Tag: Dermot Mulroney

Review: ‘Guns & Moses,’ starring Mark Feuerstein, Neal McDonough, Alona Tal, Michael B. Silver, Craig Sheffer, Christopher Lloyd and Dermot Mulroney

July 20, 2025

by Carla Hay

Mark Feuerstein in “Guns & Moses” (Photo courtesy of Concourse Media)

“Guns & Moses”

Directed by Salvador Litvak

Culture Representation: Taking place in California’s High Desert region, the dramatic film “Guns & Moses” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few Latin people and African Americans) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: After a wealthy land developer is assassinated during a charity benefit event for a synagogue, the synagogue’s rabbi does his own investigation into the murder and finds a tangled web of motives and possible suspects.  

Culture Audience: “Guns & Moses” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and twist-filled crime dramas told from the perspectives of unlikely investigators.

Neal McDonough, Mark Feuerstein, Alona Tal, Mercedes Mason and Dermot Mulroney in “Guns & Moses” (Photo courtesy of Concourse Media)

Despite a few stumbles and some corny dialogue, “Guns & Moses” is an absorbing murder mystery with a rabbi becoming an amateur detective in a case involving antisemitism and environmental concerns. The investigation scenes are better than the action scenes. “Guns & Moses” capably handles its storylines and character personalities for the large ensemble cast without gettting too jumbled or messy.

Directed by Salvador Litvak (who co-wrote the “Guns & Moses” screenplay with his wife Nina Litvak), “Guns & Moses” takes place in California’s High Desert region, where the movie was filmed on location. The movie had its premiere at the 2024 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival. It’s the type of thriller that has a predictable ending, but the “whodunit” crime-solving part of the movie is intriguing.

“Guns & Moses” begins by showing a charity benefit gala for the High Desert Jewish Center, which is trying to raise money to build a synagogue for its members. The High Desert Jewish Center’s place of worship is currently the center’s headquarters, which is located in a storefront building. The synagogue has been a goal for years, but it’s been difficult for the High Desert Jewish Center to raise enough for money for it.

Rabbi Moishe “Mo” Zaltzman (played by Mark Feuerstein), who is 43 years old, is the leader of the High Desert Jewish Center. At this charity gala, which takes place in the evening, the guest of honor is Alan Rosner (played by Dermot Mulroney), a wealthy property developer. Also in attendance is Donovan Kirk (played by Neal McDonough), the mayor of High Desert, who playfully pretends to get into a verbal argument with Alan when they see each other at the ceremony. Alan and Donovan are both charismatic “alpha males” who are very good friends. Mo admires both of them and knows that they could be powerful allies.

Before Alan gives his speech, the audience at the gala is shown a pre-recorded video of Alan’s closest confidants congratulating him on receiving this honor from the High Desert Jewish Center. Appearing in the video are Alan’s business partner Tibor Farkas (played by Craig Sheffer); Alan’s brother Jeff Rosner (played by Michael B. Silver); Jeff’s wife Pauline Rosner (played by Cherie Jimenez); Alan’s wife Liat Rosner (played by Mercedes Mason); and Alan’s two stepchildren who are in their late teens: Devora Rosner (played by Brielle Angelique) and Koby Rosner (played by Massi Pregoni), who are from Liat’s previous marriage.

Liat was a widow when she married Alan, who adopted Devora and Koby after Alan and Liat got married. The only person in the congratulations video who seems like he doesn’t want to be there is Koby, a stoner who’s addicted to vaping. By contrast, Devora is an obedient “daddy’s girl,” who brims with pride and joy when talking about Alan and how she likes helping him with his company’s social media. The teenagers’ biological father (Liat’s first husband) was killed in a terrorist attack. More about Liat’s past is revealed in the movie.

Mo is happily married to his loyal wife Hindy Zaltzman (played by Alona Tal), who is the mother of their five children, ranging from ages about 9 to about 17: son Yossy Zaltzman (played by Joshua Gallup) is the eldest, followed by daughter Esty Zaltzman (played by Mila Brener), son Levy Zaltzman (played by Jarod Bainbridge), daughter Dini Zaltzman (played by Juju Journey Brener) and son Mendy Zaltzman (played by Trey Diaz Murphy). Yossy and Esty are the most eager to help when Mo begins his investigation.

During Alan’s speech at the gala, he announces that he is pledging $2 million as a gift to build the High Desert Jewish Center’s proposed synagogue. As soon as he makes the announcement, tragedy strikes: Alan is gunned down by an unidentified sniper who flees by car. Alan is killed almost instantly.

The two police partners who are at the crime scene to investigate are Detective Wallace (played by Ed Quinn) and Detective Nestor (played by Zach Villa), who believe the High Desert Jewish Center’s security chief Brenda Navarro (played by Gabrielle Ruiz) on who the killer is. Brenda suspects that the killer is a 19-year-old named Clay Gibbons (played by Jackson A. Dunn), who is known to associate with a white supremacist group and who has previously had antisemitic run-ins at the High Desert Jewish Center.

Flashbacks show an incident when Clay stood outside the building and pantomimed shooting a gun at the people who were entering the building. Brenda confronted Clay and ordered him to leave. He was defiant and taunting, to make it clear that he intended to scare people with these gun gestures.

Another flashback, shown a bit later in the movie, reveals that the most recent antisemitic incident with Clay was when he and Mo had a tense conversation when Clay was parked outside the center and was playing music too loud in Clay’s car. Mo politely asked Clay to turn down the music. Clay’s response was to go on a rant saying that Jewish people are perpetrators of white genocide, and the Holocaust was a hoax.

After the murder of Alan, Clay is quickly arrested at his home, even though Clay’s widowed father Owen Gibbons (played by Jake Busey) says that Clay was at home all night with Owen. The police don’t believe this alibi. Clay’s mother died in a car accident when he was 11. The movie also makes a point of showing the cutting scars on Clay’s arm, as an indication that he has a history of self-harming.

Mo doesn’t believe that Clay committed the murder because, as shown in the flashback where Mo confronted Clay, Mo asked Clay to listen to the Holocaust survivor story of an elderly congregant named Sol Fassbinder (played by Christopher Lloyd), whose immediate family was murdered in the Holocaust. Clay seems skeptical of the story but he eats some brownies offered by Mo as a sort of peace offering. Clay wasn’t seen at the High Desert Jewish Center again.

Mo goes to visit Clay in jail and promises to try to help prove Clay is not guilty of the murder. His conversation with Clay is short because Detective Wallace and Detective Nestor suddenly show up and scold Mo for talking to a suspect while being a witness for a possible trial. Mo also gets some backlash and criticism from other people who find out that Mo visited Clay in jail. Most of the people in the community think that Clay is guilty, even though there is no physical evidence tying Clay to the murder.

Mo trusts his instincts and decides to do his own investigation, against the objections of some people, such as Alan’s widow Liat. At the shiva wake for Alan, Mo notices that Liat is being comforted by Sid Borowski (played by Paulo Costanzo), a former professor who had been feuding with Alan. Devora is very upset to see Sid at this wake and says that Alan would never have allowed it.

Mo finds out why there was bad blood between Sid and Alan. This review won’t give away all the details, but it has to do with a lawsuit that Sid filed against Alan, with the lawsuit accusing Alan’s company of being environmentally hazardous and causing the death of birds. In response to the lawsuit, Alan dug up scandalous information from Sid’s past that caused Sid to be fired from his job.

More details also emerge about Alan’s business activities that could be motives for someone wanting him murdered. Mo’s life also gets put in danger, but he won’t stop his investigation. Security chief Brenda insists that Mo get a gun and learn how to use it. Other things happen that convince him even more that that someone who isn’t Clay was responsible for Alan’s murder.

At times, “Guns & Moses” resembles a TV series crime procedural, where Mo gets some answers and evidence a little too easily for someone who’s not a professional investigator. However, there’s some validity in believing that Mo could be better at gaining people’s trust because he’s a rabbi and not a law enforcement official. Mo is a very interesting character and seems to be written as someone who was made to be in a series of murder mystery stories.

“Guns & Moses” has some touches of comic relief, such as when Mo’s eldest son Yossy wants to tag along for something dangerous that Mo wants to do, but Mo doesn’t want Yossy to go with him because he doesn’t think underage Yossy can handle it. Yossy wails, “Did my bar mitzvah mean nothing?” Other lines of dialogue are hokey and might get unintended laughs. For example, during a pivotal scene in the movie, Hindy tells Mo: “May God and your Glock protect you.” (That sentence is also the movie’s slogan.)

Feuerstein makes Mo a believable character, even though some of the situations he’s in don’t look too credible. The cast’s acting performances are solid overall though. Fans of the 2009 to 2016 comedy/drama series “Royal Pains” should be delighted to know that former “Royal Pains” co-stars Feuerstein and Constanzo have an on-screen reunion as Mo and Sid in “Guns & Moses.” This reunion is less than 15 minutes of screen time in “Guns & Moses,” but it’s better than nothing.

