Josh Brolin Archives – CULTURE MIX

Review: ‘The Running Man’ (2025), starring Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin

November 11, 2025

by Carla Hay

Glen Powell (center) in “The Running Man” (Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

“The Running Man” (2025)

Directed by Edgar Wright

Culture Representation: Taking place in a dystopian version of the United States, the sci-fi action film “The Running Man” (based on the Stephen King novel of the same name) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with some African Americans and Latin people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: An unemployed and financially struggling hothead, who is desperate to get medical treatment for his ailing daughter, enters a brutal reality TV show contest where the grand prize is $1 billion to the contestant who can survive for 30 consecutive days when people from all over the United States are given financial incentives to kill the show’s contestants.

Culture Audience: “The Running Man” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, the book on which the movie is based, the 1987 movie “The Running Man” and sci-fi action movies that are predictable and shallow.

Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo in “The Running Man” (Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

“The Running Man” stumbles in the last 20 minutes by cramming in too many action clichés. The movie sacrifices development of supporting characters to showcase Glen Powell’s hollow lead character. Changes made to the original story aren’t very interesting.

Directed by Edgar Wright (who co-wrote “The Running Man” screenplay with Michael Bacall), “The Running Man” is adapted from Stephen King’s 1982 novel of the same name. “The Running Man” book was also made into a 1987 movie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Paul Michael Glaser, with an adapted screenplay by Steven E. de Souza. The stories in the book and the movies take place in a dystopian version of the United States. Both “Running Man” movies have very different endings from the book.

The 2025 version of “The Running Man” is closer to the book’s original story than the 1987 version of the movie. (The 2025 movie has a quick nod to Schwarzenegger by featuring his face on a $100 bill.) The story protagonist Ben Richards (played by Powell) is a civilian married father of an ailing daughter (just like in the book), instead of the 1987 movie version of Ben (played by Schwarzenegger), who was a military captain bachelor with no children. Ben and his family live in Co-Op City in the fictional U.S. state of Co-Op, somewhere on the East Coast. (“The Running Man” was actually filmed in the United Kingdom and in Bulgaria.)

The character of Ben in 2025’s “The Running Man” is an arrogant hothead whose only loyalties are to his family. Ben, who is 35 years old, has a history of not being able to keep jobs because he repeatedly gets fired for insubordination. His most recent job was being a vague low-level worker for a government company called Defense Net. That’s all you’ll really learn about Ben’s personal background throughout the entire movie.

Ben has been unemployed for an unspecified period of time. His wife Sheila (played by Jayme Lawson) works as a waitress in a nightclub bar called The Libertine and has to work extra shifts because she and Ben are financially struggling and need the money. It’s hinted in the movie that women who work at the Libertine engage in side hustling as sex workers who proposition Libertine customers.

In “The Running Man” book, Sheila has resorted to this sex work. But in this movie, it’s repeatedly mentioned that Sheila is not a sex worker. If anyone thinks that Sheila is a sex worker, Ben will be ready to fight that person. He loses his temper and instigates fights many times in the movie.

Ben and Sheila have a toddler daughter named Cathy (played by Alyssa Benn and Sienna Benn), who has a fever from a severe flu and needs medicine that the couple can’t afford. In the beginning of 2025’s “The Running Man,” Ben is seen going back to Defense Net to ask if he can be re-hired. He is coldly rejected by a gatekeeper named Richard Manuel (played by David Zayas), who makes a snarky remark about Ben bringing Cathy with him as a sympathy ploy.

Ben denies it (even though it’s true) and says, “I didn’t bring her here to guilt trip you.” Ben adds that he brought Cathy with him so he wouldn’t viciously assault Richard. This angry comment further alienates Richard. Ben, knowing he has reached a dead end in this discussion, leaves the building before he can be thrown out by security.

The United States in this story has several reality TV shows from the government-operated Games Network, where contestants can win prize money, but at great risk to their physical well-being. The contestants usually have to do dangerous stunts in order to get the money. The movie eventually reveals the obvious: The games are a way for the government to control and manipulate the financially desperate people who are the majority of the contestants.

The most dangerous and most lucrative of these game shows is “The Running Man,” which offers a grand prize of $1 billion to any contestant who can survive 30 consecutive days without being hunted down and murdered by Games Network assassins called Hunters. The Hunters use sphere-shaped drones called roving cams to assist in tracking down their targets. People in the general public get financial rewards if they give informant tips or can hunt down the contestants themselves. In the beginning of the movie, no one has ever won “The Running Man” game.

With no other job prospects, Ben tells Sheila that he’s going to apply for one of the contests that’s not “The Running Man.” Ben tells Sheila that he has no interest in being a “Running Man” contestant. Sheila adamantly doesn’t want Ben to apply for “The Running Man,” which is why it’s contradictory and strange when Sheila finds out that Ben is a contestant on “The Running Man,” she easily accepts this decision without getting upset, even though the chances are very high that Ben will be murdered.

Ben ends up as a contestant in “The Running Man” after he stands in line to apply for another contest, and he is seen getting into a physical fight with security officers who accost Ben for trying to help an elderly man who has vomited while waiting in line in front of Ben. “The Running Man” executive producer/showrunner Dan Killian (played by Josh Brolin) sees Ben on security camera footage and instantly decides that Ben’s rebellious nature and bad temper would be perfect for the show.

Ben takes the show’s required psychiatric evaluations, which reveal he’s the “angriest” contestant that “The Running Man” has ever had. Dan is thrilled. Dan convinces Ben to be on “The Running Man” by appealing to Ben’s ego. Dan tells Ben that he’s the first person who has a realistic chance of winning “The Running Man” because of Ben’s high level of anger. Dan tells Ben that Ben should use this anger as Ben’s “superpower.”

Dan is a stereotypical cold-blooded villain who doesn’t care how many people get murdered, as long as he can reap the benefits. In this case, Dan’s only goal is to make “The Running Man” the biggest TV show in U.S. history, no matter how many lives are lost. “The Running Man” is hosted by a flamboyant loudmouth named Bobby Thompson (played by Colman Domingo), whose only loyalties are to anyone who is most likely to make him rich and famous.

