Cross the Netflix Stream

Rental Family Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Rental Family (2025)

Rent Rental Family on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Hikari & Stephen Blahut (screenplay)
Directed by: Hikari
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find work lands an unusual gig, working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.

Verdict
This is a touching story about loneliness and the need to connect. It's not surprising that a service exists to provide people for events, milestones, and companionship. A struggling American actor finds what he was missing while in Japan by working for this company, but unfortunately relationships where one person is paid are unsustainable. The line of pretending for a job and being genuine soon blur, but that doesn't stop feelings being hurt. As a parallel, even he is using one of the oldest services to provide companionship.
Watch It.

Review
Phillip (Brendan Fraser) is an American actor in Tokyo looking for work. His burgeoning career never quite took off. Even beyond the cultural difference, he doesn't fit in. He gets a job to play a "sad American" at a funeral, but he's late and disruptive. He's shocked to realize the deceased isn't dead. This was a special performance.

Phillip is approached by the owner of Rental Family who wants to contract him as their token white guy to fill various roles. The company's clients stage fake events to create an experience. Sometimes they hire actors to avoid a harsh truth. If you're lonely, you can just hire some to play a part in an effort to make your life more complete.

Brendan Fraser plays Phillip

Phillip's first gig is playing a husband in a fake wedding for a woman whose family doesn't accept her partner. He's the one that gets cold feet, hesitant to intervene in people's lives. At the end of the event, he realizes this was the only way for the woman to please her family while avoiding their rejection of her and her partner.

For an actor, this really is the role of a lifetime. The stakes are high, and there are no second takes. Phillip doesn't like messing with people's live, but he's been struggling for work and needs the job.

His next role as a father is challenging as he's playing a deadbeat that has returned years later after abandoning his family. The mother thinks that having both parents will help her daughter Mia get into a private school. Phillip grows closer to Mia, there's no way he wouldn't. He gets an offer for a television show, and he passes so he can continue playing dad.

At the beginning of the movie Phillip would look out the window of his apartment seeing neighbors and feel lonely. They had friends and a family, something he lacked. With this acting job, he has a connection to people even if it's a relationship built on false pretenses. When his role ends, after Mia gets in the school, Phillip doesn't want to stop. He cares for his clients, seeing them as family.

Brendan Fraser, Shino Shinozaki play Phillip, Hitomi

Now lacking a connection, Phillip continues a job that has ended, accompanying former actor Kikuo on a visit to his hometown. The problem is that the man's daughter that hired Phillip had already forbade it.

The whole endeavor crumbles. The company was messing with people's emotions, but it would have stumbled much earlier with the nature of the business. It's too easy to get attached. That happened to Phillip from the very beginning. But it's also easy to believe a service like this could exist. People are lonely and want a connection. As the world has become bigger and more connected, individual communities have become smaller. This movie explores the need for connection. Even Phillip hired a professional with which to spend time, paralleling her job and his. With a prostitute, there's no illusion about the personal and professional boundaries. When that line blurs is when people get hurt.

While Phillip gets in trouble, the other employees of the company rally to exonerate him. Changes are made at the company, but it wouldn't prevent what happened with Phillip getting too close. The company provides a service people obviously want, but the instances we saw was one person buying the service for someone else. That's when the morality blurs; when someone is unaware of the circumstances and the inherent deceit. Fixing that, this isn't any different that Phillip hiring a companion.

Title Card

Blue Moon Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Blue Moon (2025)

Rent Blue Moon on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Robert Kaplow (written by), Lorenz Hart & Elizabeth Weiland (inspired by the letters of)
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Broadway songwriter Lorenz Hart struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of Oklahoma!, which he declined to write and is the first project after he separated from his collaborator Richard Rodgers.

Verdict
With one location making it feel similar to a play, we get to know Larry Hart though his ramblings and rants about past successes, current jealousies, and wistful hopes. Hart had the chance to be part of something incredibly successful, and he missed it. He's plying that hurt by dismissing it and trying to romance someone half his age, but that too is a folly. In one character we see triumph and tragedy, and the fears of an artist. Ethan Hawke provides a masterful performance as Hart.
Watch It.

Review
Blue Moon is the song title of Hart's greatest hit with Rodgers, covered by many artists. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's songwriting partnership ended due to Hart's erratic behavior and alcoholism. Rodgers went on to partner with Oscar Hammerstein becoming one of the most famous songwriting duos. Their hits include Oklahoma!, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

This is set in 1943 at a bar after the opening of Oklahoma!. The newly sober Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) rants and raves, speaking to everyone and no one. He derides the newly released Oklahoma!, one of the few dissenters, but he's adamant it's not jealousy. He admits he is bitter that he wrote with Rodgers for twenty five years, and Rodgers' first project without him is the most successful of his career.

Ethan Hawke plays Lorenz Hart

Hart has a way with words, babbling about relationships, writing, plays, and his former partner. When Rodgers and Hammerstein arrive at the bar after the show, Hart as he states "begins the real performance" as he lauds their play. Hart is also there to meet and romance a college student. From the beginning it seems like a delusion, and on a night of missteps and failures, the woman rejects him.

This movie is nearly a one man show for Hawke, and he's impressive in a transformative role that showcases his abilities. I'm sure the stage play like format is on purpose. This never leaves the bar, and Hart does a lot of talking.

This is a movie about artists, their successes and struggles. Rodgers represents success. Hart wonders if his best years are behind him as he feels the sting of his partner's widespread success. Hart questions whether he'll ever accomplish that level of success. Did he miss out? That's the fear of most artists. Have I already peaked? While he criticizes parts of the play, it's a defense mechanism. He doesn't want to admit or face that Rodgers can do better without him. He must shield himself from latching on to what could have been and protect himself from a bleak future where Hart is a has-been.

David Rawle, Margaret Qualley, Ethan Hawke play George Roy Hill, Elizabeth Weiland, Lorenz Hart

In this one night when the movie takes place, Hart interacts with several people that would go on to great success. While that feels a bit too cute, it illustrates how close Hart was to fame. Those around him became famous, Hart became a footnote. He was so close to stardom, but he sabotaged himself being a drunk and unreliable. He had a chance at Oklahoma!, little did he know that Rodgers and Hammerstein would become the most formidable songwriting team in theater history. In this movie Hart only begrudges their first collaboration.

Six Feet Under Series Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Six Feet Under (2001-2005)

Season 1 - 13 episodes (2001)
Season 2 - 13 episodes (2002)
Season 3 - 13 episodes (2003)
Season 4 - 13 episodes (2004)
Season 5 - 12 episodes (2005)
Rent Six Feet Under on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Alan Ball
Starring: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Mathew St. Patrick, Jeremy Sisto, Rachel Griffiths, James Cromwell, Justina Machado, Lili Taylor, Richard Jenkins
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
This examines the subject of death through the eyes of the Fisher family, who own and operate a funeral home in Los Angeles.

Verdict
Engaging from the beginning as we watch the ups and downs of the Fisher family who just happen to operate a funeral home. The characters often learn from the deceased, holding surreal conversations with them as a means to reveal inner thoughts. The solemnity of the memorial services contrasts with the bickering families leading to those moments as well as the chaos of the Fisher's and their friends' lives. It's a character drama that never falters, focusing on the ups and downs of life. The Fishers realize better than most how short life can be. That's the underpinning of their decisions as they constantly consider what happiness means. The final episode is certainly a contender for all time best, serving as the perfect cap to the series.
Watch It.

Review
This has one of the most heralded finales of any series. It's well deserved, fitting the themes of the show.

This family lives in a funeral home. Death is the family business and has been ever present their entire lives. We see inside the business, and what it's like to live next door to death. The series kicks off when patriarch Nathanial (Richard Jenkins) dies. Throughout the series each episode begins with a death. That death frequently touches characters personally, usually resulting in a conversation with the deceased that provides great insight. While surreal at first, the persistence of these conversations becomes common as a way to bring thoughts to reality. The Fisher's aren't emotionally well adjusted, and that's the source for the show's drama. They're constantly trying to figure out life.

Season 1
Nathanial's death leaves the dysfunctional family reeling. David (Michael C. Hall) is left to take over the business, and prodigal son Nate (Peter Krause) returns. The family confronts death in different ways. Ruth (Frances Conroy) is high strung and emotionally repressive while her daughter Claire (Lauren Ambrose) acts out and isolates herself.

A larger company offers to buy them out, and Nate is eager to sell. David refuses. This is the only job he's known. Nate has a change of heart, hoping that the family business will give his life direction. Ruth wanted to sell when Nate wanted to, but now she again sides with Nate. It's an early manifestation of the feelings David has that Nate is the favorite.

S1E3: Peter Krause, Lauren Ambrose, Frances Conroy, Michael C. Hall play Nate, Claire, Ruth, David

Nate dives into the business he had never intended to join while David shows him the ropes. Through that Nate discovers their father had a second life, having traded funerals for oil changes, weed, and an apartment. Meanwhile David is considered for a church deacon. That's ironic as he's closeted. He's cheating on his boyfriend Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) because he's repressing his feelings and it serves as a way to act out.

The family doesn't express emotions. It's why Nathanial had a second life, Nate ran off, and Claire rebels. That seems to be driven by Ruth who represses her feelings until she reacts violently. The emotional immaturity seems to be the reason most of them sabotage relationships. David has trouble figuring out who he is, constantly making mistakes. He tries to fit what society expects, which never works out.

Nate's relationship with Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) is rocky at best, but her brother Billy (Jeremy Sisto) frequently causes problems. His relationship with Brenda is intimate enough that it bothers Nate.

This show centers around death. We see that through this family, afraid to confront and share fundamental truths. Their relationships are clouded by that. Their job is to create an acceptable version of the deceased that passes through their doors, masking the truth in cases. The line between perception and truth is a part of their business. These characters wrestle with life against the backdrop of a funeral home, mortality adds depth to every consideration

Season 2
Ruth wants to be more open about their lives after finding out David is gay. She's going from zero to one hundred and making everyone uncomfortable. Nate is dealing with a medical diagnosis by not telling anyone and internalizing it. Ruth joins a self help group that gives her a way to describe her emotions by using the metaphor of a house. She undertakes renovations to her "house."

S2E12: Lauren Ambrose, Frances Conroy, Michael C. Hall play Claire, Ruth, David

This family is trying to find direction in their lives, influenced by funerals and the people that come come through their doors. Nate is staring down mortality with his diagnosis while David has a few flings before getting back together with Keith. Claire graduates high school, focusing on art.

Brenda breaks up with Nate when he admits an ex is pregnant with his child. She doesn't mention the many flings and affairs she's had the entire season after they got engaged. She's scared of commitment, and it's self sabotage under the guise of material for the book she's writing. Blaming Nate is an easy out that absolves her of responsibility.

You empathize with these characters. They're confused, lost. All of them are seeking affection and acknowledgement. Their upbringing has made that challenging. Most of them, when they get close to someone tend to push everyone away.

Season 3
This seasons opens with a heavy episode with Nate facing death due to his condition. He explores his life and what it could have been as he's on the operating table. Despite his fears, he survives.

Between seasons Nate married his pregnant ex Lisa (Lili Taylor) after she moved to Los Angeles. She's basically taking care of two children, her child and her boss. That eventually leads to her quitting the job. That becomes micromanaging Nate. He's conflicted; trying to hold on to his free spirited youth while realizing he's settled down with a wife and kid and didn't even realize that. It doesn't help that Lisa is jealous over Brenda, though she won't say it.

S3E1: Mathew St. Patrick, Michael C. Hall play Keith, David

This show captures intrusive thoughts so well when characters enter a new situation and expect the worst before they snap back to reality. Keith and David have moved in together, but they're having a hard time. Keith is from an angry family that harshly expresses their feelings. David's family repressed all emotions. That dichotomy hampers communication.

The funeral home has a new intern, Arthur (Rainn Wilson). He and Ruth begin an odd relationship. He seems to want a mother figure, and she seeks companionship. Unsurprisingly that ends. Ruth quickly falls for George (James Cromwell). His lack of emotional maturity, leads to rash decisions.

Lisa goes missing towards the end of the season which sends Nate spinning.

Season 4
Nate deals with the events of last season. It's a devastating blow, and he quits the funeral home.

Ruth and George married quickly last season. It's no surprise when that deteriorates. Arthur is jealous and leaves, though his relationship with Ruth wasn't sustainable. Ruth becomes more irritated with George due to several past wives and children he failed to mention. She made a poor decision, and she's now trying to put all the blame on George.

David experiences a wild attack. He's robbed, forced to drive his assailant around, and smoke crack. It stretches credibility. No thief would remain with a mark for so long. It's dangerous for everyone. The point is the ramifications and questions for David. Why didn't he do more to get away? I get it's an important character development for David, but it feels clumsy.

I don't like this season as much. George is annoying, though that's certainly by design. Who didn't see that marriage failing? David's PTSD is understandable, but the altercation that led to it is a lot. This show keeps coming back to Nate and Brenda. Why not let it go?

Season 5
This is the final season, and it soon begins to seem like it. Plot lines are approaching a conclusion.

Claire and Billy are together. Billy meets old friends and becomes dissatisfied with being just a professor. He stops taking his medication. Claire doesn't realize it, but we know that will not go well. Similarly Frances is still with George in a situation that will also soon dissolve. Ruth suggests they move, but she doesn't plan to move with him.