If you see “Guns & Moses” in a theater and stay for the end credits, then you’ll see writer/director Salvador Litvak in a short pre-recorded message where he says that he made the film in response to the alarming rise in antisemitism in recent years. He also says in the message that although he doesn’t ever wish for antisemitic hate crimes to happen, he believes that Jewish people need to learn to protect themselves against violent attacks and should be prepared to fight back if necessary. In the message, Salvador Litvak also requests that fans of the movie give positive feedback to other people about “Guns & Moses” so that he can make more similar-themed movies.

“Guns & Moses” comes across as a non-political crime drama and not as pro-gun propaganda for Jewish people. Therefore, this politically-tinged statement from Salvador Litvak is wisely kept at the end of the film because the story is not preachy at all and in fact encourages people not to rush to judgment against those who might be considered “enemies.” Whatever anyone’s political opinions are, “Guns & Moses” should be enjoyed for what it is: a suspenseful mystery thriller that isn’t perfect but it has a memorable lead character who could be in one or more sequels if enough people want it.

Concourse Media released “Guns & Moses” in select U.S. cinemas on July 18, 2025. Fathom Entertainment will re-release “Guns & Moses” in select U.S. cinemas for a limited engagement from September 7 to September 11, 2025.

Review: ‘Like Father Like Son’ (2025), starring Dylan Flashner, Ariel Winter, Vivica A. Fox, Jim Klock, Prima Apollinaare, Eric Michael Cole, Mayim Bialik and Dermot Mulroney

April 13, 2025

by Carla Hay

Dylan Flashner and Ariel Winter in “Like Father Like Son” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate)

“Like Father Like Son” (2025)

Directed by Barry Jay

Culture Representation: Taking place in California, mostly in the mid-2010s, the dramatic film “Like Father Like Son” features a predominantly white group of people (with a African Americans) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: An adult son of a convicted serial killer, who is awaiting death-row execution, tries to fight off the feeling that he has inherited his father’s murderous tendencies.

Culture Audience: “Like Father Like Son” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and terribly made crime dramas with gratuitous violence.

Dermot Mulroney in “Like Father Like Son” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate)

“Like Father Like Son” is an utterly trashy drama about a convicted serial killer’s son who uses his father’s criminal history as an excuse to also become a serial killer. The screenplay, direction, film editing and most of the acting are horrendous. This is the type of movie that has no redeeming qualities and is actually quite soulless and empty.

Written and directed by Barry Jay, “Like Father Like Son” takes place in California, mostly in the mid-2010s. However, the movie begins in the summer of 1990, in Richmond, California. It’s a flashback scene that shows Gabriel “Gabe” McKinnon (played by Dermot Mulroney) at his job as a park sanitation worker. One day, Gabe is outside in the park when he sees a teenage bully named Lonnie (played by Pappy Faulkner) beating up a smaller teen named Gary (played by Jonathan Tysor), who is no match for muscular Lonnie. Gary had a comic book that Lonnie tore up before this physical assault.

Gabe is offended by what he sees. Gary manages to run away. And what does Gabe do? He murders Lonnie by stabbing Lonnie in the neck and then viciously bludgeoning Lonnie. There’s a witness to this murder: Gabe’s son Eli, who is 7 or 8 years old. Gabe orders Eli to go home. Gabe gets arrested and convicted of first-degree murder and is given the death penalty as his sentence.

The movie then fast-forwards about 25 years later, when Eli (played by Dylan Flashner) is in his early 30s. Eli is a bachelor who works as a low-level telemarketer for a company called Holder Last Insurance. Eli is terrible at getting sales for this job, where he is openly disrespected by his boss Jake (played by Jim Klock, who is one of the producers of this awful movie). It’s only a matter of time before Eli will get fired.

Making matters worse for Eli, he’s having financial problems that have led to having his truck repossessed. He’s also gotten behind on the rent at the house where he lives. His landlord Tzipora (played by Prima Apollinaare), who lives with her elderly rabbi father (played by Daniel Lench), is so generous and understanding, not only does she give Eli more time to pay the rent that he owes, but she also gives him some free groceries. Eli promises he’ll pay back what he owes when he has the money.

Meanwhile, Eli is in therapy that is paid for by the government because Eli is the child of a death-row inmate. Eli’s mother abandoned him “a long time ago,” so Eli grew up in foster care after his father Gabe was sent to prison. Eli’s therapist Anabelle Weiss (played by Mayim Bialik) is professional and compassionate.

Eli confides in Anabelle that he’s had uncontrollable rage and thoughts of harming people. Eli believes he might have inherited a gene from his father that would make Eli a serial killer, even though there’s no scientific proof that being a serial killer is a biologically inherited trait. Annabelle tells Eli, “This isn’t about your father. You have to control your rage, how it will affect your life.”

Annabelle suggests to Eli that he should visit Gabe in prison before Gabe is executed, so that Eli can better understand Gabe. It seems like terrible advice because Eli doesn’t seem interested or ready to establish a relationship with Gabe. Eli has his own problems to deal with, but he takes Annabelle’s advice and eventually visits Gabe in prison.

Before Eli’s prison visit happens, Eli is so desperate for money, he sells one of the last valuables that he has: an inherited watch. He goes to a sleazy lowlife named Sam (played by Eric Michael Cole), who offers to buy the watch for well below the market value. Eli does some haggling but eventually agrees to sell the watch for only $50. Later, Eli buys a gun from Sam.

Feeling lonely and depressed, Eli goes to a bar and picks up a sassy woman named Hayley Moretti (played by Ariel Winter), who is a sex worker and a thief. Hayley has a one-night stand with Eli, who wakes up the next morning to find his wallet is missing. He accuses Hayley of stealing his wallet.

Hayley denies it, but he strangles her unconscious so he can look through her purse. And sure enough, Eli finds his wallet in Hayley’s purse. When Hayley regains consciousness, she calls Eli a “psycho” and leaves in a huff. It won’t be the last time that Hayley and Eli see each other.

Eli gets fired from his job. He decides to take his therapist’s advice about visiting Gabe. At the prison, Gabe is unapologetic for his crimes. Gabe can see that Eli is very troubled when Eli admits that he has uncontrollable rages.

Gabe tells Eli, “Maybe we’re a little more alike than you think.” Eli denies it and says he could never murder anyone. And in this atrocious movie that has the subtlety of a bulldozer, that’s exactly when you know it won’t be long before Eli murders someone.

That moment happens when Eli sees Hayley being attacked by a man in the dark shadows outside of a building at night. Without hesitation, Eli takes a rock and bashes it repeatedly over the man’s head. Hayley doesn’t seem to have any qualms about this gruesome and unnecessary murder. She thanks Eli and asks him if she could temporarily move in with Eli because she needs a place to stay.

A reminder: The last time Hayley saw Eli, he strangled her until she was unconscious. She has now witnessed Eli as a cold-blooded murderer. And now, she wants to live with him. The movie tries to make it look romantic, but it all looks so repulsive.

You know how this movie is going to go as soon as Eli and Hayley start living together. They fall “in love,” while he continues his serial killing. He keeps it a secret from Hayley, even though she already knows he’s a murderer. Apparently, Hayley thinks that the murder she saw Eli commit was okay with her because the person who was killed was attacking her.

As for Gabe, his death-row fate is inevitable. Gabe gets a new cellmate named Dennis (played by Jonathan Shores), who brags to Gabe that he’s in prison for sexually abusing children. In prison, there’s a hierarchy of criminals where child abusers are considered the worst and the lowest of the low. It comes as no surprise that loose cannon Gabe brutally murders Dennis. This murder (which Gabe apparently confessed to willingly) results in Gabe’s execution date being moved up.

“Like Father, Like Son” tries to make Eli’s killings look justified because he goes after people who hurt others. In one scene, he murders a thief who robbed a homeless man. Eli gets a new job as a newspaper delivery driver. He is hired by a no-nonsense boss named Louise (played by Vivica A. Fox), who is one of many characters in “Like Father Like Son” who just show up to say some lines of dialogue but didn’t need to be in the story at all.

At one point in the movie, Eli and Hayley move to San Diego to start a new life when Hayley finds out that she’s pregnant. Eli’s murder spree doesn’t stop. And you know exactly what’s going to happen when Hayley confides in Eli that her stepfather sexually molested her when she was a child, and her mother knew about this sexual abuse but did nothing about it. Eli’s murders become less and less justifiable until he starts killing anyone who makes him angry.

“Like Father Like Son” has some very tacky editing, where Eli’s murders are often shown in a montage of freeze frames. The movie rambles along with no purpose and is just a series of scenes of Eli becoming more mentally unstable and murdering people in the process. The music score is bombastic, while the movie’s pacing is erratic.

Perhaps the only person in the cast who doesn’t give a bland or terrible performance is Bialik, but that’s not saying much because she’s only in the movie for about five minutes. “Like Father Like Son” seems to be an endorsement of the idea that serial killers can at least partially blame their crimes on having an inherited gene that makes them murderers, instead of the murderers taking full responsibility for their actions. Even if the movie’s filmmaking had been better, it’s still a heinous concept for a movie that isn’t worth anyone’s time.