The rules of “The Running Man” are fairly straightforward: A contestant can go anywhere in the world and use disguises and fake names to hide the contestant’s true identity. Each contestant gets a 12-hour head start with $1,000, and can earn $100 per hour for staying alive and avoiding capture and an additional $100 for each law enforcement officer or Hunter who is killed by the contestant.

Each contestant is given a portable video device and is required to record a video message per day and mail the message back to Game Networks headquarters. Failure to send this video message means that the contestant will forfeit the grand prize and can still be murdered for profit and will be hunted for the rest of the contestant’s life. People in the general public can get money by giving informant tips (with proof) on where the contestant is, or can earn even more money by murdering the contestant before a Hunter can do it.

Ben finds out the hard way that the government tells lies about the contestants, in order to get the general public to hate the contestants. In Ben’s case, one of the first lies that is told about him is that he was fired from Defense Net for selling military defense secrets to America’s enemies. The government also uses deepfake artificial intelligence to manipulate and fabricate things on the video messages that the contestants send.

In 1987’s “The Running Man,” the beginning of the movie showed that Ben was sent to a prison camp for refusing to open fire on anti-government protestors. Eighteen months after his imprisonment, he escapes with fellow inmates Harold Weiss (played by Marvin J. McIntyre) and William Laughlin (played by Yaphet Kotto), who are both resistance fighters in the anti-government movement. Harold and William, who were not in “The Running Man” book, are Ben’s sidekicks when Harold and William are put in “The Running Man” contest at the same time.

In 2025’s “The Running Man,” these two supporting characters are put in “The Running Man” competition at the same time as Ben, but all three go their separate ways as soon as they start the contest. The other two “Running Man” contestants in the 2025 version of the movie are named Tim Jansky (played by Martin Herlihy) and Jenni Laughlin (played by Katy O’Brian), whose personal backgrounds are never mentioned in the movie. Tim is a socially awkward nerd, while Jenni is a hedonistic lesbian.

It’s later explained in the movie (just like it’s explained in the book) that these three contestants were chosen because they fit the ideal three personality types that Dan and other executives want for “The Running Man.” Tim is the Hopeless Dude type, who can’t help but make stupid mistakes because he craves attention. Jenni is the Negative Dude type, who hates the world and only cares about partying as much as possible. Ben is the Final Dude type, who is the most serious about winning the contestant and is expected to be the last contestant standing.

“The Running Man” doesn’t have a lack of adrenaline-pumping energy in its expected chase scenes, explosions, fist fights and gun violence. The problem is that it’s like watching a hyperactive and incoherent video game that ultimately wastes a lot of time with nonsense. Ben also gets too many lucky breaks to be believable. By the last third of the film, it’s just a pile-on of more shouting, running, and gun-toting—all of it extremely predictable and increasingly irritating because you start to care less and less about these characters.

Ben’s outlaw journey takes him to various cities (such as New York City, Boston, and Derry, Maine), as several people help him along the way. Molie Jernigan (played by William H. Macy) is a recluse who gives Ben disguises and fake identities. Bradley Throckmorton (played by Daniel Ezra) and his pre-teen brother Stacey (played by Angelo Gray) are resistance rebels, who help Ben with advice on escape routes and where to get weapons. Bradley and Stacey have a 5-year-old sister named Cassie, who has lung cancer because low-income communities, such as where the Throckmorton family lives, are being polluted with toxic chemicals from the government.

Bradley puts Ben in touch with Elton Parrakis (played by Michael Cera), a resistance rebel in Derry, who publishes an anarchist newsletter-zine and can supply Ben with more weapons. (Derry is a well-known city in the Stephen King universe, because it’s the location of King’s 1986 horror novel “It.”) Elton lives with his elderly mother Victoria Parrakis (played by Sandra Dickinson), a “Running Man” fanatic who will do whatever it takes to get some of the show’s prize money. A woman named Amelia Williams (played by Emilia Jones) is a civilian who has the same role as a hostage that she does in “The Running Man” book.

As for the movie’s Hunters, they are as generic as generic can be, with none having names except for their leader Evan McCone (played by Lee Pace), who wears a full face mask for most of his screen time, as if he thinks he’s a comic book supervillain. By the time Evan shows his face in the movie, it doesn’t help the story, because there’s nothing compelling about him or his personality, unless you consider the ability to sneer and snarl a personality trait. Karl Glusman plays a bleach-blonde Hunter who has such a blank personality, this character might as well be a robot.

“The Running Man” has some comedy that quickly grows redundant and ends up going nowhere. Throughout the movie, there are scenes of people watching a reality TV show called “The Americanos,” which is the movie’s obvious parody of “The Kardashians.” Debi Mazar has the role of Amoré Americano, the Kris Jenner-type matriarch character, who rules over her spoiled adult daughters. Although slightly amusing, “The Americanos” has no bearing on the movie’s plot.

Powell is in danger of being typecast in action movies as a leading character who thinks he can get by on cockiness and wisecracking quips. It’s not enough to carry an entire movie when the jokes strain to be funny and relevant and come across as reheated leftovers from the 1980s. “The Running Man” will satisfy anyone who just wants to see a lot of mindless action. But the movie is so busy rushing around, it doesn’t care enough to give the principal characters any fully developed personalities and instead just renders them as glorified video game characters. It’s hard to care about characters that you feel like you don’t really know by the end of the movie.

Paramount Pictures will release “The Running Man” in U.S. cinemas on November 14, 2025.

Review: ‘Weapons’ (2025), starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan

August 5, 2025

by Carla Hay

Julia Garner and Josh Brolin in “Weapons” (Photo by Quantrell Colbert/Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Weapons” (2025)

Directed by Zach Cregger

Culture Representation: Taking place in the fictional U.S. city of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, the horror film “Weapons” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few Asians and African Americans) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: After 17 third-grade students with the same teacher suddenly walk out of their homes at the same time at 2:17 a.m. and disappear, the community is gripped with fear, suspicion and anger over finding the missing children and punishing whoever is responsible.

Culture Audience: “Weapons” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, filmmaker Zach Cregger, and well-made horror movies that pack a big punch.

