The Amateur (2025)

The Amateur sees Rami Malek play Heller who is a CIA decoder who loses his wife when she is involved in a terrorist attack in London. After the CIA seems reluctant to move with any speed  he decides to go into business for himself and track down the people who were responsible for the death of his wife. He is assessed by Henderson played by Laurence Fishburne who decides that he isn't a killer and then Heller goes off before he is caught. The rest of the film is a sort of cat and mouse affair with the end goal of Heller getting justice.

As much as I like Rami Malek, I don't think he was particularly good as the lead. He was great in Oppenheimer where he has a supporting role and wasn't the worst thing in Bohemian Rhapsody but he was a bit disappointing in No Time to Die. He gives off that moody vibe but it seems to not work when he has to be the grieving husband. It was nice to see Laurence FIshburne in something good. I think the last time I saw him was in Megalopolis and he was wasted in that film even though he was one of the few good things in that dumpster fire. He does have a sort of mentor role but then briefly he does become someone who is after Heller but when that doesn't go to plan he disappears for the rest of the movie before having a heart to heart moment at the end of the film. Jon Bernthal was wasted a bit in this film. He has two blink and you’ll miss it moments at the beginning and then doesn't appear until towards the end before having a not really important scene with Malek. Bernthal plays unhinged very well and it would have been nice to see some of that in this movie but I suppose it would have taken the attention away from Malek.

The kills that occur at the hands of Heller are quite good and they are good because as Heller is told, he isn't a killer and he doesnt kill anyone with a bullet but in quite creative ways. Two of them do happen in the trailer but one a) isn't really at his hand and b) does come out of nowhere (a bit like the van). I like the fact that when he meets the guy who actually killed his wife, he goes through with killing him but handing him over to the authorities. Some might have an issue with this and feel like its a bit of a cop out but Heller isn't a killer and he becomes a better person by doing what he does. Another thing that might annoy some people is how Director Moore and his sidekick have been conducting illegal CIA operations. I thought it played into how Heller would do things and it felt like a satisfying end to the film.

This film is directed by James Hawes who previously directed the Anthony Hopkins led film ‘One Life’ and I think in some ways this film is better because the film does have some memorable moments which ‘One Life’ doesn't have. The Amateur is a good film to watch but its hardly original. Guy seeks revenge after the death of a loved one. It doesn't win on the originality side of things but it does what it does quite well. It is very Bond and Bourne but would have been a better film with someone other than Rami Malek. There is a sort of sequel bait at the end but I think that this film might be better as a solo outing.

The Penguin Lessons (2024)

The Penguin Lessons was a mystery screening that my local Showcase Cinema put on. The clue that they gave was ‘They met in 97 on the hour’. Now I have absolutely no idea where they got the clue from. The plot sees Steve Coogan play Tom Michel who arrives at an Argentinian school to teach English during a period of instability in the country. He travels to Uruguay and after meeting a woman at a bar they walk along a beach and discover a penguin covered in oil from an oil slick and when he tries to get rid of it, the penguin keeps coming back to him and when he returns to the school he uses it to help teach the kids. Meanwhile he befriends a cleaner and her granddaughter who is then kidnapped and he tries to do some good with the backdrop of political turmoil ever present.

I wasn't expecting very much from this film but it won me over in a way I was not expecting. First of all Steve Coogan is very good as Tom. He comes across quite grumpy and the oddball relationship he has with the penguin helps with the charm. There is a scene where Sofia is taken and he freezes partly out of fear because he clearly wants to do good but is scared of what might happen. This leads to a lovely scene between him and Maria where he confesses that could have helped but is forgiven. Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio) connects with Tom because she reminds him of his daughter that he lost when she was hit by a drunk driver when she was 13. Vivian El Jabar is quite good as Maria because she is warm but has a stern streak where she can make you do something just by her tone. The three work well together and it's the closest the film gets to a family dynamic. Jonathan Pryce is also very good as the headmaster. He starts off somewhat of an eccentric person with rules and says ‘no pets’ but when he is told about the penguin, he performs a 180 in a surprisingly quick amount of time. Björn Gustafsson (Tapio) is a ‘friend’ of Tom’s in the story and pops up literally just walking into scenes to be a friend that Tom needs and I thought it was a small but very well performed role.

I don't mind admitting that I did get a bit teary eyed when the penguin died. It was so unexpected and the fact they held a funeral and all the students of Tom’s class as well as the headteacher and Tapio attend just as Sofia is returned to Maria. This was perhaps the closest that the film gets to sentimental schlok but I felt that the film had earned this and it wasn't over the top. It was a nice way to end the film after the penguin had died. There were two moments where Tapio and the headteacher are spilling their soles to the penguin  and it was another lovely moment which showed what impact the penguin had.