Lionsgate released “Like Father Like Son” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on January 31, 2025.

Review: ‘Blackwater Lane,’ starring Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney

August 15, 2024

by Carla Hay

Minka Kelly and Dermot Mulroney in “Blackwater Lane” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate)

“Blackwater Lane”

Directed by Jeff Celentano

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed part of England, the dramatic film “Blackwater” (based on the 2017 novel “The Breakdown”) features an all-white group of people representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A married schoolteacher sees a woman slumped in a car at night and later finds out the woman was dead in the car, and this witness starts to get harassed by a mysterious stalker.

Culture Audience: “Blackwater Lane” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners or the “Breakdown” novel, but the movie collapses under the weight of its own stupidity.

Dermot Mulroney, Minka Kelly and Maggie Grace in “Blackwater Lane” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate)

The time-wasting mystery thriller “Blackwater Lane” is an inferior adaptation of B.A. Paris’ popular 2017 novel “The Breakdown.” This soulless movie ruins the book’s story with a nonsensical narrative and lackluster acting. It’s one of those movies that goes around in annoying repetitive circles until the movie’s predictable and ridiculously staged ending.

Directed by Jeff Celentano and written by Elizabeth Fowler, “Blackwater Lane” takes place in an unnamed part of England. (The movie was actually filmed in Suffolk, England.) In “The Breakdown,” the three main characters are British. But because “Blackwater Lane” is an American production, the movie changes the main characters to all be people who were raised in the U.S., in order to explain their American accents.

“Blackwater Lane” is named for the street that is the location of the crime scene that’s the catalyst for the story’s mystery. The three main characters in “Blackwater Lane” are:

  • Cass Anderson (played by Minka Kelly), a former actress who is now a drama teacher at a high school. Cass is soft-spoken and has a gentle personality. It’s mentioned that Cass is half-British and half-American and was raised in the United States, but she’s currently living in a castle that she inherited from the British side of her family.
  • Matthew Anderson (played by Dermot Mulroney) is Cass’ American husband. It isn’t made very clear what Matthew does for a living, but he’s been spending a lot of time renovating the castle. Matthew and Cass have no children but have been trying to start a family.
  • Rachel (played by Maggie Grace) is Cass’ best friend. Just like Cass, Rachel is also a half-British and half-American person who was raised in the United States. Rachel is a confident extrovert who is a bachelorette career woman who works at an unnamed office job.

One rainy night, Cass is driving on Blackwater Lane when she sees a woman in her 30s or 40s slumped over in the driver’s seat of a car parked on the side of the road. Cass slows down to take a closer look but doesn’t get out of her car. Is the woman dead or alive? Cass doesn’t know, and she’s the only driver on this deserted and desolate road.

Ultimately, Cass decides to drive away without telling anyone or doing anything to find out if the woman in the car needs help. Cass also doesn’t tell anyone what she saw until she sees a TV news report the next day that the woman in the car was found dead in the car. Police suspect foul play. A medical examiner report later determines that the woman had been murdered.

The murder victim’s name is Jane Walters (played by Sally Blouet), and her next of kin are her husband Alex Walters (played by Kris Johnson) and 2-year-old twins. The police estimate that Jane died between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. because she called Alex at 10 p.m. that night. Cass feels increasingly guilty about not checking to see if Jane was still alive and not reporting immediately that she saw Jane in the car.

It turns out that Jane was a co-worker of Rachel’s. Jane recently left the company and Cass actually briefly met Jane at the company’s going-away party for Jane. The movie reveals if Cass eventually tells anyone else what she saw on Blackwater Lane that night. In the meantime, Cass begins to be harassed by a mysterious stalker, who seems to have access to her home and who makes menacing phone calls to her. This harassment happens when Cass is alone and she can’t prove what happen, so Alex begins to question her sanity. How cliché.

There are half-hearted attempts to introduce possible suspects. Susie (played by Pandora Clifford) is a talkative British friend of Cass and Alex. John Collins (played by Alan Calton) is a tennis coach for the wealthy people in the area. Andrew (played by Judah Cousin) is a student of Cass’ who seems to have an obsessive crush on her.

“Blackwater Lane” is filled with shallow scenes that don’t really go anywhere. The movie’s plot twists are crammed in the last 20 minutes and are sloppily filmed. In the end, the villain or villains of the story can be very easy to predict once you see that “Blackwater Lane” has nothing clever or inventive to offer.

Lionsgate released “Blackwater Lane” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on June 21, 2024.

Review: ‘Breakwater’ (2023), starring Dermot Mulroney, Darren Mann, Alyssa Goss, Sonja Sohn, Celia Rose Gooding and Mena Suvari

January 2, 2024

by Carla Hay

Darren Mann and Alyssa Goss in “Breakwater” (Photo courtesy of Vertical)

“Breakwater” (2023)

Directed by James Rowe

Culture Representation: Taking place in North Carolina and in Virginia, the dramatic film “Breakwater” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with some African Americans) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: An ex-con tracks down the estranged daughter of a fellow prisoner as a favor but finds out that this favor is not what it appears to be. 

Culture Audience: “Breakwater” will appeal primarily to people who don’t mind watching predictable and not-very-believable crime thrillers.

Dermot Mulroney in “Breakwater” (Photo courtesy of Vertical)

“Breakwater” starts off being a mediocre thriller, but then it goes swiftly downhill in the last third of the movie, when it crams in too many far-fetched plot twists. It doesn’t help that the movie’s protagonist is dimwitted and boring. Unfortunately, the trailer for “Breakwater” reveals about 85% of what happens in the last third of the movie, including a few of the plot twists that should be surprises. Therefore, anyone who sees the trailer before watching “Breakwater” will be even more bored, because of the long and often tedious wait to get to the expected climactic showdown.

Written and directed by James Rowe, “Breakwater” had the potential to be a much better film if it hadn’t relied so much on tiresome clichés. The movie is also plagued by mediocre-to-bad performances from many of the principal cast members. The “hero” and the “villain” in the story have one-dimensional personalities. It all adds up to a frequently flat cinematic experience that becomes the most cringeworthy in the last third of the movie.

“Breakwater” centers on a gullible young man named Dovey (played by Darren Mann, giving a very stiff performance), who was sent to a Virginia prison for drug possession. (“Breakwater” was actually filmed in North Carolina.) Viewers find out later that Dovey took the blame for the crime, in order to protect the guilty woman whom he didn’t want to go to prison. It’s an example of how Dovey is overly generous and can be taken advantage of by the wrong people.

In the beginning of the movie, Dovey is spending his last day in prison before he is released. A fellow inmate named Ray Childress (played by Dermot Mulroney) has somehow gotten a slice of cake inside a cell and gives it to Dovey as a “birthday” present, because Ray says that getting out of prison is a rebirth. Ray asks Dovey for a big favor when Dovey is out of prison: Ray wants Dovey to find his estranged adult daughter Marina, who hasn’t seen or spoke to Ray in about seven years.

Ray has an idea where Marina is because he saw a woman who looks just like her in a newspaper photo published with a story about the mast of a 19th century ship being found off the coast of North Carolina. The mast is still standing upright in the ocean before it will be transported somewhere to be examined. Marina was one of the onlookers in the photo.

Ray says that if Dovey finds Marina, then Dovey cannot tell Marina that Ray is looking for her. Ray also says he just wants Dovey to tell him where Marina lives or works and if Marina is doing okay. Dovey agrees to do this favor out of the goodness of his heart and because he respects Ray, who became his friend in prison. Dovey doesn’t expect anything in return.

Even though Mena Suvari is a headliner for this movie, she has a useless cameo that lasts for less than five minutes. She portrays a bartender named Kendra, who has a thing for ex-cons and tries to seduce Dovey soon after he gets out of prison and he becomes a customer in the bar where she works. Their brief encounter ends awkwardly when Dovey doesn’t go for Kendra’s kink of having an ex-con pretend to kill her while having sex.

Before going to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where Marina is believed to be living, Dovey goes home to spend time with his fisherman father Luther (played by J.D. Evermore), whose specialty is crab fishing. Luther is happy to have Dovey working with him again on Luther’s small fishing boat. However, Dovey doesn’t stay for very long before he hops on his motorcycle to go to North Carolina to find Marina.

It should come as no surprise that Dovey finds her, except she is now going by the name Eve (played by Alyssa Goss), and she is the single mother of a daughter named Harper (played by Ezra DuVall), who’s about 5 or 6 years old. Harper and Eve live with Eve’s roommate Jess (played by Celia Rose Gooding), a pop/R&B singer who gets gigs at local restaurants/bars. “Breakwater” barely shows what kind of mother Eve is until the problematic last third of the movie.

Eve, who is friendly but foul-mouthed in her personal life, seems to be financially struggling. She is juggling jobs at a bookstore and as a tour guide for Outer Banks historical locations. Dovey charms Eve when they first meet by telling her that they share a passion for ships and sea history. He also tells her that he grew up spending a lot of time in the water. Dovey and Eve’s attraction to each other goes exactly where you think it will go.