Cary Christopher in “Weapons” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

One of the creepiest horror stories you can see in any given year, “Weapons” is a standout original film about the mystery of several children who disappeared on the same night. The movie has an unforgettable showdown that’s disturbing and darkly hilarious. Although some parts of “Weapons” can occasionally drag with slow pacing, the movie is an above-average blend of supernatural scares, psychological thrills and bloody gore for viewers who can tolerate seeing this type of film.

Written and directed by Zach Cregger, “Weapons” takes place in the fictional U.S. city of Maybrook, Pennsylvania. The main clue that Maybrook is in Pennsylvania is the police department’s phone number has the area code 814. (“Weapons” was actually filmed in Atlanta.) Maybrook is a suburban middle-class community that has a small police force.

The movie is narrated intermittently by an unnamed girl (voiced by Scarlett Sher), who is an observer of how a traumatic event affected the community. The narrator explains that in the early-morning hours of 2:17 a.m., 17 third graders at Maybrook Elementary School walked and ran out of their homes and then disappeared. Security camera footage showed that the children (ages 8 and 9) had their arms outstretched as they left their homes. None of the security camera footage showed the children being kidnapped or abducted by anyone.

Later that day, an investigation discovered that all 17 of the students had the same teacher: Justine Gandy (played by Julia Garner), a new Maybrook Elementary School employee, who showed up for work and saw that all but one of her students was absent. The only student who was in the class was Alex Lilly (played by Cary Christopher), who says he doesn’t know what happened to his missing classmates. Alex also says he doesn’t know why he was the only one of his classmates who didn’t go missing.

Extensive searches of Maybrook’s outdoor areas are done with police and several volunteers. The search does not reveal any clues. Conspiracy theories and mistrust spread like wildfire in the community. Eventually, a $50,000 reward is offered to anyone who has information that will directly lead to the safe return of the children.

At a town hall meeting, several angry members of the community confront Maybrook Elementary School principal Marcus Miller (played by Benedict Wong) and Justine, who is soft-spoken but can get angry and defensive when pushed too far. The people in the audience demand an explanation for why the only kids who are missing had Justine as a teacher. Marcus and Justine, who are fully cooperating with the investigation, vehemently deny that they or the school had anything to do with the disappearances.

One of the angriest people at this town hall meeting is Archer Graff (played by Josh Brolin), whose son Matthew Graff (played by Luke Speakman) is one of the missing kids. Archer outright accuses Justine of either beng responsible for the disappearances or knowing who’s responsible. Archer owns a small construction company and eventually becomes a vigilante investigator on his own when he feels that law enforcement isn’t doing enough. Fans of Cregger’s 2022 horror movie “Barbarian” will be pleased to see “Barbarian” co-star Justin Long in a cameo in “Weapons,” in which Long portrays Gary, a parent of one of the missing children.

Parts of the movie don’t ring true. Something as bizarre as 17 children inexplicably going missing at the same time in the same city would be big news all over the world. There would be a media circus that’s not depicted in this movie. The FBI would also probably get involved, but in the movie, the only person who’s seen as being in charge of the investigation is a Maybrook police captain named Ed (played by Toby Huss), who has no answers or updates when Archer has a tension-filled meeting with him.

The majority of “Weapons” is told in six chapters, with each chapter seen from the perspective of a different character, who are all connected to the disapparances in some way. Without giving away too many details, here is what is eventually revealed about each of these six characters:

Justine becomes a despised outcast in the community and is eventually placed on a paid leave of absence from the school. She begins abusing alcohol to cope with the stress. She is under strict orders not to contact Alex, as long as the children remain missing. Justine also has a troubled past that Archer finds out about and makes him even more suspicious of Justine.
Archer becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Matthew and the other missing kids. He crosses boundaries that make a few of the parents uncomfortable. Archer uses his layout knowledge of the Maybrook neighorbhoods during his investigation. And he gets into an inevitable direct confrontation with Justine.
Paul Morgan (played by Alden Ehrenreich) is an ex-boyfriend of Justine’s who is a patrol cop and not a detective on the case, but his father-in-law is police captain Ed. Paul is a recovering alcoholic and is married to a woman named Donna (played by June Diane Raphael), who wants to start a family with Paul. Justine contacts Paul for some emotional comfort during this difficult time.
James (played by Austin Abrams) is a young homeless man who is addicted to meth and possibly other drugs, which he smokes and injects. James steals to get money for his addictions. He has a more than one encounter with Paul. James also plays a very pivotal role in the movie’s story.
Marcus does his best to shield Justine from disciplinary action and the wrath of people who think she’s responsible for the mysterious disappearances. However, Justine defies some of Marcus’ orders, so he has no choice but to put her on a forced leave of absence. Not much else is revealed about Marcus except that he has a husband named Terry (played by Clayton Farris), and they seem to be a happy couple.
Alex has kept mostly to himself after the disappearances were discovered. His unnamed parents (played by Whitmer Thomas and Callie Schuttera) have become recluses during the period of time that the children have gone missing. When Alex sees Justine, he tries to avoid talking to her. Alex’s aunt Gladys (played by Amy Madigan), an elderly woman who says she’s the older sister of Alex’s mother, shows up to help take care of Alex.

“Weapons” layers these chapters in a way where each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, until the movie’s last scenes, where all the characters’ stories come together for more revelations. It’s a great narrative structure for the movie because it keeps the suspense going throughout the story. Sensitive viewers be warned: “Weapons” has a finale that is not for people who get easily nauseated by bloody violence on screen.

The “Weapons” musical score (written Cregger, Ryan Holladay and Hays Holladay) is particularly effective in enhancing the moods for each scene. There are touches of twisted comedy, even in the most horrifying moments. It’s the movie’s way of diffusing some of the most unnerving situations shown in the film. These comedic touches are calibrated with the right tone so as not to look completely out of place.

The cast members’ performances (especially from Garner, Abrams and Madigan) are believable for their characters—even though the movie’s “mass disappearance” plot is not based on something that happened in real life. However, real-life horrors—such as not knowing what happened to missing children, experiencing illegal police brutality, and descending into an alcohol-fueled depression—are all explored in the movie in impactful ways. “Weapons” is an intentionally unsettling film that taps into many people’s worst fears but leaves enough hope about human resilience when attacked by evil.

Warner Bros. Pictures will release “Weapons” in U.S. cinemas on August 8, 2025.