This story is based on the memoirs of Tom so its not clear how much of the memoirs have been removed from the overall story as its clear that the plot has been streamlined but it's close to 2 hours and I wasn't bored for a single moment and that is down to the story and also the performances from pretty much everyone. There isn't a weak performance at all. I really enjoyed this film because it managed to penetrate the cynical part of my brain and managed to charm me in a way that caught me off guard. I probably wouldn't have gone to see it based purely on the fact that the film’s premise but this was another example of the mystery screening gimmick working well because I am so glad that I saw this film. It made me feel good and it's been a while since I have felt really good leaving a cinema. 

WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME COOGAN???

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

Death of the Unicorn is one of films that I have been intrigued by purely because of the title. With it being an A24 film it was clear that the film was going to have more than a hint of strangeness. The plot of the film sees Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega play father and daughter who are on their way to weekend retreat when they hit what turns out to be a baby Unicorn and the magic properties that it has are utilised by the pharmaceutical family lead by Richard E. Grant but the problem is the parents of the unicorn want their baby back and they are not very happy. 

I really liked this film and the many reasons why. Firstly with a plot centred around Unicorns, the film should not work and yet it does. A key reason is the setting. I am a big sucker for isolated settings because it keeps the story contained and they can only work if the story is structured to cope with the restricted setting and it stretches the term isolated a bit because there are some scenes in the woods but it's still relatively close to the house. The film also benefits from the restricted cast and that may have been a budgetary decision but it helps because it means that the characters we see get enough screen time.

The film boasts an impressive cast list with Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant & Téa Leoni. Jenna Ortega is very good as Ridley. She takes what was probably on paper a very whiny role and manages to make it a likeable one. Paul Rudd is likeable as Elliot who is just trying to do the best for his daughter after his wife passed away. Rudd is always likeable but he does fall into a supporting role for most of the film. To be fair they do have a good dynamic together and in the final act they feel like a father and daughter team. 

Will Poulter steals the show as Shepard, as a rich trust fund kid who has a new idea every five minutes. He is constantly being the funny part of the film and proves the humour when the more serious scenes happen. Richard E Grant is very good as the dad. Saying that Richard E. Grant is very good is a bit like saying there are seven days in the week. I think this performance is as good as the one in Saltburn. He starts the film at death's door to begin with but in safari gear and hunting unicorns by the end. That visual alone is worth the ticket price.

Téa Leoni is the weak link of the central cast. It’s not that she is bad but it does feel like the plot wouldn't miss anything if Belinda wasn't there. Belinda is a sort of cliched rich businesswoman who is just following the almighty dollar. 

Another reason why the film works when it shouldn't is the way the plot is structured. The family is not very nice and perhaps a bit cliched but I liked them enough to enjoy the film although happy when they got killed off. All their deaths were gruesome and perhaps what they deserved. The gore is another big thing I like because the deaths seem slightly over the top but the blood didn't seem computer generated or if it were then it was very well done. I would say that Belinda’s death was perhaps the most gruesome although Shepard’s was simple but still seemed tough

The film ends with what could be seen as a sequel bait ending with the trio of unicorns attacking the police car with Ridley and Elliot with the implication that they are there to rescue the father and daughter. I think that unless this leads to a sequel then the ending was a bit of a disappointment as it would have just been better for the film to end when the unicorns run off into the woods. Time will tell I suppose.

I really enjoyed this film as the film defies the odds and makes a film with unicorns at its heart a lovely and quite horrific film. A24 has a great track record and films like this show why. The cast worked really well together and the tone was pitched just perfectly. It just goes to show that you can make a successful movie about just about anything.

Novocaine (2025)

Novocaine is what would be called a ‘high concept idea. The film sees Jack Quaid play Nathan Caine who is the Assistant Manager at a bank when he falls for Sherry the cashier at the bank and after they go on a date, the bank is targeted by robbers and takes Sherry. The thing about Nathan is that he was born with a condition where he cant feel pain. He has to watch what he eats and goes to the toilet. When Sherry is taken by the hostages, Nathan is racing to save her but also try and avoid the police who naturally think that Nathan is working with the robbers. 

Jack Quaid is quite good as Nathan. As Nathan, he is a terrible fighter but realistically he isnt going to be very good because he works in a bank. He isn't suddenly going to be John Wick so he wins sort of by luck more than anything else and that might be a problem for some but I think that it works for the film. Amber Midthunder is also very good as Sherry. The last time I recall seeing her in was Prey the Predator sequel and she was very good in that and whilst she doesn't really have much to do she makes all her scenes seem important and you notice when she’s not around. Also making Sherry seem like someone worth saving is tougher than you would think yet because of Midthunder, you want Caine to save her. Ray Nicholson is ok as the leader of the bank robbers but only really gets to be any good in his fights with Caine. Jacob Batalon plays the sort of role that is use to playing in the Spider-Man films although he is good at doing it so why not play the comic relief that the protagonist can rely on.

There are issues with the film but they are mainly plot related. Firstly we are told quite early on that Sherry is related to one of the robbers long before Nathan finds out so the twist of him finding out is wasted because it sort of makes Nathan look like a fool even if he doesn't know it yet. The other issue is at the end when Nathan gets 6 months under house arrest and Sherry gets 2 years (??) in prison. I think that what Nathan does is way worse than what Sherry does and yet Sherry gets the tougher sentence. 

