THE BIG ONE

While we have zero interest in anything to do with Wicked, there’s no denying it’s one of the most-anticipated movies of the year.

Does our opinion, or anyone else’s opinion, really matter then? Not at all! The Broadway musical it’s based on has an almost cult-like following, and according to the 98% audience rating and 89% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie lives up to the hype around it.

“A soaring spectacle that’s as visually dazzling as it is emotionally resonant, Wicked is undeniably one of the greatest movie musicals ever made,” Doug Jamieson wrote in his 4.5 out of 5 star review.

“If you can get past that it’s a 160-minute adaptation of just half of the Broadway hit, Jon M. Chu’s film is a large-scale, beautifully mounted musical,” Stephen Silver stated in his review.

Even though stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have done a terrible job promoting the film (they definitely didn’t make any outsiders like us interested in seeing it), they’re getting a lot of praise for their performances onscreen.

“Though Jon M. Chu deserves a lot of credit for what makes Wicked: Part 1 such a successful film adaptation of the stage musical, the nucleus that holds the movie together is all about Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande,” Matthew Creith wrote for IN Magazine.

“It’s a grand, magical experience, grounded by two powerhouse performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that evoke the Technicolor splendor of old-school movie musicals,” Nate Adams praised in his review on The Only Critic.

Our take: If you’re a fan of the Broadway musical or a fan of Golden Age Hollywood musicals, you are probably going to enjoy this nearly 3-hour long romp on the big screen. If you have zero interest in it like we do, just stay home and rewatch The Wizard of the Oz.

Wicked is now in the theatres everywhere.

IN THEATRES

Gladiator II

Another highly anticipated movie this year is Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, which is currently sitting at a 72% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn, the film is being called a remake more than sequel.

“Set 16 years after the events of the first film, it really should be called ‘Gladiator Again.’ Scott and his Napoleon screenwriter David Scarpa have recycled most of the plot points from the first film as well as a couple of the characters (Connie Nielsen’s royal daughter Lucilla and Derek Jacobi’s Senator Gracchus),” Peter Howell wrote in his negative Toronto Star review.

“Since Paramount, Scott, and good old-fashioned corporate greed kick-started the idea of continuing the Gladiator franchise, you would think we’d get something more than a rehash of the first film. Yet there are times when the story hews so closely to the original that the sequel plays more like a remake,” Odie Henderson wrote for the Boston Globe.

What the critics do enjoy about this sequel is the addition of Denzel Washington.

“For fans of the original it’s more of the same. For everyone else it’s all Denzel and little else,” Micheal Compton wrote in his review.

“Denzel Washington’s extravagant performance likewise makes Gladiator II worthwhile. Still, not even its excessively violent action sequences, beautiful cinematography, and masterful set and costume design can save the sequel from how boring it is,” Chris Sawin wrote for Bounding Into Comics.

With an audience rating of 84%, the bottom-line is that you’ll probably enjoy Gladiator II if you were a fan of the original. Just don’t expect it to win any Oscars next year.

Gladiator II is now in theatres.

TOP BOX OFFICE

1. Red One
2. Venom: The Last Dance
3. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

STREAMING

Smile 2 (VOD)

Continuing right after the end of the first movie, Smile 2 is a bigger and gorier production that unfortunately loses most of the freaky vibe that made the original 2022 film so good. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie, because it has some strong performances and a few unique scenes that hold it together, but it didn’t quite impress us as much as we had hoped it would.

We seem to be in the minority with our take on it as the movie has an 86% critics score with an 81% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes (the original has a 79% critics score and a 77% audience rating). Over on the IMDb, Smile 2 is currently sitting at a 7 out of 10 while the original has a 6.5 out of 10.

“Smile 2 has stunning visuals, incredible production design, and genuine scares. Naomi Scott is fantastic in the lead and this is a sequel that lives up to the original – even if it may not surpass it,” Matt Hudson said on the Bloody Awesome Movie Podcast.

Naomi Scott’s performance is definitely what keeps the movie so intriguing and enjoyable, and it will be interesting to see what she does next.

WATCH: Trailer for Smile 2

“Jump scares are present but more effective, and the setup leads to a more impactful payoff. Even though Smile 2 is much more humorous than the first, the overall tone is well-balanced, making this one all the more eerie,” Sabrina Ramirez wrote on Geeks on Color.

Smile 2 is now available to rent or buy on VOD platforms in Canada.

Also streaming this week: The WWII drama Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan, is on Apple TV+, Didi is on Prime Video, Thelma is on Paramount+, Spellbound is on Netflix, I Used to Be Funny and The Strangers: Chapter 1 are on Crave, and Lee, Absolution, and Seeking Mavis Beacon are on VOD.

COMING SOON

We don’t get many werewolf movies these days, so we were extremely happy to see the trailer for Werewolves, starring Frank Grillo.

This seems to be a sci-fi/horror with a lot of action and corney one-liners added for good measure. We’re expecting a fun ride when it arrives in theatres on December 6.

Check out the trailer for Werewolves on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think?

ON DISC

If you’ve been following us the last few months, you’ll know that we fully enjoyed Twisters in the theatre. Now that it’s arrived on 4K Blu-ray we had to give it another watch, and we’re very glad we did!

Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones have great chemistry and are fun to watch, the same way Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton were in Twister. And like the original movie, Twisters is also big and loud and full of destruction, making it a perfect title to show off on 4K Blu-ray.

WATCH: Twisters – ‘A Look Inside’ Featurette

The image quality is sharp and clear, even during scenes of mass chaos, and the Dolby Atmos surround mix will give your system a true workout.

Special features on the 4K Blu-ray include audio commentary with director Lee Isaac Chung, deleted scenes, multiple making-of featurettes, a gag reel, and more.

You can currently buy the 4K Blu-ray for Twisters on Amazon.ca for $30.99.

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THE BIG ONE

We had a feeling Red One was not going to be good just by watching the trailer for it. You put Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in an action Christmas movie with extremely bad CGI and a cringy script, and you get a big ole’ pile of reindeer poop.