Eve decides to take Dovey to a rocky coast area so he can get a better look at the mast from the 19th century shipwrecked boat. She accidentally drops a bracelet that she says was given to her by her father. The bracelet has sunk into the water, but Dovey decides he’s going to be a gallant gentleman, so he dives in the water to retrieve the bracelet and gives it back to Eve, who is flattered by and grateful for this kind gesture. Dovey later describes the bracelet to Ray in a phone conversation, which is how Ray knows that Dovey found the right person.

Of course, since it was already revealed in the movie’s trailer, Ray has sinister reasons to find Eve. Dovey’s no-nonsense parole officer Bonnie Bell (played by Sonja Sohn) becomes involved in this mess when she finds out that Dovey has violated his parole by crossing state lines without permission. It all leads to a very hokey conclusion with ridiculous-looking action scenes and plot “reveals” that sink the movie faster than you can say “forgettable, low-quality movie.”

Vertical released “Breakwater” in U.S. cinemas, digital and VOD on December 22, 2023.

Review: ‘Anyone But You’ (2023), starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell

December 28, 2023

by Carla Hay

Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in “Anyone But You” (Photo by Brook Rushton/Columbia Pictures)

“Anyone But You” (2023)

Directed by Will Gluck

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed U.S. city and in Sydney, Australia, the comedy film “Anyone But You” (loosely based on the William Shakespeare play “Much Ado About Nothing”) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with some black people, a few Asians and one indgenous person) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: After have a great first date together, a young would-be couple have angry feelings toward each other because of misunderstandings, but then they pretend to be a couple to make their respective ex-lovers jealous.

Culture Audience: “Anyone But You” will appeal primarily to fans of stars Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, and corny and predictable romantic comedies.

Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in “Anyone But You” (Photo by Brook Rushton/Columbia Pictures)

When will certain filmmakers learn that pretty people in pretty locations do not automatically equal an enjoyable romantic comedy? William Shakespeare would cringe in embarrassment if he saw this lousy interpretation of “Much Ado About Nothing.” There isn’t anything creative, surprising or truly entertaining about “Anyone But You,” which is an example of a lazy rom com coasting by on some of the most overused clichés in romantic comedies.

Directed by Will Gluck (who co-wrote the trite and hollow “Anyone But You” screenplay with Ilana Wolpert), “Anyone But You” has a mostly talented cast stuck in roles that make most of their characters in the movie look like immature dolts. Adults who are in their 20s and 30s act more like teenagers who are inexperienced in dating. And the middle-aged parents in the story are nothing but shallow rom-com stereotypes of meddling relatives who interfere in their adult children’s love lives.

“Anyone But You” begins with the “meet cute” scene between the would-be couple at the center of the story. Beatrice “Bea” Messina (played by Sydney Sweeney), who’s in her mid-20s, says she’s a student in law school. Ben (played by Glen Powell), who’s in his mid-30s, has a background in finance and works as an online trader. Bea and Ben both live an unnamed U.S. city, where they meet at a local coffee shop.

Bea is in a hurry to be somewhere else when she goes into the coffee shop to use the restroom. She starts a conversation with an unfriendly barista (played by Mia Artemis), who abruptly tells her that the restroom is only for customers. Bea says she’ll buy something, but to her dismay, she sees that there’s a long line of customers.

Ben happens to be near the front of the line and notices Bea’s predicament because he overheard the conversation. All of sudden, Ben pretends that Bea is his wife, and he places her order for her. There’s an immediate attraction and rapport between Bea and Ben, as they play along at pretending to be spouses.

Bea excuses herself to use the restroom (which is a small room with one toilet) and calls her sister Halle (played by Hadley Robinson) to tell her about this attractive stranger she just met. Halle is also Bea’s best friend. As mentioned later in the movie, Bea met Ben when she was taking a break from her relationship with her fiancé Jonathan, whom she has known for years. Bea wanted this separation from Jonathan because she’s having doubts about getting married to anyone. Jonathan (played by Darren Barnet) doesn’t show up until the movie is half over.

Bea tells Halle that she could change her mind about dating someone new because she’s interested in getting to know Ben better. During this phone conversation in the restroom, Bea accidentally splashes a lot of sink water all over the front her jeans. This leads to a not-very-funny scene of Bea taking off her jeans and awkwardly using the hand dryer to get rid of the water stain, which could be misinterpreted as a urine stain.

Ben is patiently waiting for Bea outside, not knowing that flustered Bea is frantically trying to dry her jeans so she won’t give Ben the wrong impression about her hygiene. When she steps out of the bathroom, she doesn’t notice that a strand of toilet paper is stuck to the bottom of one of her shoes. Ben discreetly steps on the paper so it gets unstuck. All of this is supposed to be hilarious, but it’s just so boring.

Bea and Ben leave the coffee shop, which leads to a conversation where their mutual attraction to each other grows. Ben spontaneously invites Bea over to his place, where he makes grilled cheese sandwiches for both of them. They flirt some more and tell each other a little bit more about their lives. Bea says that even though she’s a law student, she’s not sure if she wants to become a lawyer.

Ben opens up to Bea and tells her about his most treasured possession: a giant wrench figurine given to him by his mother, who died an untold number of years ago. Ben’s father is not seen or mentioned in the movie. Bea and Ben spend the rest of the night talking. They fall asleep together on his couch.

When Bea wakes up, she thinks Ben is still asleep. She leaves without saying goodbye or leaving a note. However, Ben has noticed that Bea made a quick exit, and his feelings are hurt because he misinterprets it as Bea not being as interested in him as he’s interested in her.

Ben’s longtime best friend Pete (played by GaTa) shows up almost immediately after Bea leaves. He congratulates Ben on possibly finding a new love interest. Ben feels rejected by Bea, but his bruised ego won’t let him admit it to Pete. Instead, Ben lies to Pete to make it sound like Ben was the one who rejected Bea. “The girl is a disaster. I couldn’t get rid of her fast enough,” Ben tells Pete.

It just so happens that Bea has overheard Ben insult her in this part of the conversation, because (on the advice of Halle), Bea decided to go back to Ben’s place to make plans to see him again. Bea thinks that they had a magical night together, but she gets angry when she overhears through the open door what Ben is saying about her. Ben and Pete don’t see Bea eavesdropping and don’t find out until later that she has heard this part of the conversation.

Ben and Bea see each other again by chance at a nightclub when Bea is there with Halle and Halle’s new girlfriend Claudia (played by Alexandra Shipp), who just happens to be Pete’s younger sister. And lo and behold, all five of them are at this nightclub at the same time. The conversation becomes tense and uncomfortable when Bea and Ben start to snipe at each other and make it clear that they don’t want to see each other again.

Two years later, Halle and Claudia have gotten engaged and have planned a destination wedding to take place in Sydney, Australia, where Claudia’s parents live. All of their family members in the movie accept Halle and Claudia’s same-sex relationship. Claudia’s tactless father Roger (played by Bryan Brown) is a native Australian who is some type of business mogul. Roger is Pete’s stepfather; there’s no mention of where Pete’s biological father is. The mother of Pete and Claudia is Carol (played by Michelle Hurd), who likes to practice New Age healing techniques.

As for the parents of Bea and Halle, they are overbearing and worried that Bea might never get married. The sisters’ father Leo (played by Dermot Mulroney) and mother Innie (played by Rachel Griffiths) had their hearts set on Bea marrying Jonathan, because they think Jonathan would be the perfect husband for Bea. You can almost do a countdown to when Leo and Innie invite Jonathan to go to the wedding in Australia to be a “surprise” date for Bea. This plot development is already revealed in the trailer for “Anyone But You.”

In a conversation between Bea and Halle, the two sisters discuss how when they were children, Bea talked a lot about looking forward to being married, while Halle was very wary of marriage. And now, the sisters’ opinions of marriage have switched, with Bea now being the one who doesn’t have a desire to get married. Bea tells Halle that she’s happy for her and Claudia and completely supports their plans for marriage.

“Anyone But You” predictably shows Bea and Ben on the same plane flight to Australia and not being happy about it. More shenanigans ensue when Ben finds out that the Australian model-type ex-girlfriend who dumped him is also a wedding guest. Her name is Margaret (played by Charlee Fraser), and she is a cousin of Claudia and Pete. Margaret’s current boyfriend is a less-than-smart surfer named Beau (played by Joe Davidson), who talks in hokey Australian slang clichés that sound like what American screenwriters think Australian surfers sound like.

The rest of “Anyone But You” is a series of tiresome scenarios of friends and family members interfering with and being judgmental of the love lives of Bea and Ben. Bea and Ben then decide to pretend to be a couple (it was Bea’s idea), to get these intrusive people to back off, as well as to make Jonathan and Margaret jealous. Bea has no interest in getting back together with Jonathan, so she wants to look “unavailable.” Ben has lingering feelings for Margaret and hopes that if Margaret sees Ben and Bea as a couple, then Margaret might want to get back together with Ben.

