Karas, who was prominently featured in “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” is the host and narrator of “The Curious Case of …,” a show that seems to be way beneath her talent and expertise as a former assistant district attorney in New York City. Karas also used to be an on-air correspondent for Court TV in the 1990s and 2000s. On “The Curious Case of …,” she doesn’t do interviews or hard-hitting investigations. She’s just relegated to doing analyses and recaps of some of the cringeworthy shenanigans on display.

The first episode of “The Curious Case of …” (the only episode available for review before the series premiere) is nothing but a bait and switch that can be considered insulting to viewers looking for a real true crime story. The episode, titled “The Curious Case of … Bam Margera,” is advertised as a close look at the legal troubles of former “Jackass” star Bam Margera and whether or not he should be under a guardianship. This episode is more of a pathetic spectacle than a real investigation.

Margera was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on September 28, 1979. His birth name is Brandon Cole Margera. He is a former skateboarder and TV personality whose fame peaked in the 2000s. Margera has been publicly battling addictions to alcohol and other drugs for several years. He has had various arrests over the years and has been in and out of rehab.

Instead of being about Margera, the episode is really about a feud between entrepreneur Lima Jevremović (who was Margera’s guardian from June 2021 to July 2023) and YouTube personality BJ Corville, a lawyer who is the self-proclaimed leader of the Free Bam movement that believes he should not be under a guardianship. Karas says about the topic of the episode: “This is a story about the right to make your own decisions.” Actually, it’s not. It’s more about people making fools out of themselves on camera.

Margera is not interviewed for this show. Instead, the only exclusive footage the show was able to get of him are two brief clips (less than five minutes each) of Margera shouting angrily while he’s outside of the home property called Bam Castle that he owns in Pocopson Township, which is near West Chester. In the first clip, which is the episode’s opening scene, Margera and an unidentified female companion (whose face is blurred out on camera) are seen confronting Jevremović. This female companion is most likely model/actress Dannii Marie, who was Margera’s girlfriend at the time, but they got married in May 2024, after dating each other for less than a year.

It’s later explained that Jevremović’s guardianship Margera had ended at the time this confrontation video was filmed, but Jevremović called police to report that she heard Bam threaten his older brother Jesse Margera, a musician who rents a home on the Bam Castle property. A Pennsylvania state trooper has arrived at the scene. Bam, wearing a black outfit and a long black towel over his head, walks over to Jevremović and says loudly to her: “Why are you so evil?”

Bam’s female companion, who is also hostile, points angrily to Jevremović and yells some choice words, including, “Get the fuck away from me!” Bam and his female companion both get into a car and leave. Ultimately, no one was arrested or detained in this incident.

In the second clip, Bam is seen ranting by himself about his brother. Bam is behind a fence on the Bam Castle property, after Bam has spray painted a wall with graffiti. Bam, who is wearing sunglasses and furry animal slippers, appears to be under the influence of an unknown substance. Whatever his state of mind is in this footage, it’s obviously not good.

The day after this “Curious Case of …” episode aired, Bam and Dannii Marie posted an Instagram video on January 14, 2025, in response to the episode. In the Instagram video, they both denounce Jevremović and claim that she was dangerous to Bam’s health when she was his guardian. In the video, Dannii Marie says that Bam is now “doing great.” Bam adds, “I’m just glad that part of my terrible, terrible life is over, and I’m not dead from it.”

This episode named after Bam Margera goes off on a number of tangents, and it fails to really be an insightful look at Bam and his problems. There are brief mentions of his 2022 arrest for assaulting Jesse. The legal outcome of that case is mentioned in the episode’s epilogue.

In an interview for this episode, Bam’s former “Jackass” co-star Stephen Glover, whose stage name is Steve-O, talks about himself as much as he talks about Bam. “Jackass” (a show about people doing reckless, gross and/or painful stunts) originally aired on MTV from 2000 to 2001, and grew into a franchise that included spinoff shows and several movies. Bam starred in two of those spinoff shows: “Viva La Bam” and “Bam’s Unholy Union.”

Glover says that when he and Bam first started working together, Bam wasn’t into drugs and Glover was heavily addicted to drugs. Glover (who says he’s been clean and sober since 2008) comments in the interview about Bam’s downward spiral: “Over the course of 20 years, we’ve had an almost total role reversal … It’s been so hard to watch.” Glover also questions the legitimacy of Jevremović being able to help Bam with Bam’s problems.