Ruth is such a frustrating character. She gets mad when George moves on despite the fact she wanted to get rid of him. She's emotionally immature, repressed. That explains why she's so annoying. When it happens, her emotions spill out tumultuously.

S5E4: James Cromwell, Jeremy Sisto play George, Billy

Brenda and Nate are pregnant while David and Keith consider a surrogate and adoption. They end up adopting what turns out to be two boys. They're jumping into the deep end.
Brenda and Nate can't help but act self destructively. It's been the case since nearly the first episode.

Claire drops out of college and is irritated when Ruth stops her trust fund. Claire gets a job temping, a stark contrast to her free wheeling time in college as an artist.

Episode nine ends with Nate having a seizure. It's the beginning of the end as characters address the ramifications. It sends everyone spiraling. The final episode is the first one that begins with a birth instead of a death. There's also talk of selling the business. Claire gets a job in Chicago and drives away, that's interspersed with flash forwards that show the life and end of all the characters. It's rightly hailed as one of the best finales, and I would agree. In a series that showcased how people died, it's only fitting we see the end of the characters. It's an incredibly touching moment that does so much without any exposition.

It's a series that explores how you live by how others die. The Fisher family sees the regrets, desires, and ambitions of the many deceased they see. They're constantly reminded of the tenuous grasp on life. Is that the reason their lives are chaotic or does it only act as a catalyst? The show is distinctly focused on the evolution of these characters, and that's what drew me in, watching them endure successes and failures and continuing to face every day.

Millennium Seasons 1-2 Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Millennium (1996-1999)

Season 1 - 22 episodes (1996-97)
Season 2 - 23 episodes (1997-98)
Season 3 - 22 episodes (1998-99)
Buy Millennium on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Chris Carter
Starring: Lance Henriksen, Megan Gallagher, Terry O'Quinn, Klea Scott
Rated: TV-14

Plot
A former FBI profiler with the ability to look inside the mind of a killer begins working for the mysterious Millennium Group which investigates serial killers, conspiracies, the occult, and those obsessed with the end of the millennium.

Verdict
Despite rave reviews the first season never grabbed my attention. I wanted more on this overarching plot about the end of the world approaching, but in each episode Frank gets a case that exemplifies the worst in humans. He stares off into space and divines the answer. The episodes become routine soon enough, and the depravity of the crimes was never appealing. While I had planned to watch the series, after the first season I had no desire to continue. I decided to give the second season a chance after reading the show was overhauled after the initial season. It's a better season, attempting to add an overarching narrative, but their goals are vague. In many episodes Frank encounters a case with no conclusion. We don't know why the suspect commits the crime and usually they get away. Frank's job is to look at a case but not produce any results. His group has lofty goals that are completely unclear.
Skip it.

Review
Created by Chris Carter during the height of The X-Files (1993), this series was canceled after just three seasons. A seventh-season episode of The X-Files, "Millennium" featured Frank Black as a conclusion to the series.

I watched this when it released, curious to see what Carter would do next. I quit after a few episodes. This time around, I don't like the show any more. Reading other reviews, several people suggest skipping season one and starting with season two as the show was overhauled between seasons. I hadn't planned to continue after season one, but I was curious why this seems so popular. The second season is better, but it doesn't shift my opinion.

Season 1
Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) was a cop, then FBI. Now he's consulting for the Millennium Group, and in the first episode he's looking into a stripper's murder.

S1E5: Lance Henriksen plays Frank Black

It's a dark show. Investigating murders, visions, and obsessions takes a toll on Frank and everyone involved with the cases. The show posits the violence is related to the potential end of the world as the millennium ends. I wondered if the group for which Frank works had a grander plan, a mission for the dawning of a new age, but this show is just Frank probing the darkest recesses of the human imagination. It was never as interesting as I hoped. Each episode is Frank involved in a depraved case.

I was going to watch the entire series, but I barely made it through the first season. There's no character development, just sadistic murders. The twisted cases no one can fathom get old quickly. I couldn't subject myself to another season. I have to imagine the only reason this got more than one season was because Chris Carter was riding the success of The X-files and had more leeway than the average show runner. After reading other reviews, curious about this show's popularity, the second season shifted to a serialized story, bringing in The X-files alums Glen Morgan and James Wong as show runners. Due to that, I tentatively gave the second season a chance.

Season 2
I didn't enjoy the first season, but many reviews claim this season is better. I was skeptical but gave it a chance. It's better than the first, but it's not enough to make a difference.

This season starts with a bang when Frank's wife is abducted. I already like this season more than the first after just a few scenes. In the second episode Frank encounters feral dogs. By the end of the episode I'm not sure why anything happened. A new house disrupts the balance with the dogs reacting to that? Episodes are unsatisfying. Episode three reveals human genome testing is occurring, but that's it. There's no implication of what that means or its purpose. It's just these shadowy figures pulling strings.

This series introduces such a weird situations, but it doesn't provide resolutions. It's The X-files without the charm or purpose. While this season is better than the first which reveled in dark and depraved for the sake of it, I still wonder what's the point of the show. The millennium is coming and weird things are happening, but what does it mean? What's the end game? The end of the world is nigh, but that's so vague. If it were true I'd think Frank and Peter (Terry O'Quinn) would be more desperate and frantic. Nothing is ever solved.

Episode 14 is especially depraved with a criminal killing victims online. We don't know why, the suspect isn't caught, and we never find out why. That's typical for this show, attributing these strange crimes to to the approaching end times.

S2E15: Terry O'Quinn plays Peter Watts

This season explores the Millennium group and their focus and schism on religion as rival factions emerge. It's a lot of intrigue but not always something tangible. Even towards the end of the season it feels like the show is still dancing around the plot. What does any of this mean, and why am I watching this?

This season does have a few comedic episodes. In episode 21, demons sit around complaining about how modern times make their jobs pointless. Human are driving themselves to depression without any outside help required.

The final two episode feel like a series finale. I wasn't sure how the show could come back for a third episode, so I had to watch the first episode of the third season. The answer is that season three ignores the events. The Fox network refused to commit to a third season, even as the writing for the finale began. Without confirmation there would be a third season, the show created a finale.

While season two is better than season one, it's not enough to make me like this show. I had said I'd quit after season one. I probably should have. There's no way I'm going to watch season three. Granted, I hear that's easily the worst. This show presents interesting ideas about the end of the world tied to the end of the millennium and how religion fits into that, but it's only ideas and notions. It doesn't develop the narrative. I still can't completely explain what this show is about. Frank is this adept investigator that I don't think ever solved a case. He's brought into assist on cases, finds something incredibly odd, then just leaves for the next one. It's easy to compare this to The X-files because the creators are the same and this one explore similar conspiratorial ideas. Unfortunately it's nowhere near as engaging.

John from Cincinnati Series Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

John from Cincinnati (2007)

Season 1 - 10 episodes
Rent John From Cincinatti on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: David Milch, Kem Nunn
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Rebecca De Mornay, Austin Nichols, Ed O'Neill, Luke Perry, Keala Kennelly, Luis Guzmán, Willie Garson, Matt Winston, Garret Dillahunt, Brian Van Holt, Jim Beaver, Greyson Fletcher, Dayton Callie, Paula Malcomson, Emily Rose, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jennifer Grey
Rated: TV-MA

Plot
In the coastal town of Imperial Beach, California live three generations of Yosts: surfing royalty with a family curse until a stranger arrives.

Verdict
It's no surprise this only got one season. A simple stranger with supernatural powers infiltrates the lives of the dysfunctional Yost family. Without knowing John's purpose, other than to generate plot lines, and the comically shallow characters, there just isn't much to this show. John is the most interesting, but that's only because he's a child like, Christ character that's completely underdeveloped. With this season, his only purpose seems to be reuniting this surfer family. I was never sure if the show wanted to be a comedy or a drama. It dabbles in both and it frequently feels like the characters are acting like their characters instead of inhabiting them.
Skip it.

Review
Milch is best known for creating NYPD Blue (1993) and Deadwood (2004).

The series focuses on the Yost family, comprised of three generations of surfers. They're facing hard times as surfing popularity has waned. Patriarch Mitch (Bruce Greenwood) has become disillusioned with the sport despite running a surf shop. Butchie (Brian Van Holt) is a washed up former star basically living on the street, but Butchie's son Shaun (Greyson Fletcher) who lives with Mitch has great potential and hopes to get sponsored.

E2: Brian Van Holt, Austin Nichols play Butchie, John

John (Austin Nichols) appears out of nowhere. He's easily the most interesting and mysterious character. He's drawn to Butchie who initially sees him as some kind of mark of which he can take advantage. John repeats what others say, devoid of his own thoughts, but he can also produce whatever is needed given the situation when asked to empty his pockets.

At the end of the first episode, John has brought the Yost family together to one spot but why?

E9: Austin Nichols, Greyson Fletcher, Brian Van Holt, Chandra West play John, Shaun, Butchie, Tina

Characters begin to realize something is different about John. Butchie isn't dope sick, Shaun breaks his neck and miraculously recovers, and Mitch begins to float sporadically. John seems mentally deficient, parroting what people tell him, but sometimes there is information embedded in his ramblings. Initially it seems like his purpose is to help the Yost family, but as the season progresses he's bringing the community together. John is this Christ figure, cryptically talking about his father and the word, but towards the end of the season his miracles consist of producing whatever he needs and astral projection. His ultimate purpose remains unclear. After Shaun recovers, he and John disappear.

It's an odd premise, but the characters just aren't interesting enough. In the final episode John and Shaun surf back into the show, though it's unclear where they've been. John is a savior, but to what end? Is it just for the Yost family? In future seasons would he have surfed into the lives of other families? This leaves so many questions open. That and a lot of characters waiting for their moment that never comes means I was relieved when the final episode concluded.

Predator: Badlands Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Predator: Badlands (2025)

Rent Predator: Badlands on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Patrick Aison (screenplay by), Patrick Aison & Dan Trachtenberg (story by), Jim Thomas & John Thomas (based on characters created by)
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Verdict
This manages to find new ideas in the Predator world, integrating elements from the coming of age genre. A Predator must prove himself by taking down dangerous prey, but along the way the species that hunts alone befriends an android and a native creature. It's funnier that I expected from this franchise, also sharing elements from buddy comedy movies. It's a serviceable sequel, which is more than you can say about many of the other additions in the franchise.
It depends.

Review
Trachtenberg also directed 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and Prey (2022). The latter reviving the franchise with a narrow focus on survival. This movie expands the concept, adding typical big budget action movie trappings.

Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek

Beginning on the Predator planet of Yautja, two brothers fight with the smaller one, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), losing. The larger, older brother wants to send Dek to a planet to claim honor in the form of a hunter's trophy. Dek instead wants prove himself by hunting a Kalisk, an unkillable prey that even their father fears. It seems foolhardy, but in the Predator world Dek has to prove himself worthy.

Dek travels to the planet to kill the Kalisk where he soon runs into damaged android Thia (Elle Fanning). She states she has a universal translator where Dek will hear his language and everyone else hears theirs. There is no one else, and this translator is purely for the audience. I love how transparent the movie is about it.

Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi play Thia, Dek

Thia offers to help Dek, but even as he states he hunts alone, he also elicits help from the android claiming it's a tool. The android is from Weyland Yutani, the predominant corporation in the Alien franchise. The quiet predator is a contrast to the talkative android. Thia challenges what it is to be a predator as she humanizes Dek. He accepts help from an android and from a local creature on the planet, Bud. Thia tells Dek that the alpha wolf isn't the best hunter, it's the one that protects the rest of the pack. What Thia didn't tell Dek is that her goal was to get back to her ship. Weyland Yutani also wants the Kalisk.

There's more comedy to this than I expected. Dek and Thia are an odd couple pairing. While Thia attempts to reattach her lower half, the Kalisk throws Dek into the ship, undoing Thia's work. The Kalisk seems invincible as it can regenerate.

Thia's sister Tessa (Elle Fanning) shows up in an attempt to capture the Kalisk. Tessa is much like Dek's father. She sees Thia as broken and thus worthless, much like Dek's father saw him as a runt and unfit for the clan. Tessa wants to get rid of both of them. That's the impetus for Dek and Thia to team up and oppose her. Dek uses the flora and fauna on the planet as tools to fight Tessa, as well as the local creature Bud.

Dek faces his father again. I thought he'd use the tricks he picked up from the planet for an advantage, but it turns out he just needed to believe in himself. It's a cop out. Dek rejects his father and his clan, stating that Thia and Bud are his new clan. The movie ends with a bit of foreshadowing and a joke. A ship arrives and Thia asks who it is. Dek responds, "My mother."

While it's not the same level as Prey, this franchise has done much worse. The comedy is out of place with the brutal nature of these worlds. It seems like more of a concession or a way to broaden the potential audience. It's sequel bloat to introduce the largest, most dangerous monster in the universe. I don't believe Bud could have killed it.

Title Card

Safety Last! Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Safety Last! (1923)

Buy Safety Last! on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Hal Roach & Sam Taylor and Tim Whelan (story), H.M. Walker (titles), Jean C. Havez, Harold Lloyd (uncredited)
Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother
Rated: NR [G]
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this silent film, a boy leaves his small country town and heads to the big city to get a job. As soon as he makes it big his sweetheart will join him and marry him. His enthusiasm to get ahead leads to a daring publicity stunt.

Verdict
This isn't a deeply layered comedic journey, but it is a standout comedy from the time period. The movie is a relic of the past before the novelty of moving pictures. It's difficult not to see this today and wonder why it's popular, but movies have had over a century to improve and innovate. It's slapstick comedy, which I don't like, but I can appreciate what this means to the history of cinema.
It depends.