“Anyone But You” over-relies on slapstick comedy with adults in various states of nudity or being in wet, clingy clothing. It’s supposed to be sexy and funny, but it just looks so fake and trying too hard. And when there’s an unimaginative romantic comedy that has a wedding as a major part of the story, you just know there’s going to be some kind of mishap involving the wedding cake.

Even more irritating: “Anyone But You” has some stupid scenes of characters attempting to manipulate what Bea and Ben do, by intentionally fabricating conversations that they want Bea and Ben to overhear. The story of this would-be couple is very unbalanced in the movie. Viewers learn a lot about Bea’s family and almost nothing about Ben’s family. What you will hear a lot of in the movie is Natasha Bedingfield’s 2004 hit “Unwritten,” which is put to very cloying use when cast members sing the song off-key at several points, including an end-credits montage.

Sweeney and Powell put in a fairly good effort in trying to be convincing as two people who’ve fallen in love on their first date and then spend most of their time together denying their true feelings. However, their comedic timing is often mismatched. Almost nothing in this movie is believable (including co-star chemistry that looks forced), and most of the movie’s characters are annoying. “Anyone But You” is ultimately a failed attempt to be a lovable romantic comedy. It’s only effective in being a showcase for how attractive locations can look with the right cinematography.

Columbia Pictures released “Anyone But You” in U.S. cinemas on December 22, 2023.

Review: ‘Scream VI,’ starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Courteney Cox, Hayden Panettiere and Dermot Mulroney

March 8, 2023

by Carla Hay

Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Devyn Nekoda and Melissa Barrera in “Scream VI” (Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

“Scream VI”

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Culture Representation: Taking place in New York City, the horror film “Scream VI” features a racially diverse cast of characters (Latin, white African-American) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: The four main survivors of the serial killings in the 2022 movie “Scream” have relocated from the fictional Woodsboro, California, to New York City, where they are plagued by a new set of Ghostface Killer murders. 

Culture Audience: “Scream VI” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the “Scream” franchise and horror movie sequels that make several references to its preceding movies.

Dermot Mulroney and Hayden Panettiere in “Scream VI” (Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

“Scream VI” has further cemented the “Scream” franchise as an intentionally comedic self-parody, but this entertaining movie doesn’t skimp on the horror thrills. The movie’s best scenes make up for the far-fetched revelations in the last 15 minutes. As the sixth movie in the “Scream” series, “Scream VI” is best appreciated by people who’ve seen all the previous “Scream ” movies, because there are many jokes and references to these predecessor films. However, if it’s not possible for someone to see all the previous “Scream” movies, then the 1996 “Scream” film (the one that started the series) and the 2022 “Scream” film are the two most essential moves to watch before seeing “Scream VI.”

The 2000 movie “Scream 3” added a movie-within-a-movie storyline, by creating a fictional horror movie series called “Stab,” which was inspired by what happened in the first “Scream” movie. It’s helpful, but not essential, to watch “Scream 3” before seeing “Scream VI.” What’s most important for viewers of “Scream VI” to know is that “Scream VI” gives a summary of all the revealed identities of the Ghostface Killer (who wears a creepy ghostface mask and a black hooded robe), who is a different person or people in each “Scream” movie. If you didn’t know their identities before seeing “Scream VI,” then the movie spoils all that information.

“Scream VI” reunites directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett with screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, who had the same roles for the 2022 “Scream” movie. Most of the same producers from 2022’s “Scream” are also part of the “Scream VI” team. “Scream VI” picks up one year after the events of the 2022 “Scream” movie, which took place mainly in the fictional Woodsboro, California. Four of the survivors of the Ghostface Killer murders and mayhem that happened in 2022’s “Scream” are trying to put this trauma behind them, and have relocated to New York City. (“Scream VI” was actually filmed in Montreal.)

Samantha “Sam” Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera), who is 25 or 26, is in therapy but finds it difficult to open up to her therapist Dr. Christopher Stone (played by Henry Czerny) until a pivotal scene that’s a helpful summary for anyone who didn’t see 2022’s “Scream.” When Sam isn’t busy with her two jobs, she’s being overprotective of her younger half-sister Tara Carpenter (played by Jenna Ortega), who 18 years old and a first-year student at the fictional Blackmore University. Tara and Sam live in the same apartment building.

The other two people in this tight-knit foursome are twins Mindy Meeks-Martin (played by Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (played by Mason Gooding), who are also first-year students at Blackmore University. The uncle of Mindy and Chad was Randy Meeks (played by Jamie Kennedy), whose fate is shown in 1997’s “Scream 2.” Mindy is a “Stab” trivia fanatic, while Chad (who was a popular athlete in high school) has a not-so-secret crush on Tara. Chad has come up with a nickname for this quartet of survivors: The Core Four. It’s a name that the other three think is corny, and the movie shows whether or not they go along with Chad’s enthusiasm to give themselves this nickname.

Three of the new characters that are introduced in “Scream VI” have gotten close to the Core Four. Tara’s free-spirited roommate Quinn Bailey (played by Liana Liberato) is having fun dating various men, but her sex life sometimes gets in the way of Tara wanting some peace and quiet. Chad’s roommate is Ethan Landry (played by Jack Champion), a socially awkward misfit who wants to be accepted by Chad and his friends. Anika Kayoko (played by Devyn Nekoda) is dating openly queer Mindy, in a fairly new romance.

As several scenes in the movie show, Tara is resentful of Sam’s hovering presence, because Tara wants to be treated like an independent adult, not a helpless child. Tara and Sam also disagree about how to cope with what happened to them in Woodsboro. Tara refuses to go to therapy, she doesn’t like to talk about what happened in Woodsboro, and she thinks Sam is living too much in the past. Sam thinks it’s detrimental for Tara to avoid getting therapy. Meanwhile, Sam becomes the subject of untrue gossip spread on the Internet that she was really the Ghostface Killer in Woodsboro.

To its credit, “Scream VI” is less cluttered with characters than 2022’s “Scream.” The movie’s opening scene continues the “Scream” tradition of someone being murdered by the Ghostface Killer, who has called that victim on the phone. The person who gets slaughtered in the opening scene is Laura Crane (played by Samara Weaving), an associate professor of film studies at Blackmore University. She teaches horror movies as part of her curriculum.

On the night that Laura is murdered, it’s close to Halloween, and many people are dressed up in Halloween costumes for parties and other Halloween festivities. Laura is not in a Halloween costume when she is seen at a bar, talking on the phone with what she thinks is her blind date for the night. The date is really a Ghostface Killer.

The “date” pretends to be lost and asks Laura to step outside the bar into an alley where he says he is. While she’s on the phone, the caller’s tone turns menacing as he snarls, “You teach a class about slashers, and you still walk into a dark alley alone.” Needless to say, Laura doesn’t last long in this movie.

Without giving away too much information, it’s enough to say that it’s revealed early on in the movie that Sam and Tara are the main targets for the Ghostface Killers. It’s also revealed that whoever is behind the murders that happen also wants to finish the “Stab” tribute movie that was started by Richie Kirsch (played by Jack Quaid), who was Sam’s boyfriend in 2022’s “Scream,” but (spoiler alert for people who haven’t seen 2022’s “Scream”), Richie turned out to be the Ghostface Killer, and Sam killed him in self-defense.

Some other characters who are part of the “Scream VI” are Blackmore University student Jason Carvey (played by Tony Revolori); Quinn’s father Detective Bailey (played by Dermot Mulroney), who is a police officer who investigates homicides; and David Brackett (played by Josh Segarra), an attractive neighbor who lives in the apartment building directly across from the apartment building where Sam, Tara and Quinn live. Sam and Tara (who has given David the nickname Hot Boy) can see directly into David’s apartment and vice versa.

“Scream VI” also has the return of ambitious and arrogant TV news journalist Gale Weathers (played by Courteney Cox), who has written a book about the events that happened in 2022’s “Scream.” Tara and Sam are furious about this book not only because Gale had broken her promise not to write a book about what happened but also because the book has unflattering descriptions of Tara and Sam.

Also making her return to “Scream VI” is Kirby Reed (played by Hayden Panettiere), who was the “final girl” in 2011’s “Scream 4.” Kirby, who is now 30 years old and an agent for the FBI, arrives in New York City to investigate this new set of Ghostface Killer murders. Kirby was a senior at Woodsboro High School when Sam was a freshman at the school. As for other familiar characters from the “Scream” franchise, Sidney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell), the original target of the Ghostface Killer, is not in “Scream VI” but is briefly mentioned as being in hiding in a safe place. Campbell went public about declining an offer to be in “Scream VI” because she felt that the offered salary was too low for her.