Bam’s mother April Margera gives a very short and tearful interview about her family turmoil. Bam’s father Phil Margera is not interviewed. According to Jevremović, Bam’s parents hired her in 2021 to be Bam’s unpaid legal guardian because they believed her alternative rehab therapy methods could work for Bam and because none of Bam’s family members or friends wanted to be his legal guardian. Jevremović is not a licensed therapist and does not have any medical credentials to treat any health issues.

At the time, Jevremović was the founder of Aura, a small Los Angeles-based business that used virtual reality as a way to treat addiction and mental illness. She babbles some explanation about how Aura uses software and virtual reality scenarios that users can see by wearing virtual reality headsets, in order to identify clients’ self-destructive “triggers.” Karas compares Jevremović’s murky methods to what convicted con artist Elizabeth Holmes tried to do with Holmes’ fraudulent Theranos company.

Why did Bam’s parents think Jevremović was a legitimate healer? Apparently, they heard about her so-called “rehab success” with a drug-addicted woman named Amanda Rabb, who was featured on the YouTube channel Soft White Underbelly, which interviews people with major problems—usually addictions and serious criminal activities. Jevremović and Rabb (who was born in 1995) went on Soft White Underbelly to talk about how Rabb was able to recover from her addictions with help from Jevremović and Aura.

Rabb died in 2021 of cardiac arrhythmia. But when Jevremović posted a video online to state Rabb’s cause of death, Jevremović said that Rabb died of a seizure disorder. Soft White Underbelly founder Mark Laita, who is also a photographer, says in an interview that Jevremović was in no way responsible for Rabb’s death.

By this time, Courville (who operates the YouTube channel BJ Investigates from her home in Princeton, New Jersey) had become an ally of Bam and already launched a campaign to discredit Jevremović. Courville’s followers are part of an online community called That Surprise Army. One of the followers, identified only has Jaimie, admits in an interview that she was one of the people who participated in online bullying of Jevremović by “doxxing” her. (The word “doxxing” is the term used for publicly revealing personal contact information about someone else without their permission. Doxxing is usually done with malicious intent.)

The episode mentions the Free Britney movement in comparison to the Free Bam movement. It’s a weak comparison because these are two very different legal situations. The Free Britney movement, which began online in 2020, was about fans of Britney Spears protesting against Spears being under a conservatorship that was overseen by her father Jamie Spears since 2008. The conservatorship ended in 2021.

Karas explains that a conservatorship involves control over many aspects over someone’s life, including financial control. Bam was under a guardianship, which consists of control over medical decisions in someone’s life, not financial control. Still, the Free Bam movement often mislabeled his guardianship as a conservatorship.

Courville says that after Bam reached out to her and met her in person, he began to publicly speak out about hating his guardianship and no longer wanted Jevremović or any guardian to be a part of his life. The episode shows multiple clips of Bam and other people describing Bam as the “Britney Spears of ‘Jackass.'” Karas points out that although Jevremović was not paid to be Bam’s guardian, Jevremović benefited by all the publicity and other perks that she was getting for being his guardian.

As an example of how off-topic this episode gets, there’s a large amount of time showing Jevremović’s family problems. Jevremović says she grew up in an abusive household where she, her younger twin sisters Dahlia and Dia, and their mother Linda were all abused by a family member who is not named. Dahlia and Dia have mental health issues, according to their sister Lima. At one point, Dahlia goes missing, so there’s footage of Linda, Dia and Lima looking for her.

Courville talks about her own family problems. She says that her father died from a methamphetamine overdose when she was in her first year of law school. Courville comments that her father’s death is why she has empathy for people who struggle with drug addiction. She also admits that she ramped up her efforts to prove that Lima Jevremović was a fraud after she saw that Lima stated a cause of death for Rabb that was different from the official medical examiner report.

Linda claims that she and her twin daughters had to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to flee from the harassment they were getting from That Surprise Army. Dahlia had a mental breakdown and Linda called the police because Linda said Dahlia attacked her. Police body cam footage shows Dahlia ranting about Linda forcing her into sex trafficking.