Review
It's a silent film so the dialog is conveyed with text cards. The comedy has to be visual. This hapless "boy" (Harold Lloyd) moves to the city and gets a job in sales. What follows is a slew of visual gags as he tries to keep his job despite various hurdles.

The boy's girlfriend visits him, assuming he's successful. That leads to a series of events where she mistakes him for the manager and he doesn't dissuade her from the idea while hiding that lie from the real manager. He shows her his 'office,' but of course the girlfriend leaves her purse in the office. The boy must retrieve it without letting the manager know what's going on. That's where the boy overhears a way to make money.

If he can attract customers to the store the general manager will offer one thousand dollars, which would be nineteen thousand today. The boy's scheme is to have his friend climb up the twelve story building of the store. We previously saw the friend escape the cops by climbing up a building. The boy ends up having to climb in his place with his friend promising to take over. Plenty of impediments along the way means the boy keeps climbing higher, but he does attract quite the crowd. With each floor the boy thinks he can hand off the climb to his friend, but that doesn't happen.

The most famous scene of the movie is the boy hanging from the hands of the clock. While the concept and stunt don't seem that novel today, it was huge at the time. It's a silly movie, constrained by the time period and technology. I'm not going to watch it again, but I can appreciate what it means to cinema. It's a film class or history movie. The impact has been dulled by time as creators have used the ideas and improved upon them. Film continues to innovate, leaving this movie behind.

White Heat Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

White Heat (1949)

Rent White Heat on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts (screen play), Virginia Kellogg (suggested by a story by)
Directed by: Raoul Walsh
Starring: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien
Rated: NR [PG]
Watch the trailer

Plot
A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist.

Verdict
The problem with older movies is that their innovations have been copied and improved or even run into the ground. For the time, I'm sure this was impressive. The shoot outs, car chases, and subterfuge have sincee all been bettered. For someone interested in the origins of action crime movies this is a fun footnote. Against modern day movies it just can't compare.
Skip it.

Review
Opening with a train robbery in broad daylight, Cody (James Cagney) leads his gang which includes his girlfriend and his mom. One of his crew is injured during the heist and subsequently left at a safe house. That alerts the police who begin tracking Cody and his crew. They're able to find him by following his mother which leads to a car chase. It's an underwhelming chase, but the cops get their guy, the daring criminal with mother issues.

Cody's clever plan is to plead guilty to a smaller crime which provides an alibi for the train heist. It works, but he does end up in prison where the police put undercover officer Fallon (Edmond O'Brien) with him to earn his trust and gather evidence. That's easy enough when Cody's old gang wants to tie up loose ends and attempts to kill him, led by his former lieutenant and girlfriend. That provides Fallon the chance to save Cody's life.

James Cagney plays Cody Jarrett

Cody escapes prison with Fallon helping to maintain the ruse. Soon enough Cody is staging his next heist while Fallon tries sending updates to the police without exposing his actual identity. Cody's next robbery involves hiding in an empty tanker truck to gain access to a chemical company for his next robbery. What he doesn't know is that the cops are on his trail due to Fallon.

This movie suffers from the typical problem with old movies. The novel ideas at the time have been reduced to standards or even tropes. The context of this movie is lost, especially when it's seventy-five years old. This predated the popularity of heist movies that would start in the following decade. I'm sure this was good at the time, but it pales to even average current movies.

Farewell My Concubine Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Farewell My Concubine [Ba wang bie ji] (1992)

Rent Farewell My Concubine on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Lee Pik-wah (novel), Lee Pik-wah (screenplay), Lu Wei (writer)
Directed by: Chen Kaige
Starring: Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this Chinese epic, two boys meet at an opera training school in Peking in 1924. Their resulting friendship will span nearly seventy years and endure some of the most troublesome times in China's history.

Verdict
This weaves the history, and thus identity of China, into the story of two stage actors who also struggle to distinguish their personal identities from their stage personas. Their relationship spans the upheaval and revolutions of China, the country and the actors struggling to find their place. Do circumstances or nature dictate outcomes? It's a dense movie, and the parallels between the characters and country overshadow what is essentially a love story. I'm sure I could appreciate this more if I understood the history better. The actor's friendship reaches a climax before they betray each other. Then the film skips ahead where we wonder if they've reconciled or not. The final scene has a big impact, but it's lacking a foundation that could make it great.
It depends.

Review
The play around which the movie revolves has the same name. A king fights for the unification of China. He's defeated, surrounded by opposing troops. He sends his horse away for safety, but it refuses to go. His concubine wants to die with him as well, but he refuses her request. She ends her life with his sword when he's distracted.

Ma Mingwei plays Douzi

A prostitute donates her son Douzi to an acting troupe. While he's initially rejected for having six fingers, his mom cuts off the extra digit so he can be accepted. Douzi's life is full of pain and punishment from the beginning. With his mom's occupation, he's initially ridiculed by the other kids, but the troupe trains him as a professional actor. It's incredibly strict with kids getting beaten for mistakes. Douzi runs away to escape the torment, but he's inspired by an opera and returns to the troupe. He now wants to master the profession, though of course he gets beaten for running away. What I didn't exactly realize from watching this is that Douzi is trained specifically for the female parts. He keeps messing up the line, "I am by nature a boy." He's punished severely for it. From the beginning this blurs the line between boy and girl, man and woman. Douzi's role is to play the female part, and he's expected to fully inhabit the role.

Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi play Dieyi, Xiaolou

Douzi became friends with Shitu. Shitu is trained to play the part of the king while Douzi plays the concubine. Shitu thinks Douzi is obsessed with being on stage and acting together, but it seems like more. Douzi loves Shitu. Is it part of becoming the role?

Upon becoming professional actors, Douzi and Shitu take the names Dieyi and Xiaolou. Their famous play is Farewell My Concubine. It seems Dieyi loves Xiaolou, helping him with his makeup before each performance. That's made clear when Xiaolou becomes engaged. Dieyi doesn't like that at all, acting rudely to the fiance Juxian. It's jealousy, and that's detrimental to their friendship. Xialolu still thinks it's about the play.

Zhang Fengyi, Leslie Cheung play Xiaolou, Dieyi

Dieyi and Xiaolou are frequently mentioned as being their characters, blurring the line between them and their performance. While they state it isn't the same, people continue to mention it. They're also forced to continue performing the play for a new government.

The relationship spans tumultuous times in China, including wars and coups. At one point the very performance is outlawed. Dieyi is arrested, and the troupe is later mocked. They're forced to implicate other members of the troupe. Xiaolou accuses Dieyi of treason. Dieyi reveals Xiaolou's wife's former profession. While they betray each other, you can't blame them when they're just seeking to stop an assault and avoid imprisonment. The ramifications of those admission go unseen as they continue to perform as a lead into the final scene where performance and reality blur. Dieyi fully embraces and becomes the role. Is his sacrifice personal, professional, or does it represent a parallel to China?

A Brighter Summer Day Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

A Brighter Summer Day [Guling jie shaonian sharen shijian] (1991)

Rent A Brighter Summer Day on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Edward Yang, Alex Yang, Mingtang Lai, Hung Hung (script and dialogue)
Directed by: Edward Yang
Starring: Chang Chen, Lisa Yang, Chang Kuo-Chu, Elaine Jin
Rated: NR [R]
Watch the trailer

Plot
This Taiwanese film is based on a true story and set in the 1960s where a boy from a middle-class home veers into juvenile delinquency.

Verdict
I can't relate to the cultural context, which is critical, creating a barrier to my understanding the movie. This is based on a true story. Families fled a violent situation en masse with children reacting violently to an unstable environment. Even if they don't fully understand why, they reflect the world in which they live. The history is important and the psychology intriguing, but it's a movie that continues long after the point is made. I like the concept much more than I like the actual movie, though my lack of familiarity is certainly a contributor. This is a movie for a film or history class.
Skip it.

Review
Chinese fled to Taiwan when communists defeated the government. The instability in the new country which became home led to kids forming street gangs in an effort to control their circumstances.

Chang Chen, Lisa Yang play Si'r, Ming

Junior high student Si'r (Chang Chen) ends up in night school when he does poorly in school. That's where all the trouble makers are, which makes sense. The other kids are only a bad influence. The culture of this is important, though I can't really relate.

This is a psychological story about what happens to kids in an unstable environment. They're aware of the world, even if only in part, and it causes them to react. Being children, their responses are ill formed and simplistic. One of these kids attacks a teacher with a baseball bat.

Si'r befriends Ming. Instead of escorting her to class, they sneak into a nearby movie studio. He's confronted by a rival group of boys about hanging out with her. His friends break a chair, readying the leg for a blunt instrument if things go bad. Luckily Ma intervenes, notorious for stabbing a kid. This is a glimpse into the history of Taiwan. It's a tough world, where these kids are attacking each other and bragging about it. They reflect the instability of the world. Each transgression escalates. The kids must retaliate to avoid appearing weak.

Chang Kuo-chu, Chang Chen play Si'r's father, Si'r

Si'r is caught in the middle of it. He doesn't want to fight, but he has no choice. If he doesn't follow the lead of the other children, he risks being outcast. That very well could apply to the other kids. All of them follow the worst example so that they don't feel left out.

In a parallel story, Si'r's dad is taken into custody and questioned about his connections to China. He's released but demoted. When everyone lives in fear children feel it even if they don't realize it. That's why you get places like this. To deal with those stresses and normalize the conflict, children become aggressive.

This does begin to drag. It establishes what this life is like and how it affects everyone, children and adults. The stress undermines everyone, but I wondered what was next. This ends tragically, Si'r emblematic of the stress boiling over.

Veronica Mars Seasons 1-3 Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Veronica Mars (2004-2019)

Season 1 - 22 episodes (2004-05)
Season 2 - 22 episodes (2005-06)
Season 3 - 20 episodes (2006-07)
Rent Veronica Mars on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Teddy Dunn, Jason Dohring, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Francis Capra, Enrico Colantoni, Ryan Hansen, Kyle Gallner, Tessa Thompson, Amanda Seyfried, Teddy Dunn
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer

Plot
After her best friend is murdered and her father is removed as county sheriff, high school student Veronica Mars dedicates her life to cracking the toughest mysteries in the affluent town of Neptune.

Verdict
I watched this not long after it released, though I don't like it as much now as I remember. I suppose that's nostalgia. The character of Veronica carries the show. She and her father work as private investigators. Veronica is the witty, sardonic teen that solves crimes when she's not in school. That's layered with a heavy dose of teenage drama. The first season is dark and the best season. From the contemporary perspective, this doesn't handle sexual assault as well as it should have, and that story line is pivotal to the first season. It's a stylized show due to the nature of the mysteries and the assortment of characters and socioeconomic classes. The second season also has an arc lasting the duration with the third season moving to Veronica in college composed of several mini-arcs.
It depends.

Review
The show originally ran for three seasons before a movie revival in 2014 and an additional season in 2019.

Season 1
High school student Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) attends a rich high school though she's not. She used to be in the popular clique due to her boyfriend Duncan (Teddy Dunn). He ended things, her best friend Lily (Amanda Seyfried) was murdered, and now she's on the outside.

This almost seems like a satire with a motorcycle gang that attends the high school led by Weevil (Francis Capra), and a corrupt and inept police department that ousted her father Keith (Enrico Colantoni) after he went after a suspect in Lily's murder. That's why he's a private investigator. This is film noir that meets teenage drama. Veronica is the outsider sleuth, a modern day Nancy Drew. She has a dark past with the murder of her friend, her absent mother, and of course her assault.

S1E10: Kristen Bell plays Veronica Mars

The first episode is heavy. It doesn't just layout the plot, but it reveals that Veronica was drugged and attacked at a party. The corrupt sheriff wouldn't even look into it.

Veronica and her father don't think Lily's case is solved, suspicious of the anonymous tip that solved the crime. We see flashbacks with a high level of bloom which makes them difficult to even watch. While she continues to work the murder, Veronica has cases of the week helping students. She finds solace in solving minor crimes and grievances. She thwarts scams, finds stolen cars, and tracks missing people.

In episode six Veronica gets a break in Lily's case when she realizes the shoes were planted at the convicted killer's house. In episode seven she discovers her mom and Duncan's father dated in high school. This begins the hints that she and Duncan may be siblings. This dances around that issue right up until the end of the season.

I was surprised she doesn't begin investigating her own assault until half way into the season. While she could be dealing with that trauma, the show never addresses the why. She's also wondering if Duncan is her half brother. Towards the end of the season, Lily's killer could be either of her parents or brother.

I remember really liking this when I watched years ago. I had forgotten about the mystery of the week episodes. I thought her own assault was also a bigger focus. While this is funny, it's not as clever as I recall. Despite that, Kristen Bell is the standout of the series.

S1E21: Jason Dohring, Kristen Bell play Logan Echells, Veronica Mars

Logan (Jason Dohring) has been the resident bully for the season, keeping the divide between rich and poor ever present. Veronica even helps him out when his mom could be dead or on the run. It seems his bully shtick was part of the grieving. Lily was his girlfriend. He and Veronica become involved, though he's hesitant to make it public. Their romance stumbles when Veronica discovers she was drugged at the party where she was assaulted and Logan was involved. Now it's a crime that must be solved. Before Veronica thought she was just inebriated, not that that excuses what happened. Old shows seem to be less empathetic to assaults like that. Watching this now, so many people were complicit.