The movie currently has a 34% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is much higher than we expected it to be!

“A Christmas movie with product placement for the whole family, from Hot Wheels to Bulleit Bourbon, it’s a formulaic action film, with generic CGI battles and Johnson in automaton mode,” Richard Crouse wrote in his review.

“It’s hard to believe that Amazon spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this loud, empty and hideous-looking holiday lump of coal, which brings a superficial superhero movie approach to familiar Christmas material,” Josh Bell wrote for Tom’s Guide.

And in one of the best negative reviews we read, M.N. Miller wrote on FandomWire that Red One is “so relentlessly lacklustre and uninspired that I wondered if it was a cruel holiday prank meant to ruin our Christmas spirit.” We feel your pain, M.N.!

In one of only a handful of positive reviews we found, Jason Flatt called out the “Red One haters” and said the movie is “fun and delivers more than its fair share of heartwarming moments.” Sorry Jason, but we wouldn’t call sitting through this torture “fun” or “heartwarming” (guess we’re in the “Red One haters” club).

Our take: If you really have the urge to see this movie, save your money and wait to watch it at home. It will most likely bomb and be streaming on Prime Video before Christmas.

Red One is now in theatres.

IN THEATRES

Conclave

For those into dramatic thrillers about the Catholic Church (and really, who isn’t?), Conclave is a solid entry in the genre that is currently sitting at a 92% critics score and an 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, the movie follows the Cardinal (Fiennes) in charge of selecting a new Pope after the death of the most recent “Holy Father”.

“This is a straightforward, crystal clear drama, executed masterfully, and that makes it one of the most compelling films of the year,” Matthew Jackson wrote in his review for The Huntsville Item.

WATCH: Trailer for Conclave

Writing for USA Today, Cory Woodward said the movie is “closer to The Da Vinci Code than First Reformed, but it’s a real gem all the same.”

In one of only a few negative reviews, Sister Hosea Rupprecht – an actual Catholic nun – wrote that Conclave “takes a sacred ritual of the Catholic Church and turns it into a travesty plagued by every scandal in the book. Rather than a whodunit, it’s more like a ‘who didn’t do it,’ leaving this Catholic reviewer slightly miffed and quite saddened.”

We found it refreshing to watch a straight drama aimed at adults. And along with some top-notch performances by the three lead actors, there’s a lot of interesting visual elements to the movie. Also worth noting is the amazing score, composed by Volker Bertelmann, which kept the suspense going and is sure to get an Oscar nomination next year (and it will probably win).

Conclave is now playing in select threatres across Canada.

TOP BOX OFFICE

1. Venom: The Last Dance
2. Heretic
3. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

STREAMING

Saturday Night (VOD)

If you’re a viewer of ‘Saturday Night Live’, especially one who watched it back in its heyday, then Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night is essential viewing.

The movie begins an hour and a half before the very first broadcast on October 11, 1975 and pretty much runs in real-time as Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) deals with the chaos of trying to get his cast and crew organized to go live on a show no one can quite explain. The movie gets the energy and anxiety of what it must have felt like to be there across perfectly, and is a pure rush to witness.

Reitman’s casting is also spot on in every possible way.

From his look to his voice, Cory Michael Smith embodies everything about Chevy Chase. Same with Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris (who are surprisingly not related in real life), and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin.

WATCH: Trailer for Saturday Night

In a dual role, Nicholas Braun plays Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, and he completely nails both performances. The only actor that felt miscast was Matthew Rhys as George Carlin, but it’s such a small part it doesn’t take you out of the movie experience.

Saturday Night currently has a 78% critics score and an 84% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 7.3 out of 10 on the IMDb. It’s now available to buy or rent on VOD platforms in Canada.

My Old Ass (Prime Video)

It’s a shame Amazon didn’t promote My Old Ass better during its theatrical run in Canada. Not only was the movie shot in the Muskoka area of Ontario, but it’s also set in the area with plenty of local scenery to take in. This definitely made us connect to it more, as we’re sure many other Canadians might have as well.

The movie is a coming-of-age story about Elliott (Maisy Stella), who, on her 18th birthday, takes a bunch of magic mushrooms with her friends and ends up meeting her older self (Aubrey Plaza). The movie then takes some interesting twists and turns with an equal amount of funny and emotional scenes on display.

WATCH: Trailer for My Old Ass

“Hands-down one of the best coming-of-age stories in a long time — one that asks viewers to consider what they would have told their younger selves if given the chance,” Sean P. Means wrote in his review on The Movie Cricket.

It has a solid 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with an 89% audience rating. On the IMDb, it’s sitting at a 7.1 out of 10 based off of over 12,000 reviews.

My Old Ass is now streaming on Prime Video.

Also new to streaming recently: The Substance, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, is on MUBI, and the LEGO-animated Pharrell Williams biopic Piece By Piece, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, and A Different Man, starring Sebastian Stan, are all on VOD platforms.

COMING SOON

As we get ready to enjoy the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the more intriguing titles appears to be next year’s Thunderbolts*.

This movie takes the likes of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and teams them up as an Avengers-like team of misfits.

We will know for sure if it’s as fun as it looks or a complete dud after it arrives in theatres on May 2, 2025.

Check out the trailer for Thunderbolts* on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think?

ON DISC

There’s a funny Easter egg in the Thunderbolts* trailer where Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character asks “who is this old Santa?” referring to David Harbour’s Red Guardian. Harbour, of course, played an old Santa in the excellent 2022 movie Violent Night.

While a bit over-the-top, Violent Night got good reviews from both critics and audiences and it’s become a fun “anti-Christmas movie” movie to watch each holiday season (similar to how Die Hard is).

If you’re a fan of the film, the 4K Blu-ray is worth adding to the collection. While the image quality is vibrant, it’s the Dolby Atmos surround mix that really makes it the reason to drop the money on it. There are a lot of great loud action sequences, and this mix will give your home theatre system a true workout.