When Courville got ahold of this body cam footage, she posted it online. Accusations flew and gossip spread about Linda being a sex trafficker, which are allegations that Linda vehemently denies. All of this feuding is just so sordid and is not about Bam at all. Casey Fowler, a former member That Surprise Army, says he quit the group because he didn’t agree with how Courville and That Surprise Army were going after the Jevremović family. An epilogue in the episode says that Lima sued Courville for libel and that the case is “pending.”

And do we really need to know what are these feuders’ favorite movies? No, but “The Curious Case of …” tells us anyway. Courville says the comedy film “Legally Blonde” inspired her to become a lawyer. Lima says the movies that inspired her the most were the gangster dramas “The Godfather” and “Scarface.” You can come to your own conclusions about what that all means, but it’s example of how the episode goes off the rails into irrelevant topics.

The editing, music and cinematography in “The Curious Case of …” reek of techniques used by trashy reality shows. For whatever reason, there are multiple and repetitive closeups of Courville (who wears fuzzy pink cat ears in her interview) pursing her lips in a smug manner or putting on lipstick. “The Curious Case of …” doesn’t seem to care about treating sensitive issues with dignity. This show ultimately embarrasses many of its participants for the sake of “entertainment.”

Investigation Discovery premiered “The Curious Case of …” on January 13, 2025.

Review: ‘Uninvited’ (2024), starring Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre

January 19, 2025

by Carla Hay

Vilma Santos in “Uninvited” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. International)

“Uninvited” (2024)

Directed by Dan Villegas

Tagalog and English with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed city in the Philippines, the dramatic film “Uninvited” features an all-Asian cast of characters representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A woman seeks murderous revenge on a corrupt billionaire and some of his cronies for the death of her daughter.

Culture Audience: “Uninvited” will appeal mainly to people who don’t mind watching tacky melodramas.

Ron Angeles, Nadine Lustre and Aga Muhlach in “Uninvited” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. International)

“Uninvited” is exactly the tawdry melodrama it appears to be. It’s a predictable story about a vigilante mother on a murderous vendetta. The terrible acting performances drag the movie down to cringeworthy levels.

Directed by Dan Villegas and written by Dodo Dayao, “Uninvited” takes place in an unnamed city in the Philippines. It begins by showing a woman named Lilia Capistrano (played by Vilma Santos) looking frantically for her teenage daughter Lily in their house, but the Lilla can’t find Lily. It’s later revealed in flashbacks that Lily (played by Gabby Padilla) and her boyfriend Christopher Norman “Tofy” Almario (played by Elijah Canlas) are both dead.

The next scene takes place 10 years after Lily’s death. Lilia is at a lavish party at the mansion owned by billionaire criminal Guilly Vega (played by Aga Muhlach), who is celebrating his 55th birthday at this party. Lilia has arrived at this party uninvited and is pretending to be a socialite/philanthropist named Eva Candelaria. Guilly is secretly involved with drug smuggling, sex trafficking and many other crimes.

Also at the party are Guilly’s materialistic and shallow wife Katrina Vega (played by Mylene Dizon) and their “wild child” daughter Nicolette Chantal “Nicole” Remegio Vega (played by Nadine Lustre), who’s in her 20s. Nicole, also known as Nicky, is addicted to cocaine that is supplied to her by her enabling boyfriend Mark (played by Ron Angeles), who is also at the party. Nicole repeatedly talks about how much she hates her father Guilly.

Other party attendees are Jigger Zulueta (played by RK Bagatsing), who is Guilly’s right-hand man; Celso Batac (played by Cholo Barretto), who is Guilly’s bodyguard; Jomar Maitim (played by Ketchup Eusebio), who is Guilly’s pimp; Randall Ballesteros (played by Gio Alvarez), who is Guilly’s corporate “fixer”; and Colonel Red Zaldarriaga (played by Tirso Cruz III), Guilly’s friend who is now his enemy. One can assume that Red was invited to the party so that Guilly could flaunt his wealth to make Red jealous.

“Uninvited” alternates between scenes at the party and flashback scenes to show why Lilia has gone to this party under a false identity. You can easily figure out within the first 15 minutes of the movie that Lilia’s motive has something to do with Lily’s death. In case it isn’t made clear that Guilly is a complete scumbag, he acts like an incestuous father to Nicole. It should also come as no surprise when the family’s dirty secret is eventually revealed.