The last two episodes of the season are a roller coaster. Are Veronica and Duncan related? Are they not? Did she spend that fateful night with Duncan? Who killed Lily remains a question until the very end, and the answer and resulting fallout has to carry into next season. Then there's the start of the on again, off again Veronica and Logan relationship.

While this season deals with serious subjects, and not always well, the character of Veronica and her relationship with her father form the core of the show as they chase down a wide ranging mystery.

Season 2
Veronica starts the season back with Duncan. He broke up with Meg for her, and Meg isn't happy. Veronica is trying to get back to normal after the events at the conclusion of last season, but a school bus crash and a class trip begins the season's new mystery. Veronica was nearly on that bus. She thinks it might be Logan's father Aaron who orchestrated the crash to kill her.

S2E1: Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III play Veronica Mars, Wallace Fennel

Logan reels after Veronica ends their relationship. He's hanging out with Dick's (Ryan Hansen) step mom. He's also arrested for a murder in which he was implicated last season. Logan and Weevil team up to figure out whether Logan really did kill a member of Weevil's gang as Weevil has since been ousted. Veronica's best friend Wallace (Percy Daggs III) is also implicated in a different crime. He didn't do it, but he's facing witnesses that want him arrested.

Then there's Duncan and a baby, which ends up with him on the run and Veronica providing him cover.

Towards the end, each episode provides a possible suspect of who orchestrated the bus crash. I don't care for Veronica dreaming about victims providing her hints. Aaron faces trial for last season, but he lies about everything in an attempt to get out of a conviction.

Veronica finally discovers who sabotaged the bus. This season plays the long game with the villain, and that makes for a very satisfying reveal.

Season 3 Title Card

Season 3
Veronica begins college. This season eschews the overarching mystery for several small ones. This was done to make it easier on new viewers. I don't mind the small mysteries, but it does stretch credibility that so many crimes and murders happen just in Veronica's first year.

This season dives into shady fraternity's, Veronica being the best student in her criminology class, the dean's murder, a secret society, and even a sex tape. Of course Veronica and Logan's relationship faces several hurdles.

This season ends on a cliffhanger after Veronica gets information on a secret society and her father is detained.

The first season is the best, but even that season is clumsy with the darker parts of Veronica's past. The third season simplifies the format to a detriment. While it makes the season more digestible as intended, it's not as engrossing. The series frequently falls into soap opera level drama, but that also mirrors the mysteries with ever changing partners and suspects. Veronica is easily the best character, and her relationship with her dad is often very sweet. While this isn't as good as I remember, it almost does enough.

Star Trek: First Contact Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Rent Star Trek: First Contact on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek), Rick Berman & Brannon Braga & Ronald D. Moore (story), Brannon Braga & Ronald D. Moore (screenplay)
Directed by: Jonathan Frakes
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, Alice Krige
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight that would alter the future, reaching warp speed.

Verdict
This is a huge improvement over Star Trek: Generations (1994). While the preserving the past story element isn't all the original, the fight against the Borg works really well as a compliment with personal stakes for two of the characters. This will be more enjoyable for a fan of the series, but it's not inaccessible if you haven't seen the show. It's a fight to protect the future in two locations, on the ground and on the ship, against an enemy that's nothing less than scary, always imposing. This movie doesn't need to lean on the Star Trek name.
It depends.

Review
This is the eighth Star Trek movie and second featuring The Next Generation cast. It's also Frakes' feature film directorial debut.

In seasons three and four of the series, in two of the highest ranked episodes, the Borg captured Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and assimilated him before he was rescued. The Borg are cybernetic species assimilated with one consciousness. Picard still has a connection with the Borg, and this movie opens with Picard enduring a Borg nightmare.

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden play Worf, William T. Riker, Jean-Luc Picard, Geordi La Forge, Data, Deanna Troi, Beverly Crusher

Starfleet receives a threat that a Borg ship is near Earth, but they order Picard and the Enterprise to patrol the neutral zone. Picard can't do that, refusing orders and heading to Earth. He plans to fight the Borg and defend the planet using his unique knowledge.

Unaware of the Borg's intentions, a temporal anomaly develops near Earth. The Enterprise follows the Borg into this anomaly and go back in time to the period when Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) created and tested the initial warp drive which led to first contact with aliens. The Borg want to divert this moment and in turn take over Earth. The Enterprise must stop them.

William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) are the ground crew to ensure engineer Cochrane completes his warp drive test and ensures the future of humanity. If the Borg alter this event, it would be disastrous for the future. The Borg have also infiltrated the Enterprise, assimilating the crew. In just half an hour this is already better than Star Trek: Generations (1994).

Cochrane wrestles with his legacy as a hero when his intention to was to develop the drive and sell it. The Borg capture android Data (Brent Spiner), extorting his desire to be more human for information. They offer him what he's been desperately seeking, but he must betray his friends and crew.

Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner play Jean-Luc Picard, Data

Saving the future is certainly a worthy endeavor, and that's paired with Picard's personal struggle. He hates the Borg, but he also understands them better than anyone else. To stop the Borg, he enables the Enterprise's self destruct. This movie stands on its own even without the Star Trek name. This takes the silly Data plot line from Generations and actually provides it with depth, as opposed to using it as comic relief. Instead of stopping a mad scientist, the adversary are the Borg. These silent and deadly cyborgs are led by the unnerving Borg Queen (Alice Krige). This is everything Generations should have been, and I'm glad this doesn't try to use the original series actors for clout. It's not needed.

Star Trek: Generations Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 4 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Star Trek: Generations (1994)

Rent Star Trek: Generations on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek), Rick Berman & Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga (story), Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga (screenplay)
Directed by: David Carson
Starring: Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, James Doohan, Walter Koenig,
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
With the help of long presumed dead Captain Kirk, Captain Picard must stop a deranged scientist willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix.

Verdict
I grew up on the show, and this seems like a longer episode, though it never feels cinematic enough. With the length, not much happens. The world building, or ship building in this case, isn't very deep. The Enterprise must save a planet from destruction and they do exactly that. I wish this had more interaction among the crew. Several of them seem to only appear because they were series regulars. They don't have a function here. The movie tries to dress it up with Picard and Kirk teaming up, assuming that will wow the audience, but it's just not that impressive. It's a generic sci-fi story that uses the Star Trek name for credibility.
Skip it.

Review
Star Trek: The Next Generation was the Star Trek television show I remember watching growing up, so I was excited for this movie when it released with the series having ended. Apparently I held it with a fondness that it doesn't deserve. This is the seventh Star Trek movie, transitioning from the original series cast to The Next Generation films. This released only three years after the last movie featuring the original cast.

This opens in the past with the retired Captain Kirk (William Shatner) along with Scott (James Doohan) and Chekov (Walter Koenig) attending the christening of the first enterprise class star ship in thirty years. What's supposed to be a publicity appearance soon turns into a rescue mission when they receive a distress call. Kirk isn't used to be someone else being in captain's chair. This movie marks the hand off to The Next Generation crew.

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes play Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker

That crew is on the holodeck promoting Warf (Michael Dorn). It's such an odd way to introduce them, especially if you haven't seen the series. They're on a boat in the water that looks like it's from the 1700s. The holodeck is a neat idea, but it always stretches belief, a concept you shouldn't think about for too long. A distress call cuts the ceremony short.

Captain of the Enterprise Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) crew saves a single survivor from an observatory. This is also the time that android Data (Brent Spiner) decides to install a new emotion chip. All that does is make the character ridiculous and unreliable. He's like a five year old. Just a few scenes in we get these strange choices, both for anyone familiar or unfamiliar with this series. While you don't need to have seen the series, it does help. There's a lot of backstory from the series, and many of the main Enterprise crew barely appear on screen.

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes play Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker

Soran (Malcolm McDowell) puts lives at risk to get back to the Nexus. It's a realm outside of time and space of pure happiness. He's willing to blow up planets if that's what it takes. Soran kidnaps one of the crew, working with the Klingons to ensure his plan's success. Picard trades himself for the crew member in an effort to stop Soran.

This is not as good as I remember, though it has been over thirty years since I've seen it. Picard enters the nexus, soon realizing it's not real. While this set up a reason he'd want to be in the nexus, that spell is quickly broken. It's there that he discovers James T. Kirk who didn't die eighty years ago. He ended up in the nexus. Unfortunately Kirk isn't interested in helping. He likes having a life where he can correct his mistakes, but he soon grows disillusioned. That's convenient since he and Picard must save a planet.

William Shatner, Patrick Stewart play Captain James T. Kirk, Captain Jean-Luc Picard

The conclusion with the villain Soran is predictable. Meanwhile the Enterprise suffers critical damage with the saucer portion of the ship detaching for evacuation and crashing onto the surface of a planet. That's a wild moment. The Enterprise is supposed to be indestructible. It's a surprise when it proves fragile.

From memory, I thought we saw more of the crew which also would show us how this star ship functions. How can a Star Trek property not show us the captain on the bridge? Other than Picard, Data gets the most screen time. The choices with that character are absolutely bizarre. The only pay off is when Data is so scared he can't process his emotions and Picard reprimands him. Picard is always dealing with fear and stress. This coasts on the name. There's not much to the story to begin with. If you take away name recognition, it's pretty shallow.

Satantango Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Satantango [Sátántangó] (1994)

Buy Satantango on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: László Krasznahorkai (novel "Sátántangó"), Mihály Vig & Péter Dobai & Barna Mihók (story), László Krasznahorkai & Béla Tarr (screenplay)
Directed by: Béla Tarr
Starring: Mihály Víg, Putyi Horváth, Miklós B. Székely, Erika Bók, László feLugossy
Rated: NR [R]
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this Hungarian film, residents of a collapsing collective farm prepare for a large payout after the fall of Communism. Their plans turn into desolation when they discover that Irimiás, a former co-worker who they thought was dead, returns to the community.

Verdict
This is easily the longest movie I've ever watched at seven hours and twenty minutes. I appreciate what this does; breaking the boundaries of what's considered a typical movie. Scenes are not only long takes, but it also lets us live in this tiny village and really feel what life is like there. We're not just watching the residents, we're living with them. It creates an undeniable mood. Few would make a movie this long because the very length is a deterrent. I respect everyone involved in this movie that defies convention. I'll never watch this again, but I'm glad I saw it once. It really is a movie buff or film student type of movie. The average person would quickly grow bored of this, even if they could get over the idea of the length.
Skip it.

Review
Writer and star Mihály Vig also composed one of my favorite scores,Valuska, for the movie Werckmeister Harmonies (2000).

The direct translation of the title is Satan's Tango. At more than seven hours long, this is daunting. Tarr has expressed his wish for viewers to watch it uninterrupted. I was unable to indulge such a desire. It's a well regarded movie and the length interested me as a novelty. It's one thing if this were a mini-series with break points, but it is not. No average viewer would attempt this movie.

Mihály Víg, Putyi Horváth play Irimiás, Petrina

The very first scene provides an indication as to why this is so long. It's a shot of cows exiting a barn, wandering around a muddy field. It's a long and unbroken shot that transitions to two of the town's inhabitants. It's an artistic movie, shot in black and white with long scenes and sparse dialog. Every aspect of this movie slows down deliberately. We're not watching scenes, we're watching life in this village. Life is slow and thus the movie is slow.

Schmidt (László feLugossy) comes home talking about money. He doesn't realize his wife is having an affair with Futaki (B. Miklós Székely) who overhears. Futaki wants in on this scheme with Schmidt and Kraner. Instead of paying out the farm shares to residents, they plan to keep the money.

The pacing fits a seven hour movie. An hour in, and we only have a vague idea of the plot. This movie takes its time. Irimiás (Mihály Vig) returns. Everyone in the community thought he was dead. Initially I didn't understand the policeman's context. It's a long conversation to get to the point that the police want Irimiás to work for them. The guise is the pretext of order and law. They want him to spy. He's a remnant of the past regime and authoritarian policies.

Everything about this movie is long, but it all ties back to the mood this movie creates. We're not watching characters, we're spending time with them as we watch their daily lives. This is like a small town documentary. It's very deliberate. You could argue there are several superfluous scenes or scenes that continue longer than they should, but that's the point and goal. We experience life of these people at their pace. We don't just watch Irimiás and Petrina walk the road for a moment or get an impression, we walk it with them. The doctor observes the community, jotting notes of what's happening. He doesn't seem all that difference from the audience.

Putyi Horváth, Mihály Víg play Petrina, Irimiás

There's a money tree scam at some point that has to be a nod to the plot. Easy money is never that. Irimiás shows up and manages to talk most of the inhabitants into giving him their shares under the guise of starting a new collective farm.

While I understand the intent, that doesn't mean I enjoy this. It runs counter to every expectation I have for a movie, which I appreciate. It's one of the slowest paced movies I've seen and the run time supports that. This explodes past the boundaries and restrictions of what's typical. I'll watch almost any movie that pushes against the constrictions of what can be a movie. No scene is a quick summary. We watch the characters lives unfold, as dull as that frequently is. We inhabit the moments. The time gives us a sense of life in this community and how difficult it is.

I appreciate what this does, and I'm glad to have the experience but it's not something I'll revisit. The last couple of hours did begin to feel long. Irimiás reports back to the police as contracted. His report likely provides nothing, and the police edit it so it doesn't portray the community so harshly. It's a continuation of the prior regime and secret police that surveilled everyone. Ultimately it provides nothing and only increases paranoia. That kind of policy could be the very reason the collective farm failed. It pushes people to look out only for themselves, and that doesn't work in a collective.