Special features on the 4K Blu-ray include deleted and extended scenes, a making-of featurette, audio commentary, and more.

You can currently buy the 4K Blu-ray for Violent Night on Amazon.ca for $18.99.

*When you buy through links in our newsletter and our site we might receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

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THE BIG ONE

We were on the fence about The Apprentice and had mixed feelings about seeing it. Not because it’s about Donald Trump, but because of all the people who’ve impersonated him in the past few years Sebastian Stan seemed very miscast. Boy, were we wrong!

The Apprentice is not about the Donald Trump that was President of the United States and it’s not about his former reality show of the same name. No, it’s about the Trump that no one knew in the ’70s and how he became one of New York’s biggest real estate developers in the ’80s after being guided by ruthless lawyer Roy Cohn (amazingly portrayed by Jeremy Strong).

In this era of Trump, Stan’s version of him is spot on, and seeing him change throughout the movie the way Trump did as he got older and more powerful is some fine acting. Maria Bakalova also does a great job playing his first wife, Ivana, but it’s Strong that is the highlight of the film. This is Kendall Roy (his character on the HBO show Succession) amped up to 11!

While Trump and his supporters have unsurprisingly denounced the film, critics are mostly praising it, and it’s got a decent 79% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.

“These two men are reprehensible human beings, but the performances somehow find emotion in this twisted dynamic between two evil men,” Robert Kojder wrote about it on Flickering Myth.

“The Apprentice does not really explain Donald Trump as a psychiatric or political phenomenon, it justifies its existence as pitch dark comedy with some terrific performances and a reminder that even the Orange Menace was once someone’s darling boy,” Liam Lacey wrote in his review on Original Cin.

Most of the detractors of the film can’t separate their feelings on the Trump of today, and most are American (which makes sense given the upcoming U.S. election).

“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to go out and see a movie about him. I hate having to hear his voice every day, and deeply resent being forced to think about Donald Trump more often than I get the chance to think about certain friends and family members,” Sean Burns said about the movie on WBUR News.

“All told, the film’s a rather soft headshot of the worst American alive,” Michael Atkinson wrote on LA Weekly.

Our take: If you enjoyed movies and shows like The Wolf of Wall Street, Wall Street, Succession, or The Big Short, also starring Strong, The Apprentice falls into that genre and delivers a great glimpse into the creation of the monster Trump is today.

The Apprentice is now playing in select theatres across Canada.

IN THEATRES

Woman of the Hour

Woman of the Hour tells the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who, after he had already raped and murdered multiple women, went on ‘The Dating Game’ in 1978.

This is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut and it’s not what you would expect from the actress, who has mostly worked in comedies.

The movie has some very dark moments, but never goes far enough to turn the viewer off. Kendrick also stars as the contestant on the game show who gets to choose one of the eligible men to date, and does a great job in the role.

Daniel Zovatto (It Follows, Don’t Breathe) is very unsettling as Alcala and he definitely left an impression on us. But the standout was newcomer Autumn Best as one of Alcala’s victims. She’s only in the film briefly, but she made us feel everything she was going through in that short time.

WATCH: Trailer for Woman of the Hour

The movie, which had its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, currently has an amazing 91% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many applauding Kendrick’s first go from behind-the-camera.

“Anna Kendrick makes a sensational, but never sensationalized directorial debut with the taut true crime thriller Woman of the Hour, which looks at institutional misogyny through the lens of a true crime story,” Richard Crouse wrote in his review.

Aaron White said on the Feelin’ Film Podcast that Kendrick “brings her signature charm and wit in front of the camera, and shows incredible command behind it in this tense, funny, and scathingly direct look at the dangers and objectification women face.”

“Working with multiple storylines with contrasting tones, Kendrick seamlessly blends pitch-black comedy and thriller elements in a tightly told 89-minute film that moves with purpose and creeping dread,”  Lauren Cohen wrote on Next Best Picture.

None of the negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes had anything of value to highlight, so we’re not even going to mention them (we also really liked this movie and just want people to see it).

Woman of the Hour is now playing in theatres across Canada.

Saturday Night

Jason Reitman brings the chaotic anxiety of the first ‘Saturday Night Live’ broadcast to the big screen in Saturday Night, which is opening in theatres on the 50th anniversary of the show (October 11).

The movie currently has an 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with a solid 92% audience rating. It also has a strong 7.3 out of 10 on the IMDb.

“An energetic film that dives into the chaotic genius and creative genesis of what would become one of television’s most iconic shows,” Louisa Moore wrote on Screen Zealots.

WATCH: Trailer for Saturday Night

“If you want history, go read one of the SNL books. What you go to this film for is energy, which Saturday Night has in abundance,” Matt Singer wrote in his review.

Just like the TV show itself, there are many who dislike the movie. The best negative review comes from Chase Hutchinson at in The Inlander.

“It’s just a slick hagiography poorly masquerading as a madcap comedy. Much like the modern SNL, it may get credit from some for doing OK impersonations, but there’s nothing else on its mind. If there’s a joke, it’s on us for watching and hoping for more.”

Saturday Night is now in wide release across Canada.

Also in theatres this week: The LEGO-animated Pharrell Williams biopic Piece by Piece.

TOP BOX OFFICE

1. Joker: Folie à Deux
2. The Wild Robot
3. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
   

STREAMING

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (VOD)

Everyone involved in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice knew the task at hand and delivered a sequel very true to the vibe of the original. Even if at times it might feel like there’s too much going on, it always seems to boomerang back to being a perfect Beetlejuice movie.

While watching we couldn’t believe that Michael Keaton is now in his 70s (!!). He’s still got the same energy playing the character that he had in his 30s the first time around, and he’s still just as fun to watch.

The pairing of Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega as mother-daughter is also perfect (kudos to the casting director on that one). And as always, Catharine O’Hara steals every scene she’s in.

WATCH: Trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

The movie has a 77% critics score with an 80% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also has a 7 out of 10 on the IMDb.