Lilia’s close friend Norma Almario (played by Lotlot de Leon) is Tofy’s grieving mother. Norma is briefly in the movie and doesn’t have much bearing on the plot. It’s pretty clear that Lilia is acting out her revenge plan completely on her own. Her plan (killing more than one person at this crowded party) is actually very foolish because there could be many witnesses and so many things could go wrong.

Santos brings some believable humanity to her role as Lilia. Her performance is the main reason why “Uninvited” isn’t a complete waste of time if you want to watch a formulaic vigilante movie. Unfortunately, all of the other “Uninvited” cast members are either too stiff or over-act in their performances.

“Uninvited” slowly lurches along to the inevitable reveal of who are Lilia’s targets besides Guilly and how she plans to get revenge. A mid-credits scene is underwhelming and adds nothing interesting to the movie, which ends very abruptly. It all adds up to a sordid soap opera that has no surprises and is actually quite boring in how everything plays out to the very unimaginative end.

Warner Bros. International released “Uninvited” in select U.S. cinemas on January 10, 2025. The movie was released in the Philippines on December 25, 2024.

Review: ‘One of Them Days,’ starring Keke Palmer and SZA

January 18, 2025

by Carla Hay

“One of Them Days”

Directed by Lawrence Lamont

Culture Representation: Taking place in the Los Angeles area, the comedy film “One of Them Days” features a predominantly African American cast of characters (with some white people, Asian people and Latin people) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: Two roommates/best friends have less than 12 hours to come up with rent money that was stolen from them, or else they’ll be evicted.

Culture Audience: “One of Them Days” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and comedies about best friends who experience wacky mishaps.

Keke Palmer and SZA in “One of Them Days”(Photo courtesy of TriStar Pictures)

“One of Them Days” isn’t a great comedy, but it’s entertaining enough to show that Keke Palmer and SZA are a dynamic duo deserving of a better screenplay. The movie relies on over-used “broke from the ‘hood” stereotypes. The engaging performances by many of the cast members elevate what would otherwise be a checklist of tired clichés.

Directed by Lawrence Lamont and written by former “Insecure” writer Syreeta Singleton, “One of Them Days” takes place mostly over a 24-hour period in the Los Angeles area, where the movie was filmed. “One of Them Days” is the feature-film directorial debut for Lamont, whose previous directorial work has been in music videos and in television. Lamont and Singleton previously worked together on the 2022-2023 comedy TV series “Rap Sh!t.” Former “Insecure” star/executive producer Issa Rae (the creator of “Rap Sh!t”) is a producer of “One of Them Days.”

In “One of Them Days,” two apartment roommates—career-oriented Dreux (played by Keke Palmer) and artsy Alyssa (played by SZA)—are best friends who are struggling and hoping for better lives than they have now. Dreux (whose name is pronounced “Drew”) works as a waitress at Norm’s Diner and wants to be promoted to franchise manager. She has an interview for the job later that day. Alyssa is a painter artist who hasn’t had much luck selling her work.

For the past six months, Dreux and Alyssa have had a third person living in their apartment unit: Alyssa’s boyfriend Keshawn (played by Joshua David Neal), a wannabe rapper who’s unemployed. Dreux isn’t thrilled about this arrangement because—as she says later in the movie—Keshawn was originally supposed to stay with them for only three days. Keshawn is a smarmy sweet-talker who shouldn’t be trusted because he’s a habitual liar.

The friendship between Dreux and Alyssa is like a yin-yang relationship. Dreux tends to be a practical realist. Alyssa tends to be a philosophical dreamer. If they have problems, Dreux is more likely to come up with a logical solution, while Alyssa is more like to say that things will work out in the universe if they put out positive vibes and “manifest to the ancestors.”

As already shown in the movie’s trailer, when the apartment landlord Ushe (played by Rizi Timane) comes over to demand $1,500 for the roommates’ overdue rent money, Dreux soon finds out that Alyssa gave the rent money to Keshawn, who was supposed to give the rent money to Ushe. Instead, Keshawn spent the money on T-shirts advertising himself as a rapper. Dreux and Alyssa don’t have any money in their bank accounts and don’t know anyone who can lend them the $1,500 they need for the rent.