Downton Abbey Series Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Downton Abbey (2010-2015)

Season 1 - 7 episodes (2010)
Season 2 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2011)
Season 3 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2012)
Season 4 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2013)
Season 5 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2014)
Season 6 - 8 episodes, 1 special (2015)
Rent Downton Abbey on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Julian Fellowes
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jessica Brown Findlay, Maggie Smith, Dan Stevens, Penelope Wilton, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Siobhan Finneran, Joanne Froggatt, Thomas Howes, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Lily James, Rose Leslie, Lesley Nicol, Sophie McShera
Rated: TV-PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.

Verdict
It's a fun premise and time period, exploring societal rules in the early 1900s through a noble family and their servants that live downstairs. This presents progressive characters, showing how far we've progressed and how backwards some of the views seem. These aristocrats fill their days strolling the grounds and dressing up for dinner, waited on hand and foot as they enjoy living at the top of the hierarchy. Unfortunately this show often creates drama by torturing characters. Almost nothing good happens without something equally tragic following. The first season is great, but the manipulations reach a peak in the fourth season. Each successive season after the first feels more like a soap opera rather than a well-plotted drama. Despite that, the setting helps carry this very far as it assists in covering for the spectacle. The first three seasons are worth watching, but after that it's downhill. I started to tire of the show and recycled plots lines in season five. Season six was annoying, but it's the final season so I kept watching.
Watch It.

Review
I watched this when it first released, and I really enjoyed the first season, but each successive season wasn't as good. It became more of a soap opera with ridiculous plot lines that tortured characters. I quit watching in season four as the show stretched credibility to its limits. With this rewatch my opinion hasn't changed, though the setting does a lot work to conceal the faults. The first season is easily the best.

Season 1:
This begins in 1912 featuring a wealthy family living on an expansive estate with many servants that live in the lower floor. The demarcation line of rich and poor is nearly tangible as we see the fancy rooms the Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and his family occupy when just a flight of stars lower are the servants with their small, barren rooms. The servants labor all day while the family has tea and fancy dinners.

S1E4: Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville play Mary Crawley, Robert Crawley

We're introduced to this world through John Bates (Brendan Coyle), Roberts new valet. He uses a cane and with so many stairs in the house the staff don't think he'll last long. What they don't know is that he knows Robert. Barrow (Robert James-Collier) and O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) quickly establish themselves as the jerks of the serving status, unusually cruel. They have it out for Bates, one more staff member in their way.

The sinking of the Titanic throws the family's future into disarray. Robert and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) have three daughters and no heir. Eldest daughter Mary (Michelle Dockery) was going to marry a cousin to secure their social position but he was on the Titanic. The family fortune is tied to the estate and thus a Crawley heir.

The best character, funniest, and most blunt is the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith). She never hesitates to state what's on her mind. With her age and position as the matriarch of the family, she can do just that.

S1E2: Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt play
Sybil Crawley, Edith Crawley, Mary Crawley, Anna Smith

In episode five Bates catches Barrow stealing wine. Barrow preemptively frames Bates for stealing a snuff box. He uses kitchen maid Daisy's (Sophie McShera) infatuation with him to his advantage to convict Bates, but she relents. Barrow and O'brien never miss a chance to make life more difficult for the staff.

Mary and middle daughter Edith (Laura Carmichael) fight over men for no reason. Mary is arrogant, seeking some kind of birthright. Edith is the middle child, likely stuck in both Mary and Sybil's (Jessica Brown Findlay) shadows. She's relegated to the lovelorn woman when she could have been more interesting. She lashes out at Mary due to her unfulfilled desires.

S1E5: Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt play John Bates, Anna Smith

Robert finds another cousin in Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) that could secure the estate. Matthew doesn't like the idea of a forced marriage and Mary doesn't particularly care for him. They grow closer, but this season is the start of their on and off again relationshiop. Mary snubs him, pausing the engagement at the potential of a Crawley heir distressing him and ending their relationship.

This season provides plenty of intrigue both upstairs and downstairs. There's the ill-fated romance of Matthew and Mary, the burgeoning relationship between Bates and Anna (Joanne Froggatt), and the ruthless villains Barrow and O'Brien. Overheard fragments upstairs become rumors downstairs while the Crawley family is unaware of anything happening on the floor below them.

Season 2:
Last season ended with the beginning of World War I. It's 1916 and Matthew is fighting in the war and engaged to marry Lavinia. Mary rejected him last season, but now that she can't have him she's fallen for him.

Mr. Bates' wife shows up and she's a piece of work. I grew tired of yet another instance of Bates refusing to speak on a personal matter as everyone grows upset with him. What he intends as gallantry is a delusional sacrifice that could be avoided. Maybe he's too prideful, or quite possibly this show just likes forced drama. Out of pride he leaves the estate to spare the family scandal.

S2E6: Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Iain Glen, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Dan Stevens, Penelope Wilton, Jessia Brown Findlay play Violet, Mary, Cora, Sir Richard Carlisle, Robert, Edith, Matthew, Isobel, Sybil

Barrow sees the writing on the wall and joins the military. He finds a way to get injured to leave the front lines. He ends up as the acting sergeant in charge of soldiers at Downton Abbey which has become a temporary convalescent home. He enjoys his newfound power over the staff. The Dowager Countess doesn't like the transformation of the estate one bit, but Matthew's mother Isobel (Penelope Wilton), a former nurse, champions the idea. She also likes being in charge of the hospital side of the home. The arrangement gives Sybil and Edith something to do, acting as nurses.

Cora retains O'Brien services, comically unaware that no one else likes her. Robert has kept all of O'Brien's mistakes from her. That and the show likes to keep her around. This season includes more forced drama than last season. Matthew is lost during a patrol which worries the family. He's found safe and the family rejoices. Then goes back out and suffers a spinal injury. The show toys with our emotions. When Matthew is found we think he's safe only for the show to pull the rug out from under us. If that wasn't enough Patrick Crawley returns, maybe. There's no way to prove his claims, and Edith is the only one that believes him. It's a plot point that takes care of itself quickly.

S2E4: Rob James-Collier, Siobhan Finneran play Thomas Barrow, Sarah O'Brien

This season designs the story so that we don't like Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen) who has proposed to Mary. The show wants us to ship Mary and Matthew. He's rejected Lavinia due to being paralyzed, but she refuses. Then he's able to walk. His plight is a bit much this season with all these twist and turns. Matthew refuses to reject Lavinia when she remained so devoted, but when she gets sick this show tries to make us welcome her death to pave the way for Matthew and Mary.

Sybil and the family driver Branson (Allen Leech) possess similar progressive views. Soon they start a relationship that Robert doesn't like. He doesn't want his family mixing with the help. He tries to pay Branson off to no avail.

S2E9: Michelle Dockery, Dan Stevens play Mary Crawley, Matthew Crawley

Bates and Anna wed, but that's because Bates may get arrested. While Anna believes he's wrongly convicted,. he's imprisoned. This show can't make any relationship easy.

In the final episode Robert doesn't want Mary to wed Carlisle as he's threatening her to keep the engagement. This paves the way for Matthew.

Season 3:
Matthew and Mary prepare for their wedding, but Robert's bad investment means the estate has lost most of its fortune. This show likes forced drama. How convenient, Matthew coincidentally receives a large, unlikely inheritance that would save Downton. He may be wildly rich and can save his family in law, but he plans to refuse the inheritance out of principle. Mary is excited and then disappointed. She asks her maternal grandmother for help, but she and Cora don't see why her family should bail Downton out again. Cora's wealth is one of the reasons Robert married her.

While the Dowager Countess is always blunt, Cora's mother is her foil. She's American, quick to criticize British tradition.

Downstairs, Barrow is back and disparaging Bates. It's typical though Carson (Jim Carter) reprimands him. Barrow and O'Brien are fighting each other now. They're obnoxious, but that's also why they're still in the show. That culminates in O'Brien getting Barrow fired. No one is more surprised than Bates when he defends Barrow.

Matthew accepts the money after the show twists things to assuage his conscience. Matthew had the choice of honor or saving his wife. He must be honorable, but then he gets to do both. The issue with this show is that it becomes predictable. A big, scary, or tragic plot point looms, but the show finds a way out. Then it springs another tragedy on us. Edith, finally happy and engaged, gets left at the altar.

Branson returns, facing difficult times. Despite the marriage to Sybil he's still regarded as 'the chauffeur.' Matthew is incredibly nice and accepts him, but that's also because Matthew didn't grow up as an aristocrat that had to keep a strict divide between himself and others that are lesser. Then Sybil faces a difficult delivery during the birth of their daughter.

Matthew paid the debts, and now he wants a word in how the estate is run. Robert doesn't like being questioned despite it's his management that put them in this spot. Any intervention by Matthew is a direct criticism, and his pride can't accept that despite how just it is. Matthew wants to change things to make the property sustainable. Robert complains about losing tradition, but with his ideas they'd lose the property.

When the family travels to Scotland in the special, Robert discovers his friend must sell his estate, admitting they failed to modernize. It's a testament to how Matthew was right. Mary is pregnant, and this show can't let a good thing happen without something equally bad or worse.

I like this show, but it's indulgent, reveling in tragedy. While this season does kill off primary cast members, both actors requested to be written out to pursue other opportunities.

Season 4:
It's 1922 and Mary is still reeling over Matthew. I understand why she's upset, but she's become quite bitter. O'Brien leaves the family without even a note for a better job. That seemed likely with how last season ended.

Barrow wants to get rid of the nanny for Branson and Mary's children because she doesn't respect her authority. The nanny ends up getting fired for demeaning Branson's daughter since she's not an aristocrat.

It seems this show only has a couple of plot points. It's either canceled weddings or torturing Anna and Bates. They've faced such hardship, and when they're finally together and happy the show has Anna assaulted. Is that all this show knows how to do, violence under the guise of development? Anna feels she must hide the attack, fearful Bates will kill the man and end up back in prison. I can at least understand all of Anna's feelings in this case as often this has characters not communicating just to drive drama. Anna's experience is very isolating. I don't like how Bates manipulates Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) to find out what happened. While I understand why, he's putting her in a terrible place, especially for a man that aims to be so gallant. While he tells Anna it's over, he tells Mr.s Hughes this isn't over by a long shot.

Gillingham wants to wed Mary after only meeting her a couple of times. Unfortunately, he's already engaged. It's ridiculous. Mary refuses, but I'm not sure Gillingham has spent enough time with her to even be infatuated.

S4E9: Maggie Smith, Paul Giamatti, Hugh Bonneville play
Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, Harold Levinson, Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley

This season is disappointing as it feels like it's just repeating plot lines. Branson continues to feel like an outsider. He's too fancy for Ireland and too country for Downton. One of the better story lines this season is in episode seven when Isobel cares for Violet, nursing her through sickness. That's quite the devotion for characters that are always fighting, but it belies a friendship that has developed over the years despite disagreements. It might be the most heartwarming evolution in the show.

The valet, Green, that attacked Anna is back at Downton with his lord. What will Anna do, and will Bates figure it out? It's an uncomfortable situation. Not long after, Green ends up dead. Did Bates kill him? I'd guess not as this show is always driving drama and wild speculation as is typical. That's this show's wheelhouse, like Mary's suitors and Edith's failed relationships.

Season 5:
This opens in 1924. Edith struggles with giving up her child. She's not hiding the deception well. Anyone could figure out why she's interested in this child, and it was silly to place the child in a nearby home. I'd guess that was done to ensure future drama. Edith spends a lot of time with the 'orphan' which raises questions. I don't think anyone missed where that would go.

Barrow is on thin ice for extorting Cora's maid Baxter. He was using her to gain information on others. He's given a stern warning, but then he's forgiven when he saves Edith from a fire. This show pivots so quickly. Later in the season he's duped, much like he was in season two. It's a rare occasion to feel sorry for him.

Mary has a fling with Gillingham, but she's then upset that it has consequences and implied perceptions. Robert and Cora fight in episode six. He's mad another man is interested and that the man points out his neglect. His pride has been hurt so he avoids Cora.

S5E9: Michelle Dockery, Allen Leech, Laura Carmichael, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville play
Mary, Tom Branson, Edith, Cora Robert

Also in episode six Bates is accused of murder again. It piles on, with Bates thinking Anna doubts him. I feel like I've seen this play out before. There's less happening this season, at least it's certainly not as interesting. With each season, the faults become more apparent. So many story lines exist just to create drama and do so quickly. This show revels in Bates being accused of murder, engagements, and weddings.

We do get a nice moment when Violet is sad Isobel is engaged. It's not that Isobel is going to be ranked higher, it's the prospect of losing a companion for which she cares greatly.

In a twist, Anna is charged with murder. Bates eventually confesses just to free her and flees. Molesley and Baxter investigate on his behalf to prove his innocence.

This season is tiring. Part of it is spending more time on cousin Rose (Lily James). We didn't need another character with yet another wedding. Edith takes her child and runs. Edith could have been a good character, but the show makes her and several characters one note. Edith is jealous and immature, and I can't believe she hasn't had a pivot. In episode nine Edith and Robert finally have a frank discussion about the worst kept secret of the season.

Episode nine is a nice cap to the season. Of course it needed an engagement. Carson proposed to Mrs. Hughes. While this doesn't provide much foundation, it's a sweet gesture. Branson considers leaving for America despite finally calling Downton home.