“Scream VI” delves more than 2022’s “Scream” did into the psychological fallout of all of these killings. “Scream VI” does a fairly good job at contrasting the ways that Sam and Tara feel about therapy, without passing judgment on either character. As already revealed in 2022’s “Scream,” Sam and Tara are the children of the late Billy Loomis (played by Skeet Ulrich), who was one of killers in the first “Scream” movie. As shown in 2022’s “Scream” and “Scream VI,” there are big indications that Sam is worried that she could have inherited a desire to become a murderer. “Scream VI” has more exploration of how Sam’s suspected “dark side” is affecting her.

The movie’s scenes with Ghostface Killer on a rampage are among the best of the “Scream” franchise. A standout scene is one that involves a ladder between buildings. Another scene that’s suspenseful is when Ghostface Killer goes after Tara and Sam in a convenience store. Meanwhile, there is plenty of sarcastic wisecracking (especially from Libby) about horror movie clichés, who the likely suspects are, and who’s most likely to be killed next. All of these self-referential jokes in “Scream VI” are sometimes to the detriment of the story. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it expects viewers to know a lot about the “Scream” movies, in order to get most of the jokes.

Barrera and Ortega, who are very believable as sisters with a love/hate relationship, are excellent additions to the “Scream” franchise. Mulroney really hams it up and delivers some of his lines in ways that are pure camp. Panettiere also gives a good performance as “all grown up now” Kirby. Cox doesn’t really do anything new with the Gale character, but she performs well in her action scenes. Savoy Brown is a sassy scene stealer with the Libby character, who has much better character development and funnier lines of dialogue than in 2022’s “Scream.”

There’s no doubt that “Scream VI” is an unapolgetic “fan service” movie that isn’t particularly accommodating to newcomers to the “Scream” movie franchise. And there isn’t anything innovative about the plot reveals, which might remind “Scream” fans of a certain previous “Scream” movie. “Scream VI” is not the best movie in the “Scream” franchise, but “Scream VI” delivers exactly what it intends: horror entertainment that serves up plenty of gore with self-deprecating laughs.

Paramount Pictures will release “Scream VI” in U.S. cinemas on March 10, 2023.

Review: ‘Umma’ (2022), starring Sandra Oh

March 18, 2022

by Carla Hay

Fivel Stewart and Sandra Oh in “Umma” (Photo by Saeed Adyani/Stage 6 Films)

“Umma” (2022)

Directed by Iris K. Shim

Some language in Korean with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed part of the U.S., the horror film “Umma” features a cast of Asian and white characters representing the working-class ad middle-class.

Culture Clash: A single mother, who works as a beekeeper/honey merchant, is haunted by memories of her abusive mother. 

Culture Audience: “Umma” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of star Sandra Oh, whose talent is wasted in this boring and predictable horror movie.

Tom Yi and Sandra Oh in “Umma” (Photo by Saeed Adyani/Stage 6 Films)

In the forgettable and formulaic horror flick “Umma,” the main character is a beekeeper with mother issues. Bees in a hive have more purpose and intelligence (and can scare more people) than this silly mess of a film. So much of “Umma” is a waste: A waste of a talented cast. A waste of a potentially good idea for a horror story. And a waste of time to anyone who watches this disappointing flop.

Written and directed by Iris K. Shim, “Umma” gets its title from the Korean word for “mother.” That’s because “mother issues” are at the center of a Korean American family haunted by abuse. “Umma” takes place in an unnamed part of the U.S. but was actually filmed in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

In “Umma,” Amanda (played by Sandra Oh) is the only child of Korean immigrants, who are now deceased. Amanda is a single mother to a daughter named Chris (played by Fivel Stewart), nicknamed Chrissy, who’s about 17 years old. Amanda is a beekeeper/honey maker who owns a small business called Chrissy’s Honey Bees, where Amanda and Chris are the only workers.

Most of their honey is sold online, with help from Amanda’s friend Danny (played by Dermot Mulroney), who owns a hardware store not too far away and who manages the website and social media for Chrissy’s Honey Bees. Business has recently been doing so well for Chrissy’s Honey Bees, many of the products are selling out. Danny tells Amanda that she might have to hire more people to help her keep up with customer demand.

Later in the movie, it’s revealed that Amanda started this business only because Chris became obsessed with bees, and Amanda wanted a way to have a closer bond with her daughter. Amanda previously had a less risky and more financially stable job as an accountant, and she had to overcome her fear of bees to start this business. Because of this personal sacrifice, Amanda expects Chris to work with her in the business as long as possible.

Amanda is extremely protective and controlling of Chris, who has been homeschooled her entire life and has no friends. Chris’ father is never seen or mentioned in the movie, and he’s never been involved in raising her. Later in the movie, when someone asks Amanda where her husband is, she replies defiantly that she’s never felt the need to have a husband.

Amanda is deeply fearful of electrical appliances and distrustful of modern technology—so much so that she doesn’t allow Chris to have a smartphone. Chris has to make do with an outdated mobile flip phone. And needless to say, there are no TVs or computers in their house, which is an isolated, rural area. Of course it’s in a remote area. This is a horror movie, but the scares in “Umma” are underwhelming.

The opening scene of “Umma” shows why Amanda has a fear of electrical appliances: As a child, Amanda’s domineering mother would physically abuse her with heated electrical wires. This abuse is not shown in graphic detail in the movie’s flashbacks, but enough is shown for viewers to know what’s happening. Hana Marie Kim portrays Amanda as a child in these flashbacks.

Amanda’s family history is revealed in bits and pieces through conversations and flashbacks. Amanda’s parents had a happy marriage until they moved from Korea to the United States. Amanda’s mother (played by MeeWha Alana Lee) became depressed and difficult to the point where Amanda’s father couldn’t take it anymore, and he abandoned his wife and daughter. (Amanda’s father is never shown in the movie.)

Amanda’s mother then became increasingly paranoid that Amanda would leave her. In the flashback shown in the movie’s opening scene, a young Amanda can be heard wailing in fear, “Umma, I promise I won’t run away again,” before she can be heard screaming as her mother inflicts some violent abuse on her. Expect to see several scenes of Amanda waking up from nightmares.

You know where all of this is going, of course. Amanda is afraid that she’ll end up just like her mother. Amanda has lied to Chris about her family background, by telling Chris that she was raised by two people named Gloria and Bill, who died before Chris was born. The movie shows whether or not Chris finds out the truth. Amanda is also upset that Chris intends to apply for admission to West Mesa University, which is in another state.

In the meantime, Amanda unexpectedly gets a visit from someone she doesn’t want to see: Her mother’s brother (played by Tom Yi), who does not have a name in the movie. However, he knows Amanda by her Korean birth name: Soo-Hyun, which is a name that Amanda hasn’t used since her very unhappy childhood.

What’s the reason for this unannounced visit from Amanda’s uncle? After he scolds her for not being in touch with the family and for making it difficult to find her, he tells Amanda that Amanda’s mother died a few months earlier. He’s there to deliver a small trunk that has her mother’s ashes and several of her mother’s most treasured belongings. One of these items is a Hahoetal, which is a Korean death mask.

It’s at this point in the movie that you know the ghost of Amanda’s mother will begin haunting Amanda’s home and the surrounding property. But does this ghost really exist? Or is she a figment of Amanda’s imagination? The movie wastes a lot of time with predictable jump scares in a weak attempt to confuse viewers over what’s real and what might be Amanda’s delusions.

And it should come as no surprise that it’s yet another horror movie where the main character’s mental stability is questioned because this person claims to be seeing an evil spirit. But what other people see is Amanda having blackouts while sometimes wearing her mother’s clothes. And predictably, Amanda becomes increasingly disturbed.

There’s nothing truly scary or unpredictable about anything that’s presented in “Umma.” Yes, there are violent attack scenes and people screaming when things get out of control, but too much of it is shown in a very stale manner that’s been done many times already in better horror movies. And for a movie that takes place mostly on a beekeeping farm, there’s surprisingly very little use of the bees in the movie’s terror scenes.

“Umma” has a somewhat time-wasting subplot about Chris becoming friendly with Danny’s teenage niece River (played by Odeya Rush), who gives Chris confidence-boosting pep talks about how it’s okay to be a weirdo and a misfit. Unfortunately, everyone in the movie, except for complicated and confused Amanda, is written as bland, two-dimensional characters. The movie also badly mishandles mental health issues.

The technical aspects of “Umma” are competent, except for an almost laughable visual-effects scene involving a very fake-looking fox with multiple tails. This creature is supposed to be terrifying, but looks like it belongs in a kiddie cartoon, not a horror movie. And with the manifestation of Amanda’s mother, “Umma” tritely uses the Hahoetal death mask as a symbol for how people sometimes hide their true selves from the world, since it’s implied that Amanda’s mother was able to keep her child abuse crimes a secret.

“Umma” missed some big opportunities to have quality depictions of generational trauma. The movie also has a very limited view of Korean heritage, which is mostly used in “Umma” as a plot device to invoke fear in the characters. “Umma” is just a series of half-baked jump scares and underdeveloped characters, with a rushed ending that leaves some important questions unanswered and audiences feeling like “Umma” is a just another ripoff horror movie.

Stage 6 Films released “Umma” in U.S. cinemas on March 18, 2022.