One of the most spot-on reviews comes from Tim Brennan on About Boulder.

“If you liked the original, I reckon you’ll still probably have a pretty good time with this one. It’s your typical sequel that’s bigger, louder, and dumber than the original, but once in a while, it does something unexpected and wild.”

Like the original, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a movie we can see ourselves watching multiple times. We might even have a second helping of it with family this Thanksgiving weekend.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is now available on VOD platforms.

Also streaming this week: The romantic drama Lonely Planet is on Netflix, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die and The Strangers: Chapter 1 are on Crave, Daddy’s Head is on Shudder, and The Silent Hour, Never Let Go, Mother Father Sister Brother Frank, and Hellboy: The Crooked Man are all on VOD.

COMING SOON

If Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown is half as good as he appears in the trailer, he and the movie could be cleaning up at the Oscars next year! We’ll know for sure when it hits theatres on Christmas Day.

Check out the trailer for A Complete Unknown on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think?

ON DISC

Continuing our recommendations of movies worth buying on physical media for spooky season, we were lucky enough to get an advance copy of the 40th anniversary release of A Nightmare on Elm Street on 4K Blu-ray.

If you are a Freddy Krueger fan, there is no question that you should own this release! The 4K transfer, especially during the darker scenes, is absolutely stunning, and the Dolby Atmos TrueHD sound mix really amps the terror factor up.

The disc comes with the theatrical and uncut versions of the movie (the uncut version is not that exciting as it’s only eight seconds longer), and has a bunch of special features, including alternate endings, multiple commentary tracks, the documentary ‘Never Sleep Again: A Nightmare on Elm Street’, and more.

The 40th anniversary 4K Blu-ray for A Nightmare on Elm Street will be available on Tuesday, October 15. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.ca for $39.99.

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THE BIG ONE

Joker was a gritty portrayal of a man losing his mind that earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar. Joker: Folie à Deux is a pointless musical that no one asked for.

As of this writing the movie is sitting at a horrendous 39% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with an even lower 37% audience rating! It’s also got a sad 5.4 out of 10 on the IMDb.

“A tedious film that doesn’t need to exist and actively seems to resent that it does,” Travis Hopson said in his review on Punch Drunk Critics.

Mike Massie at Gone With The Twins wrote that “it may be ambitious, inexplicable, and one-of-a-kind, but that so rarely translates into something engaging – or even watchable.”

“Just when things begin to boil somebody starts singing,” Jim Schembri comically noted in his review.

Adding Lady Gaga to the mix is surprisingly not the worst part of the movie, either.

“At least Lady Gaga is innocent of all the crimes this movie commits against cinema,” EJ Moreno said on the Flickering Myth YouTube review.

“Lady Gaga is to Folie à Deux what Marisa Tomei is to My Cousin Vinny. She’s a vivacious spark who turns heads and commands attention in the courtroom. She elevates the material best she can, but unlike Tomei, the film can’t build upon her strengths,” Pat Mullen wrote for That Shelf.

There are some positive reviews, with many enjoying the musical and psychological aspect of the film.

Linda Marric at HeyUGuys said it “leaves a lasting impression, merging psychological intensity with musical spectacle,” adding that “it is undeniably an unforgettable cinematic experience from an incredibly talented filmmaker.”

We tend to agree more with the negative reviews on this one, and the best take we could find is from an audience member on Rotten Tomatoes who bluntly said it’s “ridiculously unnecessary and boring.”

Our take: There’s no good reason to see this in the theatre. If you’re curious about it, it’ll be better watched on your couch in a few weeks when you can fast forward or turn it off.

Joker: Folie à Deux is now in theatres.

IN THEATRES

The Outrun

Based on Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir, and starring Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun tells the story of an alcoholic trying to get sober by staying on a remote island in Scotland.

Ronan delivers another Oscar-worthy performance, and for anyone who has lived with an alcoholic it can be difficult to watch her at times.

“Addiction dramas have been around forever, but The Outrun is one of the best I’ve ever seen when it comes to portraying the day-to-day struggle to maintain sobriety,” Mike McGranaghan wrote on Aisle Seat.

The movie has an 81% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 7.3 out of 10 on the IMDb. Most reviews point to Ronan’s excellent performance as the highlight.

“It’s not accurate to say the film stars Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse Ronan is the movie, the luminous north star of every scene,” Liz Braun wrote in her review on Original Cin.

The Outrun is a serious drama from start to finish. The handful of negative reviews call it out for being slow and boring, which we didn’t find at all thanks to Ronan’s mesmerizing acting.

“This is a fine, comprehensible, and sympathetic story. It’s just not a particularly compelling one,” Mark Dujsik wrote in his review.

“The Outrun is the cinematic equivalent of when it sounds like a war zone in your microwave but your food still comes out cold,” Joseph Robinson said in his review on YouTube.

We feel this one will be popping up a lot around awards season and we recommend jumping on the bandwagon early.

The Outrun is now playing in select theatres across Canada.

Frankie Freako

If you’re into absurd and ridiculous movies starring a bunch of puppets, Frankie Freako does not disappoint. While it never goes as far as Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles, it’s got a real Ghoulies or Garbage Pail Kids PG-13 vibe to it that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Director Steven Kostanski has consistently delivered with films like Manborg, Psycho Goreman, and even Leprechaun Returns. He is a master of practical special effects, and when he’s not directing his own movies he’s helping amplify films like Scared Shitless and In a Violent Nature to levels of greatness.

Frankie Freako has a solid 95% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes based off 21 reviews. Most are praising the effects and the ’80s and early ’90s nostalgia.

“It’s a self-consciously juvenile pizza party of a movie that’s lots of fun if you don’t take it too seriously,” Katie Rife wrote in her review.

And Maxance Vincent wrote on Loud and Clear Reviews that it “may very well be one of the most jubilatory horror comedies of the year, one that perfectly understands which genre it’s riffing on, and the filmmakers it wants to celebrate.”