Season 6:
Over six seasons this cover thirteen years, with this season starting in 1925. We've heard characters state times are changing since nearly the beginning. Labor prices are increasing and Robert wonders how they'll afford the staff. Carson would like to hire to prior levels, but initially he's unaware that won't happen. The family goes to a house auction where everything is being sold. It's a stark reminder of how expensive life has become for the aristocracy. Barrow is being pushed to find a new job as Carson doesn't like him. Unfortunately there are fewer jobs for staff as houses are going bankrupt.

Bates and Anna are both declared innocent. You might think Anna has suffered enough, but season six says absolutely not. She and Bates are having trouble conceiving.

Carson and Hughes are such a nice development, two people that respect each other. I like their marriage. It seems like like the show is trying to make up for all of the emotional manipulation and forced tragedy. Then again, with this show one of them may keel over dead at their reception. Hughes wants a reception her way and Carson is too devoted to the family to disagree with Mary who wants them to hold it in the house. It's ridiculous that Carson can't see Mrs. Hughes' side of it. He's blind with devotion. You'd think this would lead to a realization, but it doesn't.

S6E3: Phyllis Logan, Jim Carter play Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson

This relationship does reveal what this show has been missing, something wholesome. Hughes fakes an injury so that Carson has to cook and clean because he's been so critical of her. He finds a new found respect for the work. It's sweet and funny, which isn't something this show typically explores.

Mary is blackmailed for her Gillingham fling in season five, but Robert takes care of that. She then finds a new interest in Talbot (Matthew Goode). It's comical that he races cars with what happened to Matthew in season three. With each season the flaws are more noticeable. This show keeps reusing the same ideas. Mary rejects him, unable to reconcile her worries and his occupation.

I long grew tired of the petty fighting between Mary and Edith. They should be through this by now, having developed as characters. Bertie proposed to Edith, but she didn't tell him about her child. It's critical information that Mary tells Bertie just to hurt Edith. It's so childish. Mary and Edith have the argument they should have had in season two or three. Mary reconciles with Talbot and they get married way too quickly. I don't know why. Mary's life turns out fine, but Edith doesn't get to marry Bertie. I don't think the show likes her. Her arc more than proves that.

This season gives Barrow a bit of a redemption arc. He gets a new job and leaves Downton on good terms. Branson in contrast returns to Downton, realizing it was home all along. He just had to go to Boston to figure it out.

Just when you think the season will end on a happy note, Carson seems ill. This show never has anything good without something bad. It always pivots to the tragic. Carson's illness means Downton needs a butler. Barrow returns to Dowton. It's a bit sappy. Edith does get married to Bertie. That was a lot of drama for what should have been simple

I enjoy the premise of the show. Classes are divided just because of a set of stairs in this giant estate. I can never fathom how the aristocrats so easily see the servants as less than. They cling to discrimiation by calling it tradition, and that's easy to do when they're on the top floor. It's a great dynamic for story telling, but this show is focused on soap opera style drama. With each season, the faults become more apparent as tragedies are forced upon characters. It seems the show introduces an engagement whenever ideas become scarce. I enjoyed the first season the most and each additional season a bit less. By season five I began tiring of the repetition. Season six is annoying. I wish the show developed these characters more. I'd love to see more emotional triumphs as these characters grow and become better. These people need better arcs, and this show manages to hide the shortcomings throughout the series due in large part to the setting. Even with the last season concluding with most of the characters happy, it pivots so quickly at the very end that even that feels forced.

Close-Up Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Close-Up [Nema-ye nazdik] (1990)

Rent Close-Up on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Abbas Kiarostami
Directed by: Abbas Kiarostami
Starring: Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Rated: NR []
Watch the trailer

Plot
This Iranian documentary relays the true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.

Verdict
This guy gets the chance to be someone important and takes it. While it goes too far, you understand the why. Because of this ordeal he's achieved some amount of fame, starring in this documentary, which otherwise wouldn't have happened. It's an interesting concept with a strong conclusion. It's not entertaining in the traditional sense, and I don't think most people would enjoy it. It's a curiosity with a twist of forgiveness despite the circumstances.
Skip it.

Review
This is based on a true story with the people involved playing themselves. While the trial is actual footage Kiarostami filmed, the events before the trial are a reenactment.

This begins with a journalist leaving a jail and relaying an entertaining story about someone that passed himself off as famous film maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The journalist looks into the story of this imposter that planned to use his family and their house for his next 'movie.'

Hossain Sabzian

Hossain Sabzian was mistaken for Makhmalbaf. He's interviewed about what happened after being caught. From the outside it looks like fraud, but Sabzian states he likes art and film. He never intended to mislead anyone. The journalist interviews the family. One of them claims to have known what was going on from the start, but that may just be stroking their own ego and refusing to admit they were deceived. None of them seem all that upset.

Kiarostami gets permission to film the trial which turns this into basically a documentary. The family speaks at the trial, stating Sabzian committed fraud and may have even planned to steal from them before the father thwarted him. Sabzian denies burglary but the judge reminds him that he's only on trial for fraud. Sabzian states that he likes film and was a big fan of Makhmalbaf. When he was mistaken for the director he felt important. He just wanted to be respected. He refutes the fraud as he didn't intend to deceive the family. The judge asks how did he not deceive by passing himself off as someone else. With Sabzian's circumstances, the judge asks if the family would be willing to pardon him.

Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf

This concludes with Sabzian meeting the real director Makhmalbaf. It's a strong ending as the two visit the family after they forgave him at the trial. The family hopes he'll make them proud. Sabzian finds their forgiveness extremely touching.

Raise the Red Lantern Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Raise the Red Lantern [Da hong denglong gaogao gua] (1991)

Rent Raise the Red Lantern on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Su Tong (original novel "Wives and Concubines" by), Ni Zhen (scriptwriter)
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Gong Li, Ma Jingwu, He Saifei, Cao Cuifen, Jin Shuyuan
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this Chinese language film, a young woman becomes the fourth concubine of a wealthy man during the 1920s and soon realizes there's fierce competition for his attention and the associated privileges.

Verdict
This is a system devised by the patriarchy with four women, concubines, vying for the attention of one man. That develops contention and jealousy among them as it's a game of winners and losers. The production value is stunning, providing a luxurious setting for a story that's heartbreaking. This life is the best for which Songlian could hope, and by the end she's reduced to a shell of herself. The master is always just out of focus pulling the strings, and that's by design.
Watch It.

Review
Opening with a conversation about Songlian's (Gong Li) future and an impending marriage, she states she has no choice but to marry for money. While she'll be taken care of, she will be a concubine. She can't afford college, and this is the best life for which she can hope.

Gong Li plays Songlian

Set in Republican China during the 1920s, the production values are great. This used a period correct mansion for the location, and the red lanterns create a great visual contrast.

Songlian spends the first night with her new husband, but we never clearly see him. I wondered if that was by design, and it is. He's always just at the edge of the screen and out of focus. With four wives and one man, that creates competition. The other wives all want the husband's attentions. Even on Songlian's first night, the third mistress Meishan (He Saifei) requests his presence. It's an insult, but Songlian is still trying to figure out her place. The next day she meets the first mistress, Yuru (Jin Shuyuan), who is curt. The second, Zhuoyun (Cao Cuifen), seems friendly. She tells Songlian how the red lanterns signify where the husband will spend the night. That also means that mistress gets special attention.

Cao Cuifen, Gong Li play Zhuoyun, Songlian

It looks like a lot of petty infighting, but with the dynamic of this place at the time, it takes on a different tone. These women are forced into this competition, hoping for some amount of attention. Meishan, a former opera singer, wakes Songlian and the husband early by singing. Despite the pettiness, Songlian goes to watch her sing. When she returns, she finds the husband in bed with her servant Yan'er. Yan'er is jealous of Songlian, hoping the master's favor would have made her the fourth mistress.

Songlian later discovers the second mistress isn't all that friendly Meishan confides she's the most scared of Zhuoyun. She's the one that pitted Songlian against Meishan, jealous at being replaced. She also helped Yan'er create a cursed doll of Songlian.

He Saifei, Jin Shuyuan, Gong Li, Cao Cuifen play Meishan, Yuru, Songlian, Zhuoyun

All four of these concubines vie for the attention of one man. Each has to find a way to curry his favor, and the easiest way is usually some kind of subterfuge. As Songlian admitted, this was the best avenue for her life. With her father deceased, she couldn't continue school and had to settle.

In an effort to monopolize the husband's attention, Songlian creates quite the story. She's eventually outed by Yan'er in concert with Zhuoyun. Songlian retaliates, and Yan'er faces harsh consequences. This is a system of winners and losers devised by the patriarchy. After the ruse Songlian is further isolated. She has no one, and no prospects of the husband coming back as punishment for her deceit.

The next year a new mistress arrives. Each new mistress means the existing ones gets less attention. Songlian felt she had no choice, that a concubine was the best she could do with her life. In the tragic conclusion, grief has rendered her despondent. It turns out that being a concubine was no life at all.

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)

Rent Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Scott Cooper (written for the screen by), Warren Zanes (based on the book "Deliver Me from Nowhere" by)
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Marc Maron, Grace Gummer
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Bruce Springsteen's journey crafting his 1982 album Nebraska, which emerged as he recorded Born in the USA with the E Street Band.

Verdict
This tries hard, but just because you make a biopic about a celebrity and fill it with known actors doesn't make it a good movie. I know Springsteen, but I wouldn't consider myself a fan which doesn't help either. I appreciate that this doesn't create an outline of his life and instead focuses on a narrow period of time where he was working on albums that would catapult him to broad stardom. Bruce tries to balance burgeoning fame with maintaining his small town roots. He wants to create an album focused on the music while the label wants to make him a star. It's a story that's been told before, but adding Springsteen to the mix doesn't change it.
Skip it.

Review
Cooper's previous films include Pale Blue Eye (2022), Antlers (2021), and Hostiles (2017). Springsteen has released twenty-one albums over more than fifty years. He's known for socially conscious lyrics portraying working class American life.

Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) closes his concert tour and then rents a house in a rural area. He's on the verge of stardom, but he wants to stay true to his small town roots. He's well known but doesn't feel like famous. He buys a car to get around, his first new car, and I appreciate that one of the radio ads is for "Action Park" a New Jersey theme park.

Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White play Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen

Much of the movie is Bruce writing songs in his house. He's inspired by the movie Badlands, researching the story at the local library. We also see flashbacks to his childhood and his difficult, violent father. Bruce also gets pressure from his manager Jon (Jeremy Strong) to produce another hit album, but he's chasing the music not the fame.

I imagine I'd like this more if I was a bigger Springsteen fan. He's jotting down song titles for his next album, and I'm not sure I recognized any of them. His manager and the label want the next album led by the sure hit Born in the U.S.A. Instead Bruce explores acoustic songs he's recording in his house. Bruce is becoming a star, but he's uncomfortable with it. He doesn't want to get lost in the brightness of stardom so he creates this album that defies convention to stay grounded. He wants an album focused on music instead of designed to make himself a star.

Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White play Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen

He also has a love interest, but that seems more geared to balance out the music and diversify the plot. It also ups the emotional stakes when Bruce heads to Los Angeles, leaving his problems, and girlfriend, behind. That doesn't fix things. Bruce is suffering and he reaches out to his manager who urges him to get professional help. That's what leads to Bruce seeing a therapist.

His acoustic album Nebraska did well despite no marketing, but his next album Born in the U.S.A. made him a global star. I imagine I'd appreciate this more if I was a Springsteen fan. It's a look at his inspiration, roots, and attitude on fame. I'm not sure I needed a movie to inform me of that.

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

Rent If I Had Legs I'd Kick You on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Mary Bronstein
Directed by: Mary Bronstein
Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, ASAP Rocky
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
While trying to manage her own life and career, a woman on the verge of a breakdown must cope with her daughter's illness, an absent husband, a missing person, and an unusual relationship with her therapist.

Verdict
A woman that's basically a single mom tries to cope with life. She's told it's not her fault, but she still has to deal with everything that having a chronically ill child entails. She just wants a break, but she has no one to help her. The desire to get away, if just for a moment, only generates more guilt. The stress of being a parent permeates every scene and Byrne does a great job of capturing those difficult emotions. We see the themes of the movie consolidated into her performance.
It depends.

Review
This opens with a mother and daughter therapy session. Linda's (Rose Byrne) daughter states daddy is "solid" and mommy is "stretchable" like putty. Linda objects, contending it's not true. No one wants to be characterized as a pushover, even if it's true. Just a few scenes in and we have this kid that we haven't even seen yet. Every shot is framed high on the mother. I wondered if it was a distinct choice not to show the child, and it is.

Rose Byrne plays Linda

They get home from a doctor visit to find their home flooded from the unit above. Linda deals with a lot. Her daughter has a feeding disorder which takes up a lot of mental capacity and time due to doctor visits. On top of that, they're forced out of her apartment and into a motel. Her husband is on a work trip, watching a baseball game in his time off. She questions that, and his only response is that he'd love to switch places. It's a hollow response meant to induce guilt. She's dealing with so much more than him, and he can decide what he does in his time off. Her issue is that she never gets time off. She's taking care of their daughter on her own. He only calls to complain about what she's doing or not doing. His only defense is that he's working so hard, yet he has time to go to a game.

Doctors tells Linda that's it's no one's fault, but it doesn't feel like that when they also state her daughter must reach her weight goals to improve. If her daughter isn't getting better, Linda obviously feels responsible. She tells her husband everything is "under control" because that's what he wants to hear when she's actually overwhelmed.