Review: ‘Dune: Part Two,’ starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Javier Bardem

February 21, 2024

by Carla Hay

“Dune: Part Two”

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Culture Representation: Taking place in the year 10,191, on the fictional planets of Giedi Prime and Arrakis, the sci-fi action film “Dune” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with some black people, Asians and Latinos) representing heroes, villains and people who are in between.

Culture Clash: House Atreides royal leaders Paul Atreides and his mother Jessica, who are refugees from their planet Caladan, get suspicion from and ultimately join forces with the native Fremen people of Arrakis, to battle against House Atreides rivals in House Harkonnen from the planet of Giedi Prime.

Culture Audience: “Dune: Part Two” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the “Dune” novel and to people who like epic sci-fi adventures with stunning visuals and good acting.

Austin Butler and Léa Seydoux in “Dune: Part Two” (Photo by Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Dune: Part Two” is a masterful technical achievement that surpasses its predecessor movie on a storytelling level. It’s less cluttered with characters than 2021’s “Dune” and has a more compelling villain and higher emotional stakes. Fans of the the “Dune” franchise will have their expectations met or surpassed with “Dune: Part Two,” a sci-fi epic worth seeing on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system possible.

Directed by Denis Villenueve, “Dune: Part Two” (co-written by Villenueve and Jon Spaihts) is the second part of Villenueve’s movie triology adaptation of Paul Herbert’s densely packed 1965 novel “Dune.” (Villenueve’s “Dune” adaptations are far superior to 1984’s disastrously awful “Dune” movie, directed by David Lynch.) The first part of Villenueve’s “Dune” movie, released in 2021, was an introduction to the main characters and had a lot to do with showing the combat training and the rise of main “Dune” hero Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet), a royal leader from House Atreides.

Is it necessary to know about the “Dune” book and/or know what happened 2021’s “Dune” to completely enjoy “Dune: Part Two”? Yes. There are many references to 2021’s “Dune” in “Dune: Part Two” that will be confusing to viewers who don’t know what happened in 2021’s “Dune.” Viewers who watch “Dune: Part Two” who don’t know anything about the “Dune” story can still enjoy “Dune: Part Two,” but they will feel like they’ve started reading a book from the middle, not from the beginning.

In “Dune: Part Two” (which takes place in the year 10,191), Paul and his mother Jessica (played by Rebecca Ferguson), who is pregnant with a daughter, are refugees from their home planet Caladan, which has been devastated by a genocidal attack from House Harkonnen. The attack killed Paul’s father/Jessica’s live-in partner Leto Atreides (played by Oscar Isaac), a duke who passed on his legacy to Paul before Leto died. Leto was ordered to be the fief ruler of Arrakis, a desert planet with harsh terrain that is the only place to find a priceless treasure: melange, also known as spice, a dusty substance that can enhance and extend human life.

Because spice is the most sought-after substance in the universe and can make people wealthy, people will go to extremes to get it and to be in charge of Arrakis, whose native people are called Fremen. Prolonged exposure to spice can turn humans’ eyes blue in the iris. Harvesting spice can be a deadly activity because gigantic sandworms ferociously guard the spice. “Dune: Part Two” begins with this caption: “Power over spice is power over all.”

House Atreides and House Harkonnen have been in a bitter rivalry over getting control of spice. House Harkonnen was behind the attack that killed Leto and several of his people. The evil leader of House Harkonnen is a baron named Vladimir Harkonnen (played by Stellan Skarsgård), an obese and ruthless tyrant, who likes to spending time in saunas filled with a tar-like substance. Vladimir’s closest henchman is his sadistic nephew Glossu Rabban (played by Dave Bautista), who doesn’t hestitate to kill anyone for any reason.

The person who orderd Leto to rule over Arrakis was his adoptive cousin: Padishah Emperor of House Carrino named Shaddam Corrino IV (played by Christopher Walken), who was not seen in 2021’s “Dune,” but he has a prominent role in “Dune: Part Two.” In the beginning of “Dune: Part Two,” Shaddam’s daughter Princess Irulan (played by Florence Pugh) can be heard in a voiceover commenting on the night of the House Atreides massacre: “Since that night, my father hasn’t been the same.”

Why? It’s because Shaddam set up Leto as ruler of Arrakis, knowing that House Harkonnen wold respond with a brutal attack on House Atreides. This betrayal (which isn’t spoliler information) becomes a layer in the conficts that exist in “Dune: Part Two.” There is also a big family secret that is revealed that has to do with House Atreides and House Harkonnen.

Meanwhile, Paul and Jessica have made their way to Arrakis, with the help of Stilgar (played by Javier Bardem), the leader of the Fremen tribe called Sietch Tabr. Stilgar is the translator, and negotiator when the Fremens become suspicious of the arrival of Paul and Jessica, who ar ebelieved by many Fremens to be spies. Stilgar, who is convinced that Paul is the messiah from a prophecy, is often the movie’s comic relief in how he how tries to convince his skeptical Fremen people to trust Paul and Jessica and to believe that Paul is the messiah.

In 2021’s “Dune,” Paul met an independent and outspoken young Freman woman named Chani (played by Zendaya), who kept appearing in his dreams before he met her. In “Dune: Part Two,” Paul and Chani develop a romance that heats up quickly, as Chani teaches Paul how he can better navigate avoiding sand worms while walking in the desert. (“You sand walk like a drunk lizard,” she chastises Paul.) Before the movie is half over, Paul and Chani are kissing each other, and he declares his love for her. None of this is spoiler informaton, since this love affair is part of the marketing of “Dune: Part Two.”

However, the relationship between Paul and Chani doesn’t happen without problems. There’s the difference in their social classes: Chani is more uncomfortable with Paul is about the fact that he’s a royal and she’s a commoner. Chani also has to spend a lot of time defending Paul to Fremen skeptics, such as her close friend Shishakli (played by Souheila Yacoub), who is a perceptive and brave fighter. All of the female supporting characters in “Dune” are capable but obviously not meant to outshine Chani.

Meanwhile, House Harkonnen has heard stories that Paul and Jessica are still alive. And you know what that means: There’s going to be another big showdown. And guess who conveniently shows up? Paul’s no-nonsense mentor Gurney Halleck (played by Josh Brolin), who was one of the teahcers in Paul’s fight training. Gurney is still loyal and mostly stoic. He doesn’t really become a father figure to Paul, but Gurney the closest male connection that Paul has to Leto, since Gurney and Leto knew and respected each other.