Frankie Freako is now playing in select theatres across Canada.

Also in theatres this week: A Different Man, starring Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson, and Renate Reinsve.

TOP BOX OFFICE

• The Wild Robot
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Transformers One

STREAMING

V/H/S/Beyond (Shudder)

Wrapped around a documentary about an alien encounter in Toronto, V/H/S/Beyond is a true streaming event for horror and sci-fi fans.

The six stories told are mostly alien-themed, with exception of the totally nuts ‘Fur Babies’ from brothers Christian and Justin Long (it’s still haunting us days after watching). Another standout is ‘Stowaway’, directed by actress Kate Siegel. It felt the realest of them all and we’d love to see a feature film based off of it.

In one of the most spot-on reviews we’ve read, Randy Myers wrote in the San Jose Mercury News that “V/H/S Beyond grossed me out, made me laugh and made me jump — and it set a high bar for ensuing entries to jump over.”

Our sentiments exactly, Randy.

If you enjoy anthology horror films like Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside, Trick ‘r Treat, or the previous entries in the V/H/S series, this is one we highly recommend checking out.

V/H/S/Beyond is now streaming on Shudder.

The 4:30 Movie (VOD)

Kevin Smith has found his way back to what he does best in The 4:30 Movie, proving he hasn’t lost all his talent after a string of questionable films.

Set in 1986 around the time that Poltergeist 2 was the big release, The 4:30 Movie follows a group of teens as they mostly spend the day in a theatre watching and talking about movies (it does revolve around a teen crush, but that almost seems like an afterthought at times).

Smith is great at dialogue, and this has that Clerks charm to it while being a bit more polished. The casting is also excellent, especially Austin Zajur in the lead. He feels made to be in a Kevin Smith movie and his performance really shines through.

The movie has a 72% critics score and an 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. Many reviews agree with our overall thoughts, too.

“It’s a heartfelt celebration of youth, friendship, and the magic of cinema. A delightful reminder of why we fell in love with [Smith’s] storytelling in the first place,” Frank Wilkins wrote for Reel Reviews.

David Gonzalez wrote in his review on The Cinematic Reel that the movie is “a charming slice-of-life coming-of-age tale that not only embraces young love but serves as a love letter to cinephiles, friendships, and the multiplex experience.”

It wouldn’t be a Kevin Smith movie without haters, and one of the best negative reviews comes from the New York Times, which is unfortunately behind a paywall.

“It’s like The Fabelmans if Steven Spielberg had grown up to make bad movies.”

The 4:30 Movie is available to buy or rent on VOD.

House of Spoils (Prime Video)

If you’re watching House of Spoils expecting something scary, you will be disappointed. If you’re watching because you enjoy shows and movies about cooking or running a restaurant, you might find something to hold your attention.

To be clear though, this doesn’t come anywhere close to The Bear or The Menu, and if it wasn’t for Ariana DeBose’s enduring performance, there would be nothing positive for us to say about it.

Based off of a few hundred reviews, the movie has a terrible 4.4 out of 10 on the IMDb. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s currently got a 61% critics score based on 18 reviews.

“House of Spoils can’t decide if it wants to be a campy witch story with spooky haunts or play into the drama and psyche of a head chef,” Paul McGuire Grimes wrote in his review.

Archi Sengupta wrote on LeisureByte.com that the movie “has its moments of wonder and warmth but it fails supremely while trying to deliver a fresh plate of the supernatural.”

One of the more positive reviews comes from Molly Henery at The Blogging Banshee, who said the movie “delivers a feminist, supernatural take on restaurant horror with plenty of twists and turns for edge-of-your-seat suspense.”

We feel it’s more mediocre than that, but maybe we’re just not the right demographic for it.

House of Spoils is now streaming on Prime Video.

Also streaming this week: The new adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is on Crave, Challengers is on Prime Video, Hold Your Breath is on Disney+, and Deadpool & Wolverine (read our review), Strange Darling (read our review), Speak No Evil, My Penguin Friend, and ZEF: The Story of Die Antwoord are all on VOD.

COMING SOON

Red One is a Christmas action-comedy starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and J.K. Simmons as Santa.

We’re unsure how we feel about this one. The trailer made us cringe more than laugh, and the effects look a bit cheap. It opens in theatres on November 14, but we might wait to watch it till it hits Prime Video, which is where it was originally supposed to be released and probably for a good reason.

Check out the trailer for Red One on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think?

ON DISC

One of our favourite movies to watch this time of year is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and we can 100% say we’ve never been more excited to watch it as we were watching it on 4K Blu-ray!

Whether Stephen King likes or dislikes this adaptation of his book really doesn’t matter at this point. The movie has become iconic, and is arguably one of Kubrick’s best.

From the performances of Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, to the cinematography and score, there are so many things going on in this movie that we always find something new to enjoy about it.

The 4K Blu-ray offers an awesome new 2160p transfer that’s crisp and sharp. The 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix is also refreshing, even if some fans wanted the original mono mix back.

Special features include two making-of documentaries that both run over 30 minutes long, audio commentary with Kubrick biographer John Baxter along with Garrett Brown, the inventor of the Steadicam, and a couple of other making-of featurettes.

The Shining 4K Blu-ray is currently available on Amazon.ca for $17.98.

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Here’s the full schedule of movies coming to the streaming service next month.