To make matters worse, Alyssa finds Keshawn in bed with another woman, who lives fairly close by. The other woman’s name is Berniece (played by Aziza Scott) and she thinks that Keshawn is her man exclusively. Quicker than you can say “cat fight,” Berniece goes on an angry vendetta against Dreux and Alyssa, because the two roommates intruded in Berniece’s house when they were trying to track down Keshawn.

Ushe tells Dreux and Alyssa that they need to have the rent money by 6 p.m., or else Dreux and Alyssa will both be evicted. (Viewers will have to suspend disbelief, because in real life, the eviction process is much longer and complicated than what’s depicted in the movie.) A countdown clock occasionally appears on screen to show how much time Dreux and Alyssa have before the deadline. When they are given the deadline, have eight hours to come up with the money.

The rest of “One of Them Days” is a series of misadventures that Dreux and Alyssa experience, as they frantically try to find ways to get some quick cash. They end up encountering some eccentric and over-the-top people along the way. Some of the scenarios are funny, while other scenes fall flat and drag on for too long.

Other characters who appear in the movie include:

Mama Ruth (played by Vanessa Bell Calloway), a generous neighbor who has a maternal-like relationship with Dreux and Alyssa.
Ruby (played by Janelle James), a newly hired and nervous nursing assistant at a blood donor location.
Lucky (played by Katt Williams), a disheveled bystander who stands outside a loan shark office and warns people not to go inside.
Kathy (played by Keyla Monterroso Mejia), an impatient administrator at the loan shark office.
Jameel (played by Dewayne Perkins), Dreux’s openly gay hair stylist who lives in the same apartment complex.
Bethany (played by Maude Apatow), an idealistic new tenant who moves in the apartment complex and tries to befriend Dreux and Alyssa.
An anonymous man (played by Lil Rel Howery), who wants to buys a pair of Nike shoes from Alyssa, who found the shoes hanging on a landline wire pole outside.
King Lolo (played by Amin Joseph), a thug who goes after Alyssa and Dreux because he claims to be the rightful owner of the shoes.
Maniac (played by Patrick Cage), a random good-looking guy who offers to buy Dreux and Alyssa some fast food after their fast-food order gets stolen at a drive-by window.

Some of the characters have subplots that don’t work very well. Bethany is the only white person living in the apartment complex where Dreux and Alyssa live. The movie tries to poke fun at Bethany being oblivious to the racial tension/suspicion that her presence brings to the building. Bethany is friendly but very naïve, so making her the butt of some of the racial jokes seems ill-placed and mean-spirited. By contrast, Berniece is an “angry black woman” stereotype in a subplot that’s reminiscent of Tyler Perry comedies and not interesting at all.

Jameel is a very underdeveloped character who should’ve had more screen time in the movie. As it stands, the main “joke” about Jameel is that he’s supposed to be so “ghetto,” he doesn’t have a work space to style people’s hair, so he has to do his hair stylist work with customers in a chair in the apartment complex’s front yard. There are hints that Jameel has a big personality, but he isn’t in the movie long enough to see more of what he could do to make this story funnier.

The characters of Ruby, Lucky and Kathy are by far the most hilarious supporting characters in the movie. Most viewers already know James from the comedy series “Abbott Elementary” and Williams for his stand-up comedy, so their comedic talent is expected. The movie’s breakout revelation is the performance by Monterroso Mejia, who’s a scene stealer with excellent comedic timing in the short time (less than 15 minutes) that she has in the movie.

As for Palmer and SZA, their performances are truly the heart and soul of “One of Them Days.” Even though Dreux and Alyssa get in ridiculous situations, the winning performances of Palmer and SZA make the friendship between these two characters entirely believable. “One of Them Days” is the feature-film acting debut of Grammy-winning R&B singer SZA, who shows she has a very promising future as a movie actress.

Some people might compare “One of Them Days” to 1995’s “Friday” (starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker) because both movies are comedies about two best friends from Los Angeles who have a limited time to find money to pay a debt. “Friday” is much more of a stoner comedy that’s rougher around the edges. “One of Them Days” has a breezier tone that leaves room for romantic possibilities among all the rowdy antics. However, both movies are appealing enough that they’ve got “franchise” written all over them.