For the big showdown in “Dune: Part Two,” House Harkonnen has enlisted the help of a vicious killer named Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (played by Austin Butler), Vladimir’s nephew whose weapon of choice is a massive knife. A seductive psychic spy named Lady Margot Fenring (played by Léa Seydoux) has a plan to seduce and get pregnant by Feyd-Rautha, for reasons that are explained in the movie. She also does this seduction to find out what Feyd-Rautha’s weaknesses are.

The 2021 version of “Dune” was nominated for 10 Oscars and won six Oscars: Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Production Design, Best Sound, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects. Without question, “Dune: Part Two” is also award-worthy in these categories as well. Everything in “Dune: Part Two” is done on a grand, immersive scale that are stellar examples of excellence in cinematic world building of a fictional universe. “Dune: Part Two” (which was filmed in Hungary, Abu Dhabi, and Jordan) has scenes taking place in the sand that are truly unforgettable.

As for the relationships between the characters, Paul sees a more vulnerable side to his mother Jessica, when she is pressured into becoming a reverend mother, which is a responsibility with physical and emotional burdens that Jessica is reluctant to have. In the first half of the movie, Jessica shows her powerful fight skills, but after she transforms into a reverend mother, Jessica ctually becomes passive, as she sits by and watches other people fight. Reverend Mother Mohiam (played by Charlotte Rampling), who was in 2021’s “Dune,” has a more scheming side that is revealed in “Dune: Part Two.”

“Dune: Part Two” might have more appeal than 2021’s “Dune” for people who want to see the romance of Paul and Chani that didn’t exist in 2021’s “Dune.” This romance is very chaste, with a “first love” tone to it. The “Dune” trailers already revealed much of the dynamics in this romance, where Paul respects Chani and wants to treat her as his equal. However, will Paul’s royal lineage and duties get in the way of this budding romance?

Chalamet and Zendaya are quite good in their roles as Paul and Chani, but nothing about their performances is worthy of prestigious awards. Paul is depicted as a sensitive and somewhat tortured hero. He tells Chan that he keeps having nightmares of thousands of people dying of starvation because of him. Chani is kind of a stereotypical “tough woman in an action film” who wants to act like she doesn’t fall in love easily, but of course she does just that with Paul.

A characteristic of an above-average sci-fi/fantasy film is the portrayal of the chief villain or villains. Skarsgård as Vladimir Harkonnen and Bautista as Glossu Rabban have less screen time in “Dune: Part Two” than they did in 2021’s “Dune” and don’t really do anything new with their performances. Butler as Feyd-Rautha is the “Dune: Part Two” villain who is the obvious standout, since it’s already been revealed in the movie’s trailers that the climactic battle scene includes a one-on-one fight with Paul. “Dune: Part Two” lacks susbtance by not telling more about Feyd-Rautha’s background. He’s an enigma for the entire movie.

“Dune: Part Two” will no doubt have multiple viewings from fans of the franchise. As for winning over new fans, the movie has a tone that seems to be saying, “You either understand what you’re watching , or you dont. And we don’t have time to explain it all to you.” If you’re unfamiliar with the “Dune” franchise, and you’re the type of person who doesn’t like the idea of dong homework-like research before seeing a sc-fi movie that has a complex story, then “Dune: Part Two” probably isn’t for you. For everyone else, “Dune: Part Two” will fill up your senses with an absorbing story whose cliffhanger ending hints at how this excellent cinematic adaptation continues.

Warner Bros. Pictures will release “Dune: Part Two” in outside the U.S. on February 28, 2024, and in U.S. cinemas on March 1, 2024.

Review: ‘Dune’ (2021), starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya and Jason Momoa

October 22, 2021

by Carla Hay

Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem and Timothée Chalamet in “Dune” (Photo by Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

“Dune” (2021)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Culture Representation: Taking place in the year 10,191, on the fictional planets of Caladan, Giedi Prime and Arrakis, the sci-fi action film “Dune” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with some black people, Asians and Latinos) representing heroes, villains and people who are in between.

Culture Clash: A territorial war is brewing between two factions—House Atreides from the planet of Caladan and House Harkonnen from the planet of Giedi Prime—who will rule over the planet of Arrakis, which is the only place to find melange, also known as spice, a priceless substance that can enhance and extend human life.

Culture Audience: “Dune” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the “Dune” novel and to people who like epic sci-fi adventures with stunning visuals and good acting.

Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and Stephen McKinley Henderson in “Dune” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

By now, you might have heard that filmmaker Denis Villeneuve wants his version of “Dune” to be split into three parts, in order to better serve the movie adaptation of Paul Herbert’s densely packed 1965 novel “Dune.” People who see Villeneuve’s version of “Dune” are also probably familiar with the 1984 movie flop “Dune,” directed by David Lynch. The 1984 version of “Dune” (starring Kyle MacLachlan, Sean Young and Sting) was such a disaster with fans and critics, Lynch wanted to have his name removed from the film credits. That won’t be the case with Villeneuve’s version of “Dune,” which is a sci-fi epic worthy of the novel.

Villeneuve co-wrote his “Dune” screenplay with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts. Part One of Villeneuve’s “Dune” is of much higher quality than the 1984 “Dune” movie, but any “Dune” movie’s cinematic interpretations tend to be a bit clinical in how the characters are written. “Dune” is a gloomy story, with characters who are, for the most part, very solemn and rarely smile. There are no wisecracking rogues, quirky robot sidekicks or cute alien creatures. In other words, “Dune” is no “Star Wars” saga.

As is the case with most epic sci-fi movies, the biggest attraction to “Dune” is to see the spectacle of immersive production designs and outstanding visual effects. When people say that “Dune” should be seen on the biggest screen possible, believe it. However, it’s a 156-minute movie whose pace might be a little too slow in some areas. If you’re not the type of person who’s inclined to watch a two-and-a-half-hour sci-fi movie that’s not based on a comic book or a cartoon, then “Dune” might not be the movie for you.