OCTOBER 1

• Colombiana
• First Daughter
• The Girl Next Door
• Glass
• Minions: The Rise of Gru
• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
• The Nice Guys
• Nope
• Saving Private Ryan
• Shaun of the Dead
• Superbad
• Tremors

OCTOBER 2

• Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

OCTOBER 3

• Trouble (NETFLIX FILM)

OCTOBER 4

• CTRL (NETFLIX FILM)
• Halloween
• I Love You, Man
• It’s What’s Inside (NETFLIX FILM)
• Nanny McPhee
• The Platform 2 (NETFLIX FILM)

OCTOBER 7

• The Hunger Games
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

OCTOBER 8

• The Addams Family
• Addams Family Values

OCTOBER 9

• Insidious
• Insidious: Chapter 2
• Insidious: Chapter 3

OCTOBER 11

• In Her Place (NETFLIX FILM)
• Lonely Planet (NETFLIX FILM)
• Uprising (NETFLIX FILM)

OCTOBER 16

• Justice (NETFLIX FILM)
• Little Fockers
• Meet the Fockers
• Meet the Parents
• Sinister
• Sinister 2

OCTOBER 17

• Outside (NETFLIX FILM)
• The Shadow Strays (NETFLIX FILM)

OCTOBER 18

• The Man Who Loved UFOs (NETFLIX FILM)

OCTOBER 23

• Family Pack (NETFLIX FILM)
• Scream 2
• Scream 3
• Scream 4

OCTOBER 25

• Baywatch
• Don’t Move (NETFLIX FILM)
• Hijack ’93 (NETFLIX FILM)

OCTOBER 30

• Time Cut (NETFLIX FILM)

What movies are you looking forward to watching on Netflix Canada in October? Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

The post Movies streaming on Netflix Canada in October 2024 appeared first on Criticize This!.

Here’s the full schedule of movies coming to the streaming service next month.

OCTOBER 3

• Salem’s Lot
• Dark Places

OCTOBER 4

• The King Tide
• Le Successeur
• Daybreakers
• Single White Female
• Cyrano
• The Queen Of My Dreams

OCTOBER 5

• The Omen
• Damien: Omen II
• Spotlight
• Moving Day

OCTOBER 6

• What A Girl Wants
• Chasing Liberty

OCTOBER 10 

• Caddo Lake
• It Follows

OCTOBER 11

• Bad Boys: Ride Or Die
• Vacation Friends 2
• The Strangers: Chapter 1
• Splice
• Polytechnique

OCTOBER 12

• To Die For

OCTOBER 13

• Stardust
• Starman

OCTOBER 15 

• Terrifier 2

OCTOBER 18

• Promised Land
• Perfect Days
• Sister Of The Groom
• Imaginary
• Spider
• Stage Fright

OCTOBER 19

• The Day After Tomorrow
• Debug

OCTOBER 20

• Ballerina
• Purple Rain
• Lovesick

OCTOBER 21

• Born Hungry

OCTOBER 24

• I Saw The TV Glow
• Zombieland

OCTOBER 25

• Trap
• No One Will Save You
• Humane

OCTOBER 26 

• The Rental
• Little Monsters

OCTOBER 27

• Goosebumps
• Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

What movies are you looking forward to watching on Crave in October? Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

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THE BIG ONE

Francis Ford Coppola spent $120 million of his own money to make the epic futuristic film Megalopolis, which critics are panning and the general public doesn’t seem interested in (we’re sure we’re not the only ones who will be calling it “Megaflopolis” after it bombs this weekend).

Years in the making and with a stacked cast that includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Coppola’s relatives Talia Shire and Jason Schwartzman, this movie should be so much better than the 50% critics score it has on Rotten Tomatoes or the horrendous 5.7 out of 10 it has on the IMDb.

“Underneath all that beauty is an incoherent story, a curiously flat array of performances and a filmmaker who appears to have lost his way,” Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times.

Josh Bell wrote in his review that the movie “is often indistinguishable from a sketch-comedy parody of itself.”

The best hot take comes from Frank Swietek over at One Guy’s Opinion, who called it a “mess” and said it’s “an idea movie in which the ideas are staggeringly banal, though dressed up in extravagant images, even when they’re coherent, which isn’t very often.”

The few positive reviews are not even that positive.

“Ultimately it’s worth it for the sheer lunacy and ego on display and I wasn’t bored for a single minute. I don’t know if Coppola also ran the catering van, but I think we can assume so,” Deborah Ross wrote in The Spectator.

And Marjorie Baumgarten wrote in the Austin Chronicle that the movie is “a jumble that oftentimes leaves its top-notch cast unmoored and renders its science-fiction elements somewhat anemic in light of our current expectations from special effects.”

Megalopolis was off to a bad start even before release when one of the trailers for it used fake negative movie critic quotes about Coppola’s films from the ’70s (you can still watch that version on our YouTube channel).

Then there is the whole gimmick of using actors in the theatre to interact with scenes from the movie (in case you weren’t aware, someone will get up and start talking to the screen during each showing). Hopefully they work around this for the digital release in a few weeks.

Our take: We’re still on the fence about Megalopolis. It could be a great theatrical experience for a certain few, but this is one that most people will completely ignore or discover when it lands on a streaming service in a couple of months.

Megalopolis is now in theatres.

IN THEATRES

Lee

From the excellent performances by Kate Winslet, Alexander Skarsgård, and to our great shock, Andy Samberg, to the wonderful cinematography and score, Lee has a lot going for it. Unfortunately it’s not enough to thoroughly enjoy at the theatre.

Based on the true story of fashion model-turned-photojournalist Lee Miller, Lee mostly focuses on Miller’s time covering WWII for Vogue magazine in Europe (it should be noted that there are some horrific scenes recreated off of the photos Miller took).

What the movie lacks is depth into who Miller was and how she became the person we’re watching. Without that backstory, it’s not as spectacular as Miller’s life actually was.

The movie currently has a 63% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many echoing our praise of Winslet and the rest of the cast.

“While conventionally told, Lee benefits from Winslet’s commanding presence and that of her supporting cast,” Travis Hopson wrote for Punch Drunk Critics.

Laura Clifford wrote for Reeling Reviews that “Winslet is a force, her focus on the Rolleiflex hanging around her neck intense, her determination to report the horrors she has seen, horrors which resulted in PTSD and alcoholism, unwavering.”

Just like the positive reviews, the negative ones also backup our thoughts on the film.

“Unfortunately, the script does its subject no great service, presenting information in an initial hodgepodge of haphazard events,” Christopher Llewellyn Reed wrote on Film Festival Today.