TriStar Pictures released “One of Them Days” in U.S. cinemas on January 17, 2025.

Review: ‘Wolf Man’ (2025), starring Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger and Matilda Firth

January 18, 2025

by Carla Hay

Christopher Abbott in “Wolf Man” (Photo by Nicola Dove/Universal Pictures)

“Wolf Man” (2025)

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Culture Representation: Taking place in rural Oregon and briefly in San Francisco, the horror film “Wolf Man” features an all-white cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: Two spouses and their pre-teen daughter go on a trip to the husband’s childhood home in a remote wooded area in Oregon, where they encounter a werewolf who traps the family and bites the husband.

Culture Audience: “Wolf Man” will appeal mainly to people who don’t mind watching slow-paced werewolf movies that don’t do anything clever or inventive.

Julia Garner, Matilda Firth and Christopher Abbott in “Wolf Man” (Photo by Nicola Dove/Universal Pictures)

“Wolf Man” takes longer to show the story’s wolf transformation than it does to watch paint to dry, which would be a better alternative than watching this sluggish and nonsensical horror movie. Adequate visual effects can’t save this mess. Considering how many movies there are about werewolves, it’s completely disappointing that “Wolf Man” does nothing unique and lazily stays stuck in a basic and derivative plot.

Directed by Leigh Whannell (who co-wrote the “Wolf Man” screenplay with Corbett Tuck”), “Wolf Man” uses the most cliché idea in horror movies: People experience terror in a remote wooded area. There is a relatively small number of people with speaking roles in “Wolf Man.” And all of these characters are as bland as bland can be.

“Wolf Man” begins in 1995, somewhere in rural mountainous area in central Oregon. (“Wolf Man” was actually filmed in New Zealand.) An introductory caption says that a hiker went missing in this area and came back with a fever that the indigenous people of the area attributed to a wolf bite. It’s not a secret that “Wolf Man” is about a man who turns into a werewolf. But getting there turns out to be a long-winded slog with very little suspense.

In this part of Oregon in 1995, a man named Grady Lovell (played by Sam Jaeger) is seen taking his son Blake Lovell (played by Zac Chandler), who’s about 8 or 9 years old, out in the woods so that they can go hunting together. Grady is stern and strict with Blake and orders him not to stray too far. Blake’s mother is not seen or mentioned in the movie.

Grady loses his temper and yells at Blake after Blake briefly gets separated from Grady in the woods. Blake explains apologetically, “I wanted to get closer to the deer.” There are signs that there’s a wolf nearby because wolf sounds are heard. On the ground, there’s also a dead animal that looks like it was attacked by another animal.

In the woods, a creature is seen quickly running near Grady and Blake. It runs by so fast, it looks almost like a blur. It’s obviously the wolf, but Grady lies to Blake and says that the animal is a bear. That’s the end of their hunting trip.

At home in the farmhouse where they live, Blake eavesdrops on Grady, who is talking on a CB radio to someone named Dan (voiced by Whannell), in a conversation where Grady says he “almost shot it.” You’d have to be completely unaware of what this movie is about if you can’t guess that the “it” is the werewolf on the loose. Grady turns around and looks irritated when he sees Blake standing in the open doorway, because now Grady knows that Blake heard this conversation.

“Wolf Man” abruptly cuts to 30 years later, in 2025. Blake is now living in San Francisco with his journalist wife Charlotte (played by Julia Garner) and their daughter Ginger (played by Matilda Firth), who’s about 8 or 9 years old. Blake is a writer, but he tells someone later in the movie that he’s between jobs. Don’t expect the movie to show or tell what type of writer Blake is because he’s never seen writing anything.

Regardless of what Blake does to get money, he thinks his most important job is to protect Ginger, who is a generically nice and obedient child. When Blake and Ginger walk together on a busy city street, he scolds her for straying a little too far (sound familiar?) because a man who looks mentally ill and homeless makes an aggressive remark to her. This movie is not subtle at all in showing how Blake is a lot more like his father than he would like to think he is.