Review: ‘The Blazing World’ (2021), starring Carlson Young, Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney and Vinessa Shaw

October 27, 2021

by Carla Hay

Carlson Young in “The Blazing World” (Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment)

“The Blazing World” (2021)

Directed by Carlson Young

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed Gulf Coast state and an unnamed Northern state in the United States, the horror film “The Blazing World” features a nearly all-white cast of characters (with a few African Americans) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A college student, who is haunted by the childhood death of her identical twin sister, experiences nightmarish hallucinations in her attempt to contact her sister from the dead. 

Culture Audience: “The Blazing World” will appeal primarily to people who don’t mind watching horror movies that are more style over substance.

Udo Kier in “The Blazing World” (Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment)

“The Blazing World” takes the concept of grief as an ongoing nightmare and jumbles it up in an incoherent horror movie. The cinematography is impressive, but the movie ultimately over-indulges in a lot of nonsense. Texas-born actress Carlson Young makes her feature-film debut as a writer and director in “The Blazing World,” which is based on her short film of the same name. Young also stars in “The Blazing World,” which has a bold and colorful visual style, but the screenplay (which Young co-wrote with Pierce Brown) is problematic because of its vapid emptiness.

In “The Blazing World,” Young portrays Margaret Winter, a college student who is haunted by the death of her identical twin sister Elizabeth, nicknamed Lizzie, who died by drowning in the family’s swimming pool when the twins were 6 years old. This death is shown in the beginning of the movie in a visually striking and eerie scene that might lead viewers to believe that “The Blazing World” might have potential of being a memorable horror movie.

In this flashback, 6-year-old Margaret (played by Josie Fink) and Elizabeth (played Lillie Fink) are dressed in identical pink dresses and catching fireflies outside in their backyard of their parents’ plantation-styled mansion that’s in an unnamed Gulf Coast state in America. (“The Blazing World” was actually filmed in Texas.) Margaret and Elizabeth’s parents Tom Winter (played by Dermot Mulroney) and Alice Winter (played by Vinessa Shaw) have a troubled marriage. Tom is an alcoholic, and he’s abusive to Alice.

Tom and Alice begin arguing inside the house, while Margaret and Elizabeth are outside. Margaret goes to a nearby window to look in on this argument. She hasn’t left Elizabeth’s side for very long when she makes a horrifying discovery: Elizabeth somehow ended up in the swimming pool, and she drowned.

Margaret also witnessed another frightening thing that she’s never talked about to other people: While Elizabeth was lying face down in the pool, Margaret saw a sinister-looking elderly man (played by Udo Kier) standing next to a black hole portal that’s suspended in the air in the backyard. The man made a beckoning hand gesture, indicating that he wanted Margaret to come over to him. Margaret was too scared to move, but throughout the story and into her adulthood, she keeps seeing this man, who eventually reveals to her that his name is Lained.

Of course, the Winter family is devastated by Elizabeth’s tragic death. There are some brief flashbacks to when Elizabeth was still alive. But, for the most part, “The Blazing World” takes place about 15 years after the drowning. Margaret grows up to be a mostly sad woman who struggles with mental health issues.

The movie then flash-forwards to when Margaret is living on campus at an unnamed university in a Northern state. There’s no indication of what she’s studying as a college student. But what is very clear is that Margaret is obsessed with the idea of different worldly dimensions. She’s a devoted fan of a TV personality named Dr. Cruz (played by Liz Mikel), who spouts theories on her TV show about alternate realities existing and that the human brain is able to access astral and spiritual portals.

There’s a somewehat unnecessary scene where Margaret, who lives near Dr. Cruz, happens to see Dr. Cruz walking to her car. Margaret approaches Dr. Cruz and gushes like a star-struck fan when she meets her. Dr. Cruz cynically tells Margaret that she fits the demographic of Dr. Cruz’s typical audience member: “Middle-class, 20s, white female: our key demographic. You keep us alive, whether I feel good about it or not. I’m not going to complain about a captive audience.”

When Margaret asks Dr. Cruz if someone can be trapped in an astral portal and brought back, Dr. Cruz vaguely answers: “Sometimes, if we don’t like the answers the world gives us, we just keep looking.” Margaret insists that she’s not crazy. It’s an assertion that she has to keep telling herself and other people when she starts seeing things that are very weird.

One day, Margaret gets a call from her mother Alice, who tells Margaret that Alice and Tom have sold their family home and that they are moving out soon. The fact that this is news to Margaret indicates how long it’s been since she and Alice have spoken to each other. Alice invites Margaret to go back to the family home to pick out any items that she wants to keep.

If Alice sounds medicated when she calls, that’s because she probably is. She mentions to Margaret that if Margaret has some Ambien pills, then Margaret should bring the Ambien with her when she comes to visit. Viewers can infer that Alice has become a pill-popping addict.

Alice is eager to see Margaret, but Margaret is reluctant to go back to the family home because it brings back bad memories for her. However, Margaret does back to the family home, where her parents’ marriage is just as miserable as ever, and her father’s alcoholism has gotten worse. Margaret’s visit triggers events that set her down a path of hallucinations where she sees more of Lained lurking around and sometimes near the black hole portal.

In many of these visions, Lained tries to kill her, such as by strangling her while she’s in a bathtub. Expect to see numerous scenes of Margaret having these visions and then suddenly waking up, as if she had a nightmare. It becomes repetitive to the point of inducing viewer boredom. It should come as no surprise that Margaret becomes convinced that Elizabeth is trapped in a portal somewhere, which leads to the part of the movie where Margaret tries to find Elizabeth so she can reunite with her twin.

“Blazing World” also has a time-wasting subplot of Margaret having a reunion in real life with an ex-boyfriend named Blake (played by John Karna), who takes her on a date to a nightclub named The Woods, which has a forest-themed decor and is eerily deserted. Blake recently completed rehab for drug addiction and is happy to see Margaret back in town again. He also makes it obvious that he wouldn’t mind getting back together with her, but Margaret doesn’t see Blake as more than a possible hookup. When Margaret tries to confide in him about her hallucinations, he assumes that her hallucinations are drug-related.

Three other friends whom Margaret knew from high school show up at The Woods, because this trio is a band that’s performing at the club. They are lead singer Margot (played by Soko), bass player Rob (played by Breckyn Hager) and drummer Sean (played by Ace Anderson). Margot does a tarot card reading for Margaret and states the obvious: “You’ve had a huge emotional loss. And everything that comes after that is a chain reaction to that early trauma. Be careful. If you spend too much time in the spiritual realm, you might not be able to come back.”

“Blazing World” seems to have the right intentions, but more thought should have been put into developing characters in the movie that viewers can care about, in order for the terror to be more effective. The hallucinations in the story can be described as candy-coated psychedelia. There are lots of hues in hot pink, bright red and neon blue. However, this eye-catching imagery can’t make up for the weak story arc that’s clumsily structured.

None of “The Blazing World” actors does anything remarkable. Kier’s Lained character is the most memorable, but Kier has played so many creepy characters in movies, this performance is just another version of those characters. “The Blazing World” could have been a tour-de-force showcase for Young as an actor/writer/director for this movie. Unfortunately, the result is a movie that looks like a poorly conceived student film that had the budget to afford cinematography and visual effects that are better than the average student film.

Vertical Entertainment released “The Blazing World” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on October 15, 2021.

Review: ‘Hard Luck Love Song,’ starring Michael Dorman, Sophia Bush, Dermot Mulroney, RZA, Brian Sacca, Melora Walters and Eric Roberts

October 26, 2021

by Carla Hay

Sophia Bush and Michael Dorman in “Hard Luck Love Song” (Photo by Andrea Giacomini/Roadside Attractions)

“Hard Luck Love Song”

Directed by Justin Corsbie

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed Texas city, the dramatic film “Hard Luck Love Song” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few Latinos, one African American and one person of Indian heritage) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: An aspiring singer/songwriter, who is also a drug-addicted drifter, hustles for money by playing pool and has a volatile reunion with an ex-girlfriend. 

Culture Audience: “Hard Luck Love Song” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of Sophia Bush (even though she isn’t in most of the movie) and to viewers who don’t mind watching unremarkable movies about self-destructive drifters with broken dreams.

Dermot Mulroney in “Hard Luck Love Song” (Photo by Jas Shelton/Roadside Attractions)

“Hard Luck Love Song” wants viewers to believe it’s a gritty and realistic portrait of an American drifter, but the movie falls apart in the last 30 minutes, with one unrealistic scenario after another. Sophia Bush, who shares top billing in the movie, doesn’t even appear on screen in “Hard Luck Love Song” until 44 minutes into this 104-minute film. Expect to see a lot of pointless footage of aimless main character Jesse Richardson (played by Michael Dorman), as he lives out of a motel and tries to figures out a way to get easy cash.