The daughter wants a hamster. Linda says no, dad who is away says maybe. Then we see the daughter with a hamster. Linda relented. It's clear she is stretchable like the daughter said. I'm sure part of that is wrapped up in mom feeling bad her daughter is chronically sick while also feeling guilty about wanting a break and leaving her alone in the motel at night.

Rose Byrne plays Linda

Linda is a therapist. In a parallel story, her patient leaves her baby with Linda. Unable to find the woman, she calls the patient's husband who refuses to get the baby, claiming it's not his emergency. He's another husband unwilling to help or even acknowledge the situation, offloading responsibility.

I was curious what part Conan O'Brien would play. He's a fellow therapist, and he does a nice job in a serious role.

Towards the end of the movie I wasn't sure what was reality and what was her perception. It's clear Linda needs help. At a group meeting they tell her it's not her fault, but she states it is and storms out. She's spiraling, and I'd guess her friendship with James (ASAP Rocky) is a byproduct of being exhausted and looking for an escape.

This is a woman that's carrying all of the mental load for her family, and we're watching her crumble. The hole in her apartment ceiling is a metaphor; this issue that she can't fix. While it's not her fault, it's her responsibility and it begins to engulf her life. All she wants is as break.

Grand Prix Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Grand Prix (1966)

Rent Grand Prix on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Robert Alan Aurthur (screen story), Robert Alan Aurthur (screenplay), John Frankenheimer (uncredited), Bill Gavin
(commentary writer, uncredited), William Hanley (additional dialogue, uncredited)
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Starring: James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Jessica Walker
Rated: Approved [PG]
Watch the trailer

Plot
American Grand Prix driver Pete Aron is fired by his Jordan-BRM racing team after a crash at Monaco that injures his British teammate, Scott Stoddard.

Verdict
The racing is really well done, and the questions of why drivers race in a dangerous sport, tempting mortality, are striking. It's what happens off the track that's less interesting, though I think the goal is to explore the worry the racer's profession creates in their wives and girlfriends. Part of racing for these guys is to wrestle chaos, but every race poses a danger and every accident reminds them of their mortality.
It depends.

Review
It's funny watching this after F1 (2025) as the cars seem so low tech and unsafe. They were much slower back then too. I'm impressed with the racing scenes, especially for a movie this old. A crash in the first race is edited well, maximizing the effect. It makes the racers and their wives consider mortality and the dangers of racing. Pete Aron (James Garner) is blamed for the accident as Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford) ends up hospitalized. Aron is out of a job, desperate to get back into racing.

James Garner plays Pete Aron

Racers want to go fast. It's the old story of attempting to control the uncontrollable. Spectators want to see them zoom around the track, approaching the limits of what's possible. The very first race reminds characters and viewers of the fleeting mortality when you get into these cars. This soon seems like a racing movie in the vein of Days of Thunder (1990), exploring some of the same themes and where you could skip through everything that's not racing. There's a lot of soap opera stuff with Stoddard's wife and Aron.

Aron finally gets a job with Yamura motors. They don't have much money, but I expect Aron would have raced for free, seeing this as his only path back. No one else was willing to hire him.

Stoddard desperately wants to race again despite how obvious it is that he's not ready, but racing is all he knows. Even Sarti (Yves Montand) who is older questions why he still does this despite the risk and danger.

Top: Brian Bedford, James Garner play Scott Stoddard, Pete Aron
Bottom: Yves Montand, Antonio Sabàto play Jean-Pierre Sarti, Nino Barlini

It's raining at the Spa race, and we get a perspective shot where it's obvious how much vision is reduced. The drivers had talked earlier about how dangerous rain can be. Aron wins, but there's a devastating wreck involving Sarti and collateral damage.

The Italian Grand Prix is the final race of the movie, interspersing interviews with drivers asking them their feelings about racing. Barlini (Antonio Sabàto) states he's immortal. Aron talks about how exhilarating being on the edge is. A tragic accident in the race makes the winner's victory bittersweet. The racers may be rivals on the track, but they're brothers in this sport. A tragic accident is a distinct reminder to every racer how fragile life is and how tenuous their grasp on chaos really is.

Arrested Development Seasons 1-3 Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Arrested Development (2003-2019)

Season 1 - 22 episodes (2003-04)
Season 2 - 18 episodes (2004-05)
Season 3 - 13 episodes (2005-06)
Rent Arrested Development on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Mitchell Hurwitz
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Ron Howard (narrator)
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer

Plot
Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned, but the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family make his job unbearable.

Verdict
This is the funniest series I've ever seen. I've watched it through multiple times, and I always notice something new; jokes in the background, background characters, double and triple meanings. That's in addition to the running gags and frequent cutaways. It's difficult to not just recite the funniest one liners and gags as a review. It's infinitely quotable, and the actors' delivery of the lines only adds to it. As a testament to this show, I still use lines from the show in conversation. The show does such a great job of creating dense comedy while also providing an ongoing narrative. Each of these characters offers unique humor, and when you get them together in one room this gets even better.
Watch It.

Review
The original series ran for three seasons before getting canceled. Netflix picked up the show for two additional seasons seven years later. I didn't enjoy the reboot seasons. Season four separated the characters into what was basically individual narratives as they couldn't get the actors to film simultaneously. A big part of the comedy is how these characters work together.

Season one introduces us to this ridiculous family that's coasting on the family business of building mcmansions. All of them are taking company money exccept for Michael (Jason Bateman), the only character grounded in reality. Oldest brother Gob (Will Arnett) is a want to be magician. When Michael dismisses his "tricks," Gob corrects him. "It's an illusion. A trick is something a whore does for money." This show has so many one liners. Michael is stuck trying to hold the family and business together when patriarch George (Jeffrey Tambor) is arrested for fraud.

S1E3: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Tony Hale play Michael, Gob, Buster

Much of the comedy derives from miscommunication as the characters are so self centered, ignoring what they don't like or don't want to hear. They're also very critical of each other. The diverse cast each offer their own brand of comedy. Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) is the vapid sister married to former therapist turned hopeful actor Tobias (David Cross). Tobias is closeted and seems to be the only one that doesn't realize it. Buster (Tony Hale) has been coddled to an extreme degree despite being an adult. At this point he's an accessory for his mother Lucille (Jessica Walter) who is the cruelest of the bunch though her barbs are quite funny.

Buster tries to distance himself from mother by dating one of her friends which as he admits is much like dating mother. Lucille adopts a boy to spite him. Michael falls for Gob's girlfriend. Michael's son George Michael (Michael Cera) falls for his cousin Maebe (Alia Shawkat). Tobias befriends Carl Weathers while trying to become an actor. George schemes to get out of jail, at one point garnering a cult following. Lucille endlessly pits the children against each other.

S1E6: Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett play George, Michael, Lucille, Gob

There's no way to do this show justice in a review. This family is absolutely ridiculous and it's hilarious. I have to refrain from including blocks of quotes. The previews for the next episode at the end are just narrative shortcuts or jokes. The running jokes are funny on their own, but if you remember them it's all the better. That's what's so great about this show. It's funny on it's own, but once you see the many layers that make up a joke it becomes even better.

Season two begins with Michael wanting to leave but unable due to scrutiny from the companies illegal dealings. Gob is named president with Michael doing all the work. George attempted to escape at the end of last season after it was revealed he sold homes to Saddam Hussein. Oscar (Jeffrey Tambor) moves in with George away, and that begins the running joke that Oscar may be Buster's father. George ends up hiding out in the model house's attic and spying on the family.

S1E6: David Cross, Portia de Rossi play Tobias, Lindsay

While Tobias admits an open relationship never works, he baselessly hopes it will for him and Lindsay. He unsuccessfully tries to join the Blue Man Group, initially mistaking it for a support group. Inspired by Mrs. Doubtfire, he poses as a maid for the family. While fooling no one, the family plays along as he's doing all the chores. Their daughter Maebe manages to become a studio executive.

Buster is forced to join the army by Lucille, but he manages to get out of it due to a confluence of events and a "loose seal." Then there's the "Motherboy" event where Buster rescues George-Michael.

To begin Season 3, Michael figures out that George has ensnared Oscar in prison. He didn't believe it until Oscar said something kind which confirmed that man isn't his father. George Sr is in Reno hiding as a member of the Blue Man Group.

S3E5: Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron play Michael, Rita Leeds

Michael investigates claims that his father was a patsy. He's finds a love interest in Rita (Charlize Theron). She's odd but may be a British spy. They almost get married while Tobias and Lindsey seek a lawyer, Bob Loblaw (Scott Baio) who also runs a law blog.

Then there's the saga of Tobias's hair implants. He gets them for the meaty leading man parts, but they cause his health to deteriorate. Even that is not enough to convince him they should be removed.

S3E7: Portia de Rossi, David Cross play Lindsay, Tobias

With the show in reality on the brink of cancellation, episode nine incorporates that by breaking the fourth wall and encouraging people to watch the show while referencing other networks and typical gimmicks used by desperate sitcoms. Unfortunately the clever episode didn't stop the impending cancellation.

This is the funniest show I've ever seen, not just the jokes and gags but the layers, the repetition, the running gags, the double meanings, and hidden background jokes. All of the characters play their characters so well with the delivery of their lines heightening the joke. Bateman's flat delivery and response is funny because of the contrast with how over the top Gob and Tobias can be. The show wouldn't be the same without these characters, it's the ensemble cast that makes this so fun as they compliment each other well. That's part of what made season four a letdown, it separated and isolated the characters. Despite that, the first three seasons remain stellar television.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Rent Kiss Kiss Bang Bang on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Brett Halliday (novel "Bodies Are Where You Find Them"), Shane Black (screen story, screenplay)
Directed by: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen, Shannyn Sossamon
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
After being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo end up in a murder mystery.

Verdict
It's a fun movie. Nearly everything Kilmer says as Perry is quotable. His new assistant Harry is the outsider that likes detective stories and finds he's in one. He's also quite verbose, always commenting on the situation or trying to play the tough guy. It rarely works out as Harry faces one hardship after another. All of this, and he's only in Los Angeles posing as an actor to get out of being arrested. Like any good detective book, two unrelated cases always intersect, and that's the case here as a confluence of events bring this group of people together to solve a murder. While the mystery is a bit complex and the duo of Perry and Harry pose as comic distraction, they're also what makes this movie so fun.
Watch It.

Review
The book that partially inspired the movie was published in 1941. This was Black's directorial debut, though the first screenplay he wrote was Lethal Weapon (1987). Recently he wrote and directed The Predator (2018) and Play Dirty (2025).

Harry (Robert Downey Jr.) is a thief that lucks into an acting audition while running from the cops. His emotional reading is mistaken for method acting, and he's sent to Hollywood. There's a lot of fourth wall breaking as Harry relays the story, and it also sets up the underlying style and goal of the movie.

Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr. play Perry van Shrike, Harry Lockhart

To prepare Harry for the role, he begins training with private detective Perry (Val Kilmer). Kilmer is great as the sardonic, witty foil to Harry who is out of his depth. On their first stakeout they just happen to witness two men driving a car into a lake. Perry assumes they must be hiding something in the car, discovering a body. Unfortunately while shooting the trunk's lock he shot the victim, though fortunate for him she was already dead.

Harry runs into his childhood crush at a Hollywood party. She thinks he's a detective with his connection to Perry and later meets him at his hotel room, asking him to look for her missing sister. Of course he agrees to help her, but what he doesn't realize is that the men that drove the car into the lake spotted Harry and Perry retrieving the body from the car and planted it in Harry's hotel room to frame him.

Michelle Monaghan, Robert Downey Jr. play Harmony Lane, Harry Lockhart

It's a wild story and complete fun with the extreme coincidences feeding into the adventure. This embraces the film noir genre while also having fun with it. Harry tries to extract information from a thug though intimidation. He puts a single bullet in the revolver and kills the guy on the first shot, defying the typical movie trope. Harry thought the chances of killing him on the first shot would have been lower. Perry is dumbfounded Harry actually loaded the gun.

When they're captured and prepared to be tortured, Perry taunts the thug guarding them into electrocuting Harry who is less than happy about the outcome. That distraction does allow Perry to free them.

It's a movie hinging on coincidence, but this is so much fun that it doesn't matter. The point is to modernize the old detective novel. It never relies on the usual tropes, defying expectations at every turn. Perry and Harry are a great pair and even manage to unravel the sprawling mystery, leading to a shootout and chase.

Slow Horses Seasons 1-5 Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Slow Horses (2022-)

Season 1 - 6 episodes (2022)
Season 2 - 6 episodes (2022)
Season 3 - 6 episodes (2023)
Season 4 - 6 episodes (2024)
Season 5 - 6 episodes (2025)
Rent Slow Horses on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Created by: Will Smith
Based on: Slough House by Mick Herron
Starring: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Hugo Weaving, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Olivia Cooke, Katherine Waterston
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
A dysfunctional team of MI5 agents navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend the UK from sinister forces.

Verdict
The first two seasons are dense mysteries as every character has an agenda. We can't trust anyone. Either they're lying to commit a crime or cover it up, and the 'good' characters are afraid to say too much unless they're exposed to their enemies. I often felt like I didn't understand everything, but that's also because we're not provided with all information. Characters mislead and redirect for their own gain. The later seasons are less dense, focusing a bit more on action. It's not bad, just not as complex or reliant on subterfuge and spy craft. The later seasons are still great, but it also seems like the show is trying to be more accessible.
Watch It.