Conversations in the movie reveal that Blake and Charlotte have been drifting apart because she spends a lot of time at work. Blake has a closer bond with Ginger than Charlotte has. Blake seems to want to talk with Charlotte about their marriage being in trouble, but she remains aloof and unwilling to discuss it.

It’s around this time that Blake gets a notice in the mail that his father Grady, who was missing for years, has now been officially declared dead. Blake has inherited the house where Blake grew up in Oregon. Blake has to go to Oregon to settle some legal affairs, but he doesn’t want to go alone.

And so, Blake suggests to Charlotte that they both go with Ginger for a family getaway trip to this remote area and stay at the family farmhouse, which hasn’t been inhabited for years. Blake says it will give them a chance to “recharge” and work on their relationship. Charlotte reluctantly agrees. They travel to Oregon by using the family’s SUV, with Blake doing the driving.

On the drive to the farmhouse in the woods, Blake gets lost. However, a former neighbor named Derek (played by Benedict Hardie), who’s about the same age as Blake, happens to be perched in a makeshift guard post in the woods. When Blake introduces himself and explains what he’s doing there, Derek remembers Blake from their childhoods. Derek is the son of Dan (who is never seen in the movie), the man who was talking to Grady by CB radio in the conversation that young Blake overheard.

Derek offers to show Blake where the Lovell family house is and gets in the SUV as a passenger. It isn’t long before all hell breaks loose. Blake is not too far from the house when he sees a hairy-looking man standing right in front of him on the road and serves sharply to avoid hitting him. The SUV crashes, leading to a harrowing scene that’s actually more suspenseful than the tedious scenes that follow.

Because the trailer for “Wolf Man” already reveals that Blake is going to turn into a werewolf, by the time the scene with the car accident happens, you can guess how Blake is going to get bitten. Blake gets a deep bloody gash on his right arm. This is the first indication that things will not go well with Blake.

Why can’t the Lovell family get help? Derek can’t help, for a reason that is shown in the movie. After the car crash, the SUV is unusable, and apparently there’s no cell phone service in this location. All they have in the house for outside communication is that old CB radio system, which is rusty and barely works.

These are among the many ridiculous scenarios contrived in “Wolf Man” to keep the Lovell family “stuck” in the house for an awfully long time. The reason why it all looks so stupid is that not once does Charlotte try to walk around to see if she can get a signal on her cell phone. Not once does Blake (who lived in the area for years) suggest that they try to find the closest neighbors or anyone who can help.

All of it is just a just a long, slow buildup to Blake’s werewolf transformation. His skin starts changing, and then he can no longer speak or understand a human language. When he sees Charlotte and Ginger, everything gets blurry, their eyes look like they’re glowing, and the language they speak sounds garbled and muffled to him. The cinematography and visual effects give “Wolf Man” some ominous-looking and striking visuals, but they can’t make up for a weak story.

The cast members’ performances in “Wolf Man” are stifled by a dreadfully dull screenplay, although Firth does a very good job in scenes where Ginger is supposed to be terrified. There are inconsistences in the terror scenes. In one scene, Charlotte doesn’t even flinch when a transformed Blake literally gets up in her face as a werewolf and stares her down. Later in the movie, Charlotte screams and runs away from werewolf Blake, even though he looks essentially the same as he did before when they had their staredown.

As for the werewolf that’s on the loose outside, the identity of this creature is eventually revealed. And it will surprise no one who paid attention to the obvious clues. Because it takes so long for Blake to transform into a werewolf, “Wolf Man” wastes a lot of time in dragging out what viewers already know is supposed to happen. The Lovell family is trapped in the woods, but viewers of “Wolf Man” might feel trapped into hoping that this underwhelming horror flick might get better as it goes along, but it never does.

Universal Pictures released “Wolf Man” in U.S. cinemas on January 17, 2025.

Review: ‘Octopus With Broken Arms,’ starring Xiao Yang, Tong Liya, Duan Yihong and Cya Liu

January 18, 2025

by Carla Hay

“Octopus With Broken Arms”

Directed by Jacky Gan

Mandarin with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in China, the action film “Octopus With Broken Arms” features an all-Asian cast of characters (with some white people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A billionaire widowed businessman fights mysterious enemies after his 8-year-old daughter is kidnapped.

Culture Audience: “Octopus With Broken Arms” will appeal mainly to people who don’t mind watching action crime thrillers that are convoluted, just for the sake of having “shocking” twists.