Lee is not a bad movie, it’s just not worth sitting in the theatre for two hours for.

Also in theatres this week: The animated film The Wild Robot, which has a 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the horror movie Bagman, which was not screened for critics ahead of time.

TOP BOX OFFICE

1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
2. Transformers One
3. Speak No Evil
   

STREAMING

Apartment 7A (Paramount+)

No one asked for a prequel to the classic Rosemary’s Baby, and Apartment 7A almost feels like a direct ripoff of its predecessor. What saves it from being a pure waste of time is Julia Garner’s great performance and Dianne Wiest’s take on annoying neighbour Minnie, the role that Ruth Gordon played so well in the original film.

Critics aren’t finding much else good to say about it either, and the movie currently only has a 42% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Apartment 7A falls flat across the board proving that most horror prequels are unnecessary, especially when they come decades after the original film,” Paul McGuire Grimes said in his review.

Rebecca Johnson sums it up perfectly in her review, saying “despite boasting an exceptional lead performance, a fun supporting cast and expert tension building, Apartment 7A struggles to prove its worth by adding very little to the overall story.” We’re in total agreement.

Unlike Rosemary’s Baby, Apartment 7A also has zero going for it in the horror department. There’s nothing in it that will give you chills, and it’s really quite a boring movie that we didn’t need.

Apartment 7A is now streaming on Paramount+.

Killer Heat (Prime Video)

From Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s narration, to the cinematography, score, and storyline, Killer Heat has a very old Hollywood, film noir feel to it. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be clicking with today’s audience as it only has a 5.5 out of 10 on the IMDb (there’s only 10 reviews for it on Rotten Tomatoes and they’re all bad).

The movie follows Nick Bali (Gordon-Levitt) as he heads to a small island in Greece to investigate the death of a member of a wealthy family. There’s not much more we can say without ruining the story.

Gordon-Levitt fully embraces his private detective character and made the movie work for us. We were also reminded how great of an actor he can be in certain roles.

Killer Heat is a slow burn that gradually picks up the pace as it nears the finish line. You might be ready to turn it off and move on, but we recommend sticking it out till the end. This is also a perfect movie to watch on a rainy fall afternoon.

Killer Heat is now streaming on Prime Video.

Night of the Harvest (VOD)

We can’t decide if the indie horror Night of the Harvest deserves a 1/5 or a 5/5, but since no one else is talking about it, we wanted to put it on people’s radar.

The movie is very indie (we can’t stress enough how very indie it is). It’s full of bad acting and writing, but it’s also unintentionally funny and could be a great group watch around Halloween (it can easily be turned into a drinking game, if that’s your thing).

WATCH: Trailer for Night of the Harvest

It does check many “cult movie status” boxes in the same vein that The Room does, so we’re expecting it might get a following down the road.

Night of the Harvest is now available to rent or buy on VOD platforms.

Also streaming this week: It Ends with Us is on VOD, Wolfs, starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, is on Apple TV+, The Garfield Movie is on Crave, Smile is on Paramount+, and the documentary Will & Harper is on Netflix.

COMING SOON

Based on Rachel Yoder’s bestselling book, Nightbitch had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month to mixed reviews (it’s currently got a 62% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes).

Many loved Amy Adams’ performance in it, while others felt the movie was a letdown. We’re still interested in seeing it for ourselves when it hits theatres on December 6.

Check out the trailer for Nightbitch on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think?

ON DISC

You might remember that we weren’t the biggest fans of Despicable Me 4. So when the 4K Blu-ray for it showed up at our door, we were hesitant to sit through it again.

Upon a second viewing, we can definitely say the franchise has run out of ideas and they need to stop making them. That said, the animation looks incredible on 4K Blu-ray and you will not be disappointed in this release if you’re a fan.

Along with a load of special features, including deleted and extended scenes and a making-of, there are two mini movies with the Minions that we found surprisingly enjoyable (surprisingly because we have really had enough of the Minions).

We usually tell you to go to Amazon.ca to buy the physical discs we recommend (which you can still do if you want to support us), but this time we’re happy to announce that we have three copies of Despicable Me 4 on 4K Blu-ray to give away courtesy of our friends at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Head on over to our contest page to enter.

*When you buy through links in our newsletter and our site we might receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

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About Despicable Me 4

The world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League-agent returns for a bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4, now with 2 mini-movies. Gru, Lucy and their girls welcome a new member to the family – Gru Jr. – who is intent on tormenting his dad, as a new nemesis shows up and forces the family to go on the run. This latest blockbuster chapter in the biggest global animated franchise in history is packed with nonstop action and filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor.

Despicable Me 4 is now available on Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray, and digital. Check out the trailer for it on YouTube.

Enter to win

Follow the steps below to enter for a chance to win Despicable Me 4 on 4K Blu-ray. In order to qualify to win, you must be subscribed to the Criticize This! movie newsletter at the time of the draw.

Despicable Me 4 4K Blu-ray

Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on October 2, 2024. Winners will be randomly selected to win the prize and contacted via the e-mail address they supplied in the entry. Contest is open to residents of Canada over the age of 18 only.

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About The Outrun

After living life on the edge in London, Rona (Saoirse Ronan) attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. Hoping to heal, she returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands where she grew up.

Watch the trailer for The Outrun on YouTube.

Enter to win

Follow the steps in the links below to enter to win passes to the The Outrun advance screening in your city. In order to qualify to win, you must be subscribed to the Criticize This! movie newsletter at the time of the draw.

• Toronto – https://gleam.io/4SfJ1/the-outrun-movie-passes-toronto
• Vancouver – https://gleam.io/iaSO1/the-outrun-movie-passes-vancouver

Winners will be randomly selected to win the prize and contacted via the e-mail address they supplied in the entry. These contests are open to residents of Canada over the age of 18 only.

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THE BIG ONE

We don’t normally write about shows that are on streaming or TV, but since we saw The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal at this year’s Toronto Film Festival (where it also won the People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary), we thought it was justified to include it this week.