And this is a fair warning to anyone who likes their sci-fi movies to have light-hearted, fun banter between characters: “Dune” is not that type of story, because everything and everyone in this story is deadly serious. People might have laughed when watching Lynch’s “Dune,” but it was for all the wrong reasons.

And yes, “Dune” is yet another sci-fi /fantasy story about a young hero who leads a war against an evil villain who wants to take over the universe. In the case of “Dune,” the hero is Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet), the House Atreides heir who is the son of a duke. House Antreides exists on the oceanic planet of Caladan. And like any war story, the war usually starts with feuding over power.

House Antreides has had a rivalry with House Harkonnen from the planet of Giedi Prime. In the beginning of the movie, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV has ordered Paul’s father Duke Leto Atreides (played by Oscar Isaac) to serve as fief ruler of Arrakis, a desert planet with harsh terrain. Arrakis is the only place to find a priceless treasure: melange, also known as spice, a dusty substance that can enhance and extend human life.

Prolonged exposure to spice can turn humans’ eyes blue in the iris. Gigantic sandworms ferociously guard the spice. And therefore, harvesting spice can be a deadly activity. However, because spice is the most sought-after substance in the universe and can make people wealthy, people will go to extremes to get it and to be in charge of Arrakis. The native people of Arrakis are called Fremen. The movie presents this colonialism of the Fremen people in a matter-of-fact way, with some (but not a lot of) initial insight into how the Fremen people feel about being ruled over by another group of people from a foreign land.

House Harkonnen had previously overseen Arrakis until that responsibility was given to House Antreides. Leto and his troops are under orders to visit Arrakis, but it’s a set-up so that House Harkonnen enemies can ambush the people from House Antreides. Leto suspects that this trap has been set, but he has no choice but to follow orders and see about the territory that has now come under his stewardship.

The chief villain of House Harkonnen is its leader, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (played by Stellan Skarsgård), an obese and ruthless tyrant who has a penchant for spending time in saunas filled with a tar-like substance. In the 1984 “Dune” movie, Baron Vladimir was a cartoonish character who floated through the air like a demented balloon that escaped from Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. In the 2021 “Dune” movie, Baron Vladimir is a menacing presence that is undoubtedly pure evil. (This “Dune” movie has shades of “Apocalypse Now” because Baron Vladimir is presented in a way that might remind people of “Apocalypse Now” villain Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando.)

Baron Vladimir’s closest henchmen are his sadistic nephew Glossu Rabban (played by Dave Bautista) and coldly analytical Piter De Vries (played by David Dastmalchian), who is a Mentat: a person that can mimic a computer’s artificial intelligence. At House Antreides, the Mentat is Thufir Hawat (played by Stephen McKinley Henderson), while the loyal mentors who are training Paul for battle are no-nonsense Gurney Halleck (played by Josh Brolin) and adventurous Duncan Idaho (played by Jason Momoa), who is the closest that “Dune” has to having a character with a sense of humor.

Paul confides in certain people that he’s been having premonition-like dreams. In several of these visions, he keeps seeing a young Fremen woman who’s close to his age. Paul won’t meet her until much later in the movie. He will find out that her name is Chani (played by Zendaya), and she becomes a huge part of his life in a subsequent Villeneuve “Dune” movie. Don’t expect there to be any romance in Part One of the movie. When Chani meets Paul for the first time, it’s not exactly love at first sight for Chani. She has this dismissive reaction and says to Paul: “You look like a little boy.”

Paul also keeps envisioning Duncan as living with the Fremen people and being their ally in battle. Paul is also disturbed by a vision of seeing Duncan “lying dead among soldiers after battle.” And speaking of allegiances, Paul’s intuition tells him that there is someone in House Antreides who is a traitor. That person will eventually be revealed. Until then, it’s pretty obvious from Paul’s visions that he has psychic powers. The question then becomes: “How is he going to use those powers?”

Among the other Fremen people who are depicted in the movie is Stilgar (played by Javier Bardem), the leader of the Fremen tribe called Sietch Tabr, whose members include a fighter named Jamis (played by Babs Olusanmokun). Arrakis also has an Imperial judge/ecologist named Dr. Liet-Kynes (played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster), who acts as a go-between/negotiator between the Fremen people and those who come from foreign lands.

There are some poignant father-son moments between Paul and Leto. Their best scene together is after a devastating battle loss when Paul, who is reluctant to be the next ruler of House Antreides, gets reassurance from Leto. The duke says to his son that he didn’t want to be the leader of House Antreides either, because Leto wanted to be a pilot instead. Leto tells Paul that it will ultimately up to Paul to decide whether to be the leader of House Antreides “But if the answer is no,” Leto says, “You’re all I’ll ever needed you to be: my son.”

However, Paul ends up spending more time bonding (and sometimes disagreeing) with his mother Lady Jessica (played by Rebecca Ferguson), a brave warrior who is a member of Bene Gesserit, an all-female group with extraordinary physical and mental abilities. Jessica defied Bene Gesserit’s orders to bear a female child and had Paul instead. Villeneuve’s “Dune” spends a great deal of time showing Paul and Jessica’s quest on Arrakis than Lynch’s “Dune” did. Paul seems to know that he was born as a special child, but at times, it brings him more insecurities than confidence. At one point, Paul yells at his mother Jessica: “You did this to me! You made me a freak!”

One of the influential supporting characters who’s depicted in Villeneuve’s version of “Dune” is Gaius Helen Mohiam (played by Charlotte Rampling), a Bene Gesserit reverend mother and the emperor’s truthsayer. She has one of the most memorable scenes in “Dune” when she gives Paul a pain endurance test that further proves that Paul is no ordinary human being. Dr. Wellington Yueh (played by Chang Chen) is a Suk doctor for House Antreides, and he plays a pivotal role in the story.

Chalamet’s portrayal of Paul is someone who can be introspective yet impulsive. He skillfully portrays a young adult who’s at the stage in his life where he wants to prove his independent identity yet still seeks his parents’ approval. Momoa is also a standout in the film for giving more humanity to a role that could’ve been just a stereotypical warrior type. Ferguson also does well in her performance as the strong-willed Jessica.