A scene from “Octopus With Broken Arms” (Photo courtesy of CMC Pictures)

“Octopus With Broken Arms” has plenty of suspenseful action, but it has too many far-fetched plot twists. The melodramatic overacting looks too fake and does a disservice to the film’s serious subject of children who are kidnapped and enslaved. “Octopus With Broken Arms” takes this subject and puts in a very manipulative story that constantly insults viewers’ intelligence

Directed by Jacky Gan and written by Li Peng, “Octopus With Broken Arms” (formerly titled “Sheep Without a Shepherd 3”) takes place in unnamed cities in China. The movie begins by showing that billionaire widower Zheng Bingrui (played by Xiao Yang) proudly watching his 8-year-old daughter Tingting (played by Chloe Ye) performing on stage for a school play. Tingting’s teacher Li Huiping (played by Tong Liya) seems to have a good relationship with her, which is why Bingrui invites Huiping to Tingting’s upcoming birthday party.

Bingrui is the chairman of Ruiting Group, a company that he owns. It’s briefly mentioned in a news report that Ruiting Group makes facial masks. Because of his wealth, Bingrui is famous throughout China. The movie is named “Octopus With Broken Arms” because Tingting, Bingrui and Huiping having matching octopus stamps on their hands.

At the birthday party, things seem to be going well until Tingting disappears. Not long after the disappearance, Bingrui gets a call demanding a $100 million ransom (which is about ¥732,500 RMB) for the return of Tingting. Bingrui is willing to pay the money, but he understandably wants law enforcement to catch the kidnapper or kidnappers.

Bingrui immediately names two possible suspects: Shi Fu’an (played by Feng Bing) is someone who is Bingrui’s enemy, for reasons that are revealed later in the movie. The other suspect is a mute gardener named Lu (played by Bokeh Kosang), who was seen on a surveillance video appearing to driving Tingting to Fu’an’s home. Lu goes through an intense and brutal interrogation by police.

However, early on in the movie, it’s shown that someone else has been making the ransom calls, using a device that disguises the caller’s voice. This person wears a hooded jacket and is in a room that has several video monitors that can watch every move made by Bingrui, even when Bingrui and Huiping zip around on a boat in a lake to deliver the ransom money. This “everywhere all at once” video surveillance is when the movie starts to fall apart and spirals into nonsense.

Meanwhile, another child named Daymond Pankong (played by Chayanon Akradamrongdet) is kidnapped and used as bait for Bingrui to find Tingting. Pangkong is named after his father (played by Jack Kao), who is the director of China’s National Security Agencyu. There’s also a woman named Yayin (played by Cya Liu), who has a big role in the story because of something that happened in her past.

The police leader in the child kidnapping investigation is police captain Zhang Jingxian (played by Duan Yihong), who is somewhat helpful, but “Octopus With Broken Arms” is really about making Bingrui the vigilante action hero of the story. Liang Su’e (played by Sandrine Pinna) is a police officer who assists in the case. The violence in “Octopus With Broken Arms” can be quite gruesome, such as a scene depicting a child’s finger being cut off by a kidnapper. There are also shootouts, chase scenes, fist fights, explosions and other action movie clichés.

A tragedy that happened in 2017 is the catalyst for some of the characters’ motives. As explained in the movie, in June 2017, a ship was headed to the border of China, when a gas leak caused the ship to explode. All 619 people on board were killed, including 23 children. The people on the ship were refugees trying to cross the border illegally.

The relationship between Bingrui and Huiping is never adequately explained. Why is this schoolteacher running around with Bingrui and getting herself into dangerous situations like a superhero sidekick? It’s because she’s in a preposterous movie.

Unfortunately, “Octopus With Broken Arms” tries to cram in too many ideas without much cohesive thought. The movie jumps from one plot twist to the next—and almost none of them are believable. The choppy editing often makes “Octopus With Broken Arms” look incoherent. And by the time secrets are revealed (along with the movie’s many plot holes), none of it makes enough sense for the movie’s ending to have its intended impact.

CMC Pictures released “Octopus With Broken Arms” in select U.S. cinemas on January 10, 2025. The movie was released in China on December 28, 2024.