Review
The team of British intelligence agents work in an MI5 department called Slough House as they've all committed detrimental mistakes that have derailed their careers. They're referred to as 'slow horses,' word play on the department name. The sixth season is scheduled for release fall 2026.

Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) leads the team. What he lacks in hygiene he makes up for in skill. He frequently insults his agents, but he always shows up when they need him. The first two seasons are especially dense. Dealing with all these agents and rival agendas, you never know what or who to trust. Lamb frequently plays by his own rules, but that's not because he's trying to rise up the ranks or gain power. He's following his own code.

Season 1:
In the first episode River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) fails a training exercise set at an airport. He claims he was told the wrong suspect, and refusing to stand down he tries to chase down the correct one. As a result he's sent to Slough House. What I don't understand is how no one else heard the wrong information. Maybe it's a situation where you don't question nor expose your superiors for fear of risking your own position.

S1E1: Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb

River and Sid (Olivia Cooke) are tasked with surveilling journalist Hobden. Meanwhile a college student is abducted which ends up being a false flag operation by MI5 deputy Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas). She orchestrated the kidnapping through an agent, but what she doesn't realize is that agent is no longer in control. Taverner pivots to covering her tracks, planning to blame Slough House. At her level of power, she can find agents that will testify on her behalf, and no one holds Slough House in high regard.

We're introduced to the slovenly Jackson Lamb that must be in Slough House due to some kind of failure, but he proves to be quite smart. He's outsmarting the directors of MI5 that are trying to pin their blunder on him.

S1E6: Jack Lowden plays River Cartwright

This is basically a six hour movie with a specific focus on an operation and the ripples it creates. Everything comes back to Taverner. She wanted to gain political influence through this kidnapping by 'saving the day.' River witnessed a piece of that, completely unaware which is why he ended up at Slough House. Taverner has to keep lying and covering up her schemes. She has no control over the kidnapping, and has her men plant evidence after the fact. She can't admit fault, otherwise she's jeopardizing her position.

It's never quite clear what's going on or who is involved in what. Being operatives, you can't believe anyone, but this does reveal everything by the final episode. It's a complex story that requires you to pay attention. I frequently felt like I didn't quite understand everything, but that's also because this doesn't provide all the pieces. Everyone is lying up until they're caught.

Season 2:
Lamb investigates the death of former agent Bough, finding his phone hidden in the bus seat where he died. River wants action, but Lamb gives the job to someone else, chastising him for interviewing for another job. There's the question of whether Bough died or was killed. He's likely unreliable, famous for telling an unsubstantiated story about how he was once kidnapped by the KGB.

Lamb identifies Bough's attacker as Chernitsky while River has followed him to an airfield. River goes under cover to find out more, befriending the daughter of a suspected sleeper agent that's involved with Chernitsky.

This show feels realistic with how cynical characters are. This rarely slows down to explain, and it never over explains. We can never believe anyone or their motives. Most of them are trying to mislead and redirect for their own gain. Lamb isn't against that when it suits his purposes.

Lamb uncovers the identify of a triple agent, intent on embarrassing Slough House as revenge. It all ties into double and triple agents operating in and adjacent to MI5. Slough House only stumbles upon the subterfuge when one of their own is killed. That leads to uncovering this seasons motives.

Season 3:
This opens with an incident in Istanbul where an agent is killed, seemingly having stolen classified documents. Back in London, Standish is kidnapped, and it's implied that may have something to do with Lamb. River is offered a chance to save Standish, but he has to gain access to the main office. He succeeds, but it turns out it was a tiger team operation to test MI5 security. Since River succeeded in breaking in, MI5 failed. It doesn't help that River didn't tell Lamb.

S3E3: Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb

There may be more to this tiger team, some kind of secondary agenda. The home secretary launched the tiger team attack, a ploy to expose faults and in turn hire private security. He has stake in the company. He's a government figure embracing corruption for personal gain.

S3E5: Sophie Okonedo, Kristin Scott Thomas play Ingrid Tearney, Diana Taverner

This season feels more sensational than previous seasons. The first two seasons occurred in the shadows. It was spy games of which the public would never be aware. This one has a high profile murder that hits the news. The final two episodes are one long shootout. It's not bad, but it seems more mainstream, more accessible, which is not what this show has been.

The action isn't bad, but I like the espionage and intrigue, even if it's dense and complicated.

Season 4:
River is dead, at least that's what we're told in the first episode, but the episode makes a point to not show us his face and the body is difficult to identify. While the end of the episode reveals he's alive, which isn't a surprise, the question is why the subterfuge.

This season slows the pace, much like the last season. While the first two seasons were quite complex, this is an over correction. I liked the first two seasons, though I felt like I could barely keep up. This season, I'm almost bored.

S4E6: Jack Lowden, Hugo Weaving play River Cartwright, Frank Harkness

River heads to France, trying to track down who tried to kill his grandfather. Harkness (Hugo Weaving) is the culprit. He's an assassination that had help from an MI5 agent long ago to start his business, and now Taverner is trying to cover up Harkness's crimes since they trace back to MI5. They've used him for many missions.

Harkness manages to capture River, offering to let him join his group and train him. River as expected refuses. Harkness is captured, but MI5 lets him go due to what he knows and how he could hurt the agency.

This is a show where you never quite know what's going on. If you think the plot is clear, it's going to take a turn and surprise you. I liked season four less than three. Both feel like less of a spy thriller and more of an action movie.

Season 5:
This opens with a public shooting that seems to be related to the mayoral race while somebody is following Slough House agent Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung). It appears Ho has been compromised, lured by a woman, Tara. He can't admit that, beholden to his illusions of grandeur. Lamb goes to Ho's house to save him, and that shootout peaks MI5's interest in Ho. Lamb has to figure out why Ho was even targeted.

Additional terrorist attacks have occurred in the city, they appear to be destabilization tactics. The next step would be to take out a national figure. Potential mayors Jaffrey and Gimball seem like prime targets. Shirley and Standish thwart an attack against Jaffrey, though they can't catch the guy.

Meanwhile River and Coe are tasked with protecting Gimball.The conclusion to that job seems comical. While truth can be stranger than fiction, it seems like stretch for them to accidentally kill Gimball.

MI5 detains Tara, but they don't believe she's part of the terrorist plot. That's a mistake when they use her to lure the terrorists out and she escapes.

While Slough House was threatened with being closed, Lamb manages to blackmail MI5 to keep them open.

This show is a bit like watching a chess match where you need to keep track of all the pieces in play. There's a lot going on, and you never know if any event is some kind of ploy. That's what makes this show so engrossing, trying to piece together the plot as the agents do.

I like seasons one and two the best, though it's difficult to pick one as better. The rest of the seasons become more action oriented and mainstream. I liked the first two seasons remained in the shadows. The public would never know anything ever happened, that's scarier than terrorist attacks. The government could crumble without any visible cause.

Burn After Reading Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Burn After Reading (2008)

Rent Burn After Reading on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, Elizabeth Marvel, J.K. Simmons
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.

Verdict
It's not the Coen brothers' strongest movie, but it is wild and silly ride. A CIA agent getting fired leads to this web of conspiracies that no one understands, much less can explain. Two gym employees try to trade suspected CIA secrets for cash, and that only leads to more trouble. My favorite part of this are the CIA heads that get reports on what's happening but are absolutely baffled by the events unfolding and how everyone got involved. All the performances are great, but the situation is almost too ridiculous.
It depends.

Review
This was the Coen brothers next release after No Country for Old Men (2007).

CIA agent Osborne (John Malkovich) get a demotion, and he's not happy about it. He quits instead, contemplating a memoir while he's unaware his wife is planning a divorce. She copies several files off of his computer to give to her lawyer, including the notes for his memoir.

Self conscious gym manager Linda (Frances McDormand) wants cosmetic surgery, but her insurance won't pay for it since it's elective. She hopes the surgeries will improve her dating prospects. She's oblivious to the fact that her manager Ted (Richard Jenkins) is enamored with her. He's just too subtle.

Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt play Linda Litzke, Chad Feldheimer

Her coworker Chad (Brad Pitt) finds a disc in the locker room, and he's convinced he's found top secret CIA information. It's Osborne's, and they easily find him, trying to shake him down for a cash payment. That only makes him mad. He quickly realizes they aren't professionals. They're so unaware of they're shortcomings it's comical. Their belief in this valuable data is based on hope and nothing else. Linda seizes on the opportunity that this data could be sold and pay for her surgeries. When Osborne doesn't pay, they head to the Russian embassy.

Harry (George Clooney) is dating Osborne's wife, but I wondered about his significance. He soon begins dating Linda. It's clear he's a serial cheater as he's also married. Linda thinks he's great, flattered that somebody so handsome is interested in her. She thinks she's found someone, but we know what he's really about. Throughout the movie we've seen him building something in his basement. The reveal of what that is comes as a shock.

We suspect all of these characters are going to face consequences. Linda and Chad dig themselves deeper when she promises the Russians they have more information. Chad must break into Osborne's house for the promised intel, and he and the audience get quite the surprise.

George Clooney, Frances McDormand play Harry Pfarrer, Linda Litzke

The CIA is aware of everything, but they don't understand anything that's occurred. It's a mess that doesn't make sense. They know Osborne doesn't have any classified information, they're not sure what's being sold, how Chad and Linda obtained it, or why they think it's valuable. They dismiss the situation.

Harry has been followed for the entire movie. He finally corners the person following him, discovering the man works for his wife's lawyer. He's shocked his wife wants a divorce, comical due to his infidelity. Linda knows about his wife, but she doesn't seem to mind. I assume because he's handsome. When Chad goes missing, Linda asks Harry to find him. Chad and Harry have already had a run in, but Harry had no idea Chad and Linda had a connection. When he realizes exactly who Chad is, he grows suspicious of Linda.

It's a ridiculous scenario, and I love the utter confusion of the CIA boss (J.K. Simmons) who can't determine any motive for a single event that's occurred. To rid themselves of the situation, the CIA boss agrees to pay for Linda's surgery to make this go away. The boss concludes they've learned not to do it again, though he's not sure what they even did in the first place.

A Simple Plan Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

A Simple Plan (1998)

Rent A Simple Plan on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Scott B. Smith
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda, Gary Cole, Brent Briscoe
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Two brothers and a friend find four million dollars at a plane crash site and try to keep it, but paranoia, greed, and fear of getting caught cause their plan to spiral out of control with disastrous consequences.

Verdict
This explores the adage three can keep a secret if two are dead. They find this money, and while they know they should turn it in, soon they're thinking about what they could do with it. That makes the money real. Once they have this secret, then they have to hold on to it, protect it, worried everyone else is out to get their secret. One crime begets another crime, and men that considered themselves good people turn into anything but. They try to justify their actions are worth it. That seems difficult to believe given the evidence.
Watch It.

Review
The author Scott Smith translated his own book to a screenplay. Sam Raimi directed For Love of the Game (1999) next before directing Spider-Man (2002).

Hank (Bill Paxton) and his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) go to visit their parents gravestone. Jacob brings along his friend Lou (Brent Briscoe). Hank doesn't get along with either of them all that well. On the way back they chase after a fox that caused them to run off the road. That leads them to a plane in the woods with four million dollars in it and a dead pilot.

Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton, Brent Briscoe play Jacob, Hank, Lou

Hank wants to turn it in. Jacob and Lou argue that it's dirty money. They aren't stealing, and it's obvious no one is searching for it since they found it. The trio come up with a simple plan. Hank will hold onto the money until spring. If no one comes after it, they'll split it up. Hank states that's the only way he won't turn it in. He wants to have a clear conscious that he's not stealing it.

Money can change people, and this much money with only one of them holding it, creates strife. How will that play out? Hank becomes paranoid that Jacob and Lou are teaming up against him. Soon Lou wants his share, and he doesn't want to wait. He tries to blackmail Hank, and it's clear that Jacob has been talking. What can Hank do to keep Lou in line? One coverup leads to another. Hank persuades Jacob to help him blackmail Lou, but Hank's great idea takes a turn.

Having recently read the book, this is a very good translation to film. The movie reduces Hank's crimes. In the book he stacks up a lot of bodies, basically becoming a sociopath. That works in the book because we spend more time in his head and it's a longer decline. He's constantly trying to justify his actions.

Jacob begins dreaming about what he'll do with the money. That's when the money stops being hypothetical and becomes a reality. I wish this had given us a scene with Hank and his wife imagining what they'd do with it. That's the one thing the movie is missing that the book had. Making it real is what propelled Hank to take drastic measures.

Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton play Jacob, Hank

When an FBI agent comes looking for the plane, Hank doesn't know if he's already caught or only on the brink. He has to lead the local sheriff and the FBI agent to the plane to maintain his cover.

The book had a lot more violence, and Hank worrying about what would happen if he was caught. There's only so much you can do in a movie, and this captures the main point well. While the ending diverges quite a bit from the book. They're both violent with the movie focusing that violence in a very specific way. The book's conclusion is shocking and appalling. The movie is more heartbreaking. The change works very well.

Jacob sums up the conclusion of the story well. He wishes they had never found the plane. It brought nothing but trouble, causing everyone that touched it to commit criminal deeds. While the FBI question Hank, they tell him the ransom money was marked. It can't be spent without being traced. The book concludes in the same way, with the money being worthless. Hank and everyone around him lost their humanity as they became greedy. They're all left with nothing.