This is a movie that would’ve been better as a short film. Maybe that’s because “Hard Luck Love Song” (the feature-film directorial debut of Justin Corsbie) was inspired by a song: 2006’s “Just Like Old Times” by Americana singer/songwriter Todd Snider. It’s an interesting but somewhat gimmicky story for how this movie was conceived. Unfortunately, the “Hard Luck Love Song” screenplay (written by Corsbie and Craig Ugoretz) doesn’t live up to the potential of being a compelling tale of people who don’t have much hope in their lives while living on the fringes of society.

Jesse (who is in his late 30s) is one of those people who seems to be down on their luck, but the movie slowly reveals that his “bad luck” is actually the culmination of his bad decisions in life. A native of Texas, Jesse has been struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol for years. Jesse has also been trying for years to make it in the music business as a singer/songwriter (he performs country-ish Americana music), but he remains unknown and broke. And now, Jesse is homeless and trying to find ways to make enough cash to get through any given week.

The movie (which takes place in an unnamed Texas city) opens with Jesse driving in his car and heading to wherever he can find a cheap place to stay and a job that doesn’t care about doing background checks. (Jesse has a prison record.) Jesse checks into a motel and peruses the want ads in a newspaper. He ends up driving to a bunch of seedy-looking bars in the area and applies for jobs where they’re looking to hire people.

In the meantime, Jesse needs cash fast. Luckily for him, he has other skills besides playing the guitar and writing songs, since he can’t find work as a musician. Jesse is also a very talented pool player. And so, the first hour of the movie is about Jesse winning money in pool games at one dive bar after another. (He wins more than he loses.)

During one of these pool games, Jesse finds out about an informal pool tournament that happens every first Saturday of the month at a bar called Broadway Social. At this tournament, Jesse excels and wins $3,000 as the grand prize. However, one of the people he defeated in the tournament takes the loss very hard and decides he’s going to get his money back from Jesse any way that he can.

This sore loser is a thug named Rollo (played by Dermot Mulroney), who has two sidekick goons: a short, weaselly character named Pete (played by Zac Badasci) and a hulking brute named Bump (played by Randal Reedner), who no doubt got his nickname because he likes to snort “bumps” of cocaine. Rollo, Pete and Bump surround Jesse and pressure him to play another game of pool with Rollo, with the obvious intention of getting the prize money from Jesse.

Jesse has enough street smarts to know that this forced pool game will not end well for him. And so, there’s a somewhat suspenseful sequence showing how Jesse deals with this situation. One of the movie’s flaws is that it seems like it wants to be two different stories about the same character. One story is about Jesse’s struggles to get money. That story then gets abandoned and segues to the other story, which is about Jesse’s drama-filled reunion with an ex-girlfriend.

The first 60% of the movie is about Jesse and his search for ways to make some easy cash. He’s never seen working at an actual job. It seems to be a longtime pattern for him that he’s incapable of keeping steady employment. This part of the movie is just scene after scene of chain-smoking Jesse wandering from bar to bar and playing pool.

When he’s in his motel alone, Jesse plays his guitar and chain smokes some more. Dorman does his own singing in the movie, including an original song (“I’ll Be Your Honky Tonk”) that the wrote. He’s a good singer, but not great.

After winning the $3,000 in the pool tournament, Jesse’s first action indicates that he’d rather spend the money on some indulgences instead of saving the money or spending it on necessary expenses. One of the first things he does is look in a local rag newspaper’s back pages, where escorts are advertising their services. (Jesse is so broke, he doesn’t seem to have a smartphone, which explans why he relies on printed newspapers to read ads.)

Jesse calls one of the women who’s in these escort ads. Her alias is Cottontail, but her real name is Carla (played by Bush). When Jesse calls her, she seems to be surprised to hear from him. He invites Carla over for drinks. At first she’s reluctant, but then she agrees. While he talks to her on the phone, tears roll down his face. And that’s the first big clue that Jesse and Carla have some unfinished business.

At a nearby convenience store, Jesse has made the acquaintance of a store clerk named Benny (played by Taylor Gray), who notices that Jesse seems to be in a very good mood when Jesse comes up to the cash register to buy liquor. Benny can tell that Jesse likes to party, so Benny asks Jesse if he wants to be hooked up with something stronger than alcohol. Jesse says yes. And after Jesse assures Benny that he wasn’t a cop wearing any surveillance equipment (Jesse lifts up his shirt as proof), Benny sells Jesse some cocaine.

Jesse’s plan is to party with Carla by drinking and doing cocaine with her. And when she shows up at the motel, it’s obvious that this type of partying is familiar activity for both of them, even though they haven’t seen each other in years. Carla is initially reluctant to do cocaine with Jesse, but eventually she does.

What’s the story with Carla? She is Jesse’s ex-girlfriend from high school. They’ve known each other since before they were in high school. And they’ve had a dysfunctional, on-again/off-again relationship for years. Lately, because of Jesse’s drug problems and prison time, the relationship has been most definitely “off.”

However, Carla showed up for this rendezvous for a reason. Does she want to get back together with Jesse, or is she just paying him a visit out of curiosity? And is she a prostitute? Jesse wants answers to those questions and he gets them, even though he isn’t completely honest with Carla at first.

Jess lies to Carla by saying he’s an in-demand songwriter. He flashes her some of the cash he won and tells her it’s some of the payment he’s gotten for songwriting. Carla is no fool though, because she can see that the dumpy motel where Jesse is staying is an obvious sign that he’s struggling financially. At first Carla and Jesse’s reunion is filled with awkward tension, but they loosen up a lot when they get drunk and high together.

During this night of partying, Carla takes Jesse to a bar where she says that she works. It’s here that Jesse meets Carla’s bar boss Skip (played by Eric Roberts), who tells Jesse that he’s very protective of Carla because she’s a good person. Carla’s best friend at the bar is named Gypsy Sally (played by Melora Walters), who knows about Carla’s turbulent history with Jesse and warns her to be careful about getting involved with him again.

The main problem with “Hard Luck Love Song” is that at several points in the movie, viewers will ask themselves, “Where is this story going?” There’s a rambling style to the film that’s filled with a lot of generic dialogue. Dorman and Bush are perfectly adequate in their roles (Jesse and Carla are both emotionally damaged in their own ways), but these actors’ performances aren’t enough to make this plodding story more compelling.

“Hard Luck Love Song” goes from mediocre to bad with the mishandling of two particular characters. One is a cop named Officer Zach (played by Brian Sacca), who shows up at Jesse’s motel room when Carla is there. (Carla and Jesse predictably scramble to hide the cocaine.) Officer Zach is there in response to noise complaints because apparently Jesse and Carla were being too loud in playing music and laughing during their coke-and-alcohol-fueled party.

The first clue that Officer Zach is unrealistically written is that he shows up with no cop partner for backup. It might be excused if this is a small town with a small police force, but it’s still unrealistic. And then, Officer Zach tells Jesse that he wouldn’t mind partying with Jesse if he could, but he can’t because he’s on duty. What kind of cop on duty says that to a stranger he just met in response to a noise complaint? It’s possible but still far-fetched.

It gets worse with the other badly written character. When Carla arrived at the motel, Jesse looked out the window and saw a man lurking and watching Carla as she went to Jesse’s room. Jesse eventually finds out that this stranger’s name is Louis (played by RZA), and Jesse’s first impression of Louis is that Louis is Carla’s pimp. Without giving away any spoiler information, it’s enough to say that Louis does know Carla. The nature of their relationship is revealed in the last 15 minutes of the movie.

One of the worst things about “Hard Luck Love Song” is that it has some negative racial stereotyping that could be considered offensive to African Americans. The reason why is because there’s only one black person with a noticeable speaking role in this movie, and it’s a role that is problematic and filled with terrible clichés. There’s a racially tinged conflict in the story which has someone showing up out of the blue in an “only in a movie” moment that will have viewers rolling their eyes or cringing at how stupid this scene is.

After having a “slice of life” tone for most of the movie, the tone abruptly shifts to melodrama and moronically staged violence toward the end of the movie. It’s a very clumsy transition, even though this violence is foreshadowed with a brief flash in the beginning of the film. The aftermath of some gun violence in the movie is handled in a completely ludicrous way. And the movie’s last scene is jarringly out-of-touch and phony, compared to the rest of the film. How everything ends feels tacked-on and completely dilutes the edginess that the movie intended to convey throughout most of the story.

“Hard Luck Love Song” is not a movie with much purpose, except to show the main characters trying to forget about all their bad decisions while they make more bad decisions. Just because Jesse sheds tears of regret doesn’t mean that viewers will have a lot of sympathy for him. Because the pivotal character of Carla arrives so late in the film, “Hard Luck Love Song” is mostly a tedious slog showing a loner whose life is on a wasted repeat loop. This movie’s lack of substance isn’t too surprising because it’s a 104-minute film based on a four-minute song. And the song is better than this movie.

Roadside Attractions released “Hard Luck Love Song” in U.S. cinemas on October 15, 2021. The movie’s premium video on demand (PVOD) release date is November 9, 2021. Lionsgate Home Entertainment will release “Hard Luck Love Song” on digital and VOD on December 21, 2021.

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