But make no mistake: “Dune” is not going to win any major awards for the movie’s acting. Before being released in theaters and on HBO Max, “Dune” made the rounds with premieres at several prestigious film festivals, including the Venice International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. This festival run is in indication that the filmmakers want this version of “Dune” to be a cut above a typical blockbuster sci-fi movie. “Dune” excels more in its technical aspects rather than in the movie’s acting performances or screenplay.

“Dune” has the type of fight scenes and musical score (by Hans Zimmer) that one can expect of an action film of this high caliber. But even with a movie that’s rich with characters who are heroes, villains and everything in between, it’s enough to say that the sandworms really steal scenes and are what people will remember most about this version of “Dune.” The overall visual effects and a reverence for the “Dune” novel as the source material are truly what make this version of “Dune” an iconic sci-fi movie.

Warner Bros. Pictures released “Dune” in U.S. cinemas and on HBO Max on October 21, 2021, a day earlier than the announced U.S. release date of October 22, 2021. The movie was released in various other countries, beginning in September 2021.

Review: ‘Flag Day,’ starring Dylan Penn and Sean Penn

August 21, 2021

by Carla Hay

“Flag Day”

Directed by Sean Penn

Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in Minnesota, the dramatic film “Flag Day” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few African Americans) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A woman reflects on the troubled relationship that she’s had with her con-man father, who has been in and out of her life.

Culture Audience: “Flag Day” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of director/star Sean Penn, but this movie is an erratic mix of monotony and melodrama, adding up to disappointing filmmaking.

Dylan Penn in “Flag Day” (Photo courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Inc.)

“Flag Day” should’ve been titled “Daddy Issues in a Self-Indulgent Movie.” That should save people the trouble of wasting their time if they don’t want to see this rambling, uneven mess. Everything about this movie—from the acting to the screenwriting to the directing—could have been so much better, given the level of talent involved. Sadly, “Flag Day” is an example of what can happen when people capable of award-winning work just seem to be coasting off of those past glories instead of delivering a truly outstanding project.

Directed by Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, “Flag Day” is the sixth feature film that he’s directed but the first in which he’s both the director and a star. “The Flag Day” screenplay, written by brothers Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, is based on journalist Jennifer Vogel’s memoir “Flim-Flam Man.” In real life, Jennifer’s father John Vogel was a notorious con man who was responsible for counterfeiting millions of dollars.

In “Flag Day,” Jennifer (played by Dylan Penn, the real-life daughter of Sean Penn and his second ex-wife Robin Wright) is the narrator and is supposed to be the story’s main character. However, she’s overshadowed by her father John (played by Sean Penn), even when he isn’t on screen, because the filmmakers make the Jennifer character someone who’s constantly thinking about and reacting to whatever her father does. It is very off-putting because it’s yet another movie where toxic masculinity is given more importance and more forgiveness than the woman at the center of the story while she’s supposed to be finding her own identity.

There’s a half-hearted attempt at a “female empowerment” message during the last five minutes of the film. But it smacks of insincerity because she only arrives at this breakthrough not through her own choice but because she’s been forced to do so under some very disturbing circumstances where she has no other option. And the way she finds out that she has no choice is one of the worst scenes in the movie.

“Flag Day” gets its title because John was born on Flag Day. It’s another sign that this movie wants to be more about John than about Jennifer. As Jennifer says in her voiceover narration, because John was born on Flag Day, he likes to believe that any Flag Day parades and celebrations are really for him. Get ready for more narcissism and delusions of grandeur, because John is the epitome of these obnoxious personality traits.

The movie shows Jennifer at various stages in her life, from childhood to adulthood, in chronological order. The exception is the opening scene, which takes place in a police station when Jennifer is an adult in her 20s. She’s meeting with someone named U.S. Marshal Blake (played by Regina King), who shows Jennifer some of the evidence that law enforcement has against John for his counterfeiting activities. According to U.S. Marshal Blake, John passed more than $50,000 in counterfeit U.S. bills and had printed about $2 million worth of more counterfeit bills. For his forgeries, John was facing a maximum of 75 years in prison.

U.S. Marshal Blake seems sympathetic to Jennifer and confides in her that her own father “poked so many holes in his arm” (in order words, he was a needle-using drug addict) “that it was like a rehearsal for the ultimate rejection.” U.S. Marshal Blake adds, “We get used to it, don’t we?” The movie circles back to this scene with U.S. Marshal Blake toward the end of the film, as viewers find out what happened to John after he was caught for his forgery.

But in between, the rest of the story is about how John held Jennifer as an emotional hostage for much of her life—even when she didn’t know it. Because the movie is supposed to be told from Jennifer’s perspective, her childhood memories of John tend to be rosier than what he deserved. There are obvious clues that things were not as wonderful as Jennifer remembers.

The movie’s flashback timeline begins in the early 1970s, when 6-year-old Jennifer (played by Addison Tymec), who grew up in Minnesota, has memories of her parents being free spirits who liked to party and go on road trips. Jennifer remembers her father as the more fun-loving parent. John and his wife Patty Vogel (played by Katheryn Winnick) moved around a lot with Jennifer and her introverted brother Nick (played by Cole Flynn), who is two years younger than Jennifer. As Jennifer tells it, she began to think that if her life were a fairytale, her father would definitely be a prince.

In reality, John had trouble making an honest living. He jumped around from one “get rich quick” scheme to the next, always with the promise that the latest one would be the one to make their dreams come true. And he also got involved with shady people, with John often owing large sums of money. If John showed up at home looking like he was in a fight, chances are it was because of his debts.

The movie shows that as a child, Jennifer also witnessed John verbally and physically abuse Patty. But as many children in abusive homes tend to do, they block out the worst memories. Jennifer still thought of her father as her hero. There’s a scene of reckless John teaching Jennifer at around 11 or 12 years old (played by Jadyn Rylee) how to drive, by having her sit on his lap to operate the car, even though she could barely reach the gas pedal and brake pedal. Tymec and Rylee are quite good in their roles as childhood Jennifer.

John’s con games and irresponsible lifestyle eventually took a toll on his marriage to Patty, who became an alcoholic. Patty left John around the time that Jennifer was 13 years old and Nick (played by Beckam Crawford) was about 11 years old. The couple eventually divorced. Because of Patty’s alcoholism, there’s a brief period of time when Jennifer and Nick live with John and his girlfriend Debbie (played by Bailey Noble), who treats the kids well. The children get a first-hand look at John’s outlaw lifestyle.