Whether you enjoy the band’s music or not, there is no denying that The Tragically Hip have a unique sound that has been the soundtrack for an entire generation of Canadians. Would road trips, camping or visiting a cottage feel the same without their music in the background? This Canadian connection is all put into perspective in the four-part docuseries.

Directed by Gord Downie’s brother Mike, the series starts at the very beginning and shows how the band formed in Kingston, Ontario back in 1984, touching on their high school years as well as other bands they were in. It’s an interesting origin story that many people probably don’t fully know.

While Gord Downie’s death is a central topic throughout the series, the interviews with remaining members Gord Sinclair, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, and Johnny Fay keep the story interesting and moving forward. These guys had a career where they were constantly recording and touring, and it all came tumbling down on them when Downie passed. You really feel their loss of not only their friend and bandmate, but also their entire reason for being over the last 30 odd years.

The interviews with other famous Canadians, including Dan Aykroyd, Will Arnett, Jay Baruchel, and Geddy Lee, show the impact the band had from a fan perspective (you’ll also learn that it was Aykroyd who got them booked on SNL in 1995). The series also explains how the band were quite popular outside of Canada, even in the U.S., contrary to popular belief.

We were never the biggest fans of the band, but we always enjoyed them in the right setting (camping, road trips, Canada Day at the cottage, etc.). By the end of the series, we had tears rolling down our face over the death of Downie and what his loss meant to music in Canada.

In his review for Exclaim!, Alex Hudson wrote that “[Mike Downie] has created the perfect monument to the Hip’s inspiring career, breaking down the myth while highlighting the legacy,” adding that he “had the Hip blasting” on his headphones after the screening, “a clear sign of a music doc well done.” We couldn’t agree more!

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is now streaming on Prime Video.

IN THEATRES

The Substance

The Substance played the Toronto Film Festival in the Midnight Madness programme this year, and while people are loving Demi Moore’s return to the big screen (and praising Margaret Qualley’s performance), many say the movie is overly gross and “nauseating”.

“A body horror satire with terrific performances, it’s as out there as it gets. No matter what you’ve heard, you’re not [ready] for this flick, and I mean that as a major compliment, too,” Joey Madison wrote in his review on Awards Radar.

The movie, about a black-market drug (the “Substance”) that creates a younger version of yourself temporarily, currently has an 87% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with a strong 8 out of 10 on the IMDb.

“Feminist scholarship this ain’t; think Showgirls if it were directed by David Cronenberg,” Laura Venning wrote in her review of the film on Empire.

WATCH: Trailer for The Substance

In one of the few negative reviews of The Substance, Zach Lewis wrote that “it’s as frustrating as it is interesting, as fun as it is trite, and it’s ultimately not that gross.”

The Substance will eventually be available on the streaming service MUBI, but this sounds like a fun one to catch with an audience if you can stomach it.

Also in theatres this week: The animated Transformers One, featuring the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and Brian Tyree Henry, and Alexandre Aja’s thriller Never Let Go, starring Halle Berry.

TOP BOX OFFICE

1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
2. Speak No Evil
3. Am I Racist?

STREAMING

Blink Twice (VOD)

Unlike many other actors-turned-directors (like Chris Pine and his awful movie Poolman, which we reviewed last week), Zoë Kravitz has proven she’s great behind the camera with her debut feature Blink Twice.

Starring Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Christian Slater, Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, and Kyle MacLachlan, the movie has a 74% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with a much lower 69% audience rating. The difference in ratings could be due to the shocking content in the second and third acts, which is why the film has a trigger warning at the beginning.

WATCH: Trailer for Blink Twice

The movie starts with a fun party vibe to it, and it is quite jarring when the tone shifts and becomes brutally cold and a bit nasty. With such a great cast giving it their all, we thoroughly enjoyed the ride and can easily say it’s one of our favourite films of the year.

As long as you go into it knowing it’s a much darker movie than it seems, you might also enjoy it as well.

Cuckoo (VOD)

Cuckoo is another movie that critics (and us) enjoyed way more than the general public (it’s got a 78% critics score with a measly 62% audience rating).

WATCH: Trailer for Cuckoo

We praised it in our theatrical review, and upon a second viewing at home, we were still into the vibe of it and still amazed by the performances of Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens.

With Halloween around the corner, Cuckoo is a good one to add to your watchlist.

Also streaming this week: His Three Daughters is on Netflix, Civil War is on Prime Video, and 1992, AfrAId, and You Gotta Believe are on VOD.

COMING SOON

Kyle Mooney’s Y2K looks like a silly horror-comedy that could either be a lot of fun or extremely dumb. It’s being released by A24, so we’re cautiously curious to see how it plays out when it hits theatres on December 6.

Check out the trailer for Y2K on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think?

ON DISC

We wanted to write about the amazing Friday the 13th Collection [Deluxe Edition] box set last week to coincide with it being on Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, it didn’t arrive in time, so we decided to write about this week as our official kick-off to scary movie season.

Needless to say, if you are a hardcore fan of the Jason movies, this is a must-have for your collection! Along with the eight original movies in the series, this 16-disc (!!) set also includes Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X, Freddy vs. Jason, and the 2009 Friday the 13th reboot.

While this is just a regular Blu-ray set, some of the films have new transfers from 4K scans and include both the theatrical and uncut versions. Friday the 13th: Part 3 also has a new 3D transfer that looks great.

Each movie comes with its own special features, but there is also a standalone disc jam-packed with bonus material, including 2003s Return to Crystal Lake: Making ‘Friday the 13th’, and the full-length documentaries Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever and Scream Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed. There’s also a 60-page booklet with photos and an essay.

As we noted, this is probably for hardcore F13 fans only. But if you are a horror movie buff, there is still a lot to enjoy and get out of this set.

You can get the Friday the 13th Collection [Deluxe Edition] box set on Amazon.ca for the hefty price of $189.99.

*When you buy through links in our newsletter and our site we might receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

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