Because Jennifer idolizes her father, she blames Patty for the couple’s divorce. When Patty tries to warn Jennifer about how much John can be hurtful, Jennifer always dismisses these warnings. More than once, Patty tells Jennifer that she “knows things” about John that she can’t tell Jennifer. Those secrets are never revealed in the movie, but they don’t really have to be disclosed because enough is shown about John to prove what a lousy person he is.

The only other Vogel family members who are shown in the movie are John’s brother Beck (played by Josh Brolin) and their mother Margaret (played by Dale Dickey). Beck is sympathetic to Patty and helps her and the kids get settled into a new place when she decides to leave John. Beck is an intermittent presence in their lives, and he candidly tells Patty how sorry he is that John couldn’t be a better husband and father.

Margaret is a crabby racist who has one scene in the movie, where she complains that John (who is clearly her favorite child) had a great business years ago until it was burned down. Margaret says that she and John think jealous black people were the ones who caused the fire, even though there’s no proof of who committed the arson. Considering John’s history as a con man and his constant money problems, it’s easy to speculate that John was the one who committed the arson for the insurance money.

The movie than fast-forwards to 1981. Jennifer is now a rebellious, drug-abusing teenager in high school. Her natural blonde hair is dyed black and styled to look like she’s a Joan Jett wannabe. (It’s an obvious wig though. This movie needed a better hairstyling team.) Jennifer and Nick live with Patty and her boyfriend Doc (played by Norbert Leo Butz), who tries to come across as a respectable, upstanding person. In reality, Doc is a drunk and a sleazeball, who tries to sexually assault Jennifer one night in her bedroom while Patty is asleep.

Jennifer screams and manages to fight him off. The commotion is loud enough to wake up Patty, who goes in the room to find out what all the noise is about. Patty sees how distraught Jennifer is and sees that Doc is on the floor in his underwear. It’s easy to figure out what happened, even though Jennifer is too shocked and/or ashamed to say it out loud. Patty takes Doc’s side and makes the excuse that he was drunk and probably thought he was in the wrong bedroom.

Jennifer’s relationship with her mother is never really the same after that. They have some very angry arguments, where Jennifer expresses outrage that her mother failed to protect her from Doc. It isn’t long before Jennifer runs away from home. Jennifer barely says goodbye to Nick (played by Hopper Jack Penn, Dylan Penn’s real-life brother), who just kind of fades into the background for the rest of the movie.

After Jennifer experiences the harshness of living on the streets (the movie doesn’t say for how long), Jennifer decides to show up unannounced at her father John’s place, where he lives alone. Jennifer asks John if she can stay with him. John is reluctant at first, but he eventually agrees. Jennifer also tries to get him to turn his life around.

John actually gets a straight-laced sales job in an office. But viewers can easily predict that John, who’s spent most of his adult life as a con man, is eventually going back to his criminal ways. The movie telegraphs it in the opening scene, where Jennifer has the meeting with U.S Marshal Blake about John’s counterfeiting.

After a while, it becomes tiresome to see the same patterns over and over again: Jennifer loves her father, but she can’t really trust him because he’s a pathological liar. They are in and out of each other’s lives. She struggles with deciding whether to give him yet another chance or to completely cut herself off from him.

But here’s the biggest problem with how Jennifer’s story is told in this movie: Even when Jennifer reaches adulthood, John is still portrayed as her unhealthy focus in life. Not once do viewers see if Jennifer had any significant friendships or fell in love—in other words, the movie makes it look like she never established any deep emotional connections or meaningful relationships with anyone besides her father. Jennifer and her brother Nick were close as children, but after she ran away from home, it seems like they were never that close again.

There are montages of Jennifer being a drifter and partying with various people whose names and personalities are never shown in the movie. Eventually, Jennifer decides to get her life together, and she enrolls in the University of Minnesota in 1985. But even that scene looks rushed and phony. She has a meeting with an admissions officer named Dr. Halstead (played by Nigel Fisher), who scolds her for lying on her application by trying to hide that she’s a high school dropout. At first Jennifer denies it, but then she admits she deliberately lied and admits that she never graduated from high school.

Dr. Halstead takes pity on her and says that if she lied about something like that, then it must mean that she really wants a college education. And just like that, he says that Jennifer can enroll in the university. In reality, university admissions are much more complicated and have more people involved in making the decisions than what’s portrayed in this movie. And telling a big lie on a college application would be automatic grounds for disqualification, unless someone can squeak by because of exceptional intelligence or because the applicant’s family is rich. Jennifer doesn’t fit either description.

“Flag Day” doesn’t know if it wants to be a gritty drama or a hokey soap opera. Jennifer says corny lines in her narration, such as when she makes this comment about her rogue father: “He left a trail of broken glass and broken hearts.” What is this? A Hallmark Channel movie? No, because there’s cursing, drug use and violence.

Sean Penn’s direction tends to be overwrought with close-ups of Dylan Penn’s face, as if Jennifer is a tragic ingenue heroine who has to bear the burdens of her father’s sins. She does an adequate job in her role overall, except in the melodramatic scenes which just look like over-acting. Sean Penn tries to depict John as a lovably messed-up outlaw. But it’s all so unconvincing and too contrived, in order to gloss over the reality of John being an abuser and a racist. Sean Penn does a lot of annoying mugging for the camera in this movie.

While the filmmakers clearly want viewers to feel sympathy for Jennifer, nowhere is it adequately addressed how she did some emotional damage of her own too, when she abandoned her younger brother Nick. The movie doesn’t care to explore how Nick was affected by all of his family trauma. And because “Flag Day” never shows Jennifer having any real friends or lovers, the movie leaves a big question mark about how her dysfunctional childhood affected her personal relationships as an adult.

There’s something very wrong with a movie that’s supposed to be about a young woman’s journey to form her own identity, and yet viewers learn more about who her father hangs out with and dates than they learn about her personal life. It’s a sloppily told story where the filmmakers use a woman’s pain as a “bait and switch” gimmick, when the movie is really a showcase about a man behaving badly.

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures released “Flag Day” in select U.S. cinemas on August 20, 2021.