Those two issues aside, the film is a lot of fun. Quaid has a lot of charisma that gets you through the early part of the film when nothing really happens and the fight scenes are enjoyable and mixing that in with the gore helps create a fun film that sort of knows what it is but has fun doing it. There are a couple of wincing moments which did make me want to look away. The first was when Nathan has not one but two finger nails pulled out. The next is when Nathan hammers his thumb back out of place so he can get the handcuffs off him and then snap it back. That looked horrible. Then there is a bit at the end when Nathan has his ulna bone (fancy name for his arm bone) broken and his hand is sort of flapping away at the side but it does lead to the death of Nicholson’s character and it's the last of many great deaths.

Novocaine is definitely worth your time. The only thing that ruined my movie experience was two people talking constantly throughout the film. Normally people talk during the trailers and shut up once the film gets started but these two a**holes carried on talking. I would like to watch this again but without talking. I thought this film did what I was expecting and wanted it to do.

The Alto Knights (2025)

The Alto Knights is the answer to what a Martin Scorsese film would look like if it had no involvement from Scorsese. The Alto Knights sees De Niro play crime bosses Frank Costello & Vito Genovese. At the beginning of the film someone tries to kill Frank and he decides to give up the power to Vito and the rest of the film is about that and how Vito doesn't trust Frank.

One of the few plus points of the film is Robert De Niro. Quite why he is playing both roles is a mystery. It’s either money or vanity. It made sense for Tom Hardy to play the Kray twins in Legend but seeing as Vito and Frank aren't related it can only be that they offered him more money cause it worked out slightly cheaper than hiring another actor. To be fair, De Niro does a good job in playing both roles differently enough that it makes it worth the hassle it must have been to do all of this. 

The big scene comes obviously at the end when there is a big meeting and Frank has it arranged under the premise that he will hand over power to Vito in front of all the bosses and it's just a hoax so that the bosses can get arrested by the police. This felt like Scorsese would have done it and that is about as good as it gets really. 

The main problem with the film is that it lacks the flair and style that Scorsese films have which isn't always a bad thing but when that is the style you are going for it does make it an issue with the film. There are moments which are quite fun to watch but there is always something that takes me out of it and wishing I was watching Goodfellas or Casino or something like that. This is the first film for quite a while that made me wish it was longer. It could easily have been another 25-30 minutes and it would have made all the difference cause it felt like things were cut to get it under the two hours run time (even though with credits it's just over 2 hours).

I wasn't expecting a lot from this film and seeing as it didn't deliver I can't say that I was made about what I saw. It's something that might be worth seeing when it appears on streaming but it's not something that is worth making the trip to the cinema on a Monday night (or any night for that matter).

Mickey 17 (2025)

Mickey 17 is the first film from Bong Joon Ho since the amazing Parasite and is based on the novel Mickey 7. The story sees Mickey Barnes who joins a program that will clone him to do the grunt work and when he dies there will be another one but when he survives and the company think that he has died they create a new one and there is a rule about duplicates and the film then becomes a battle between the two Mickeys and the company.

I went into this film not thinking that this film would be as good as Parasite. Parasite is a perfect film and this at best was going to be a close second. There are things to like about this film including Robert Pattinson. Pattinson is very likeable in this film and it's hard to believe how far he has come since the Twilight days. Here he has to play two different versions of himself and make them work. The horrible version of him is likeable enough so that when he ends up dying it does feel like a sad moment. His nicer version is the one that we want to see make it to the end and get the life he deserves. There is a nice aspect of the plot that his life is a result of a bad decision when he pressed a red button that led to his mother’s death. Naomi Ackie is also very good in this as the only person that seems to care about Mickey. Last time I saw Ackie was in Blink Twice which she was good in and here she continues to show what a good actress she is. 

The film isn't perfect as they do waste Steve Yeun who pops up every so often and does contribute to the story but I would have liked to see more of him. The biggest problem with the film is Mark Ruffalo. I can remember how impressed I was with his performance in Poor Things and yet it seems like he has gone backwards with this. It’s undeniable that he is doing what I think he thinks is a Trump performance and it's just boring now when people do a parody of Trump, even if he hadn't won the election in 2024, it would have been an eye rolling performance. There was potential to make him a decent villain but either the director or Ruffalo himself thought this was ok. Even Toni Collette is a bit of a let down as she is just there to be the one that is pushing Marshall to do certain things but she is never presented as being the main villain but she gets overshadowed by Ruffalo’s performance.

Despite these few issues, the film is as good as I hoped it would be. There are things that are very Bong Joon ho and these add to the quality of the film. The effects of the creepers is very good and the fact that they are portrayed as not being terrorising monsters works very well. The film has hints of Starship Troopers and Moon which are good films to include in this film and overall the film works because of the central performances from Pattinson and Ackie. I think the way that the film is pitched might put some people off but I think that it deserves people’s time as it's a fun two hour film and shows that Bong Joon ho is a very good director.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

When it was announced that Marvel were effectively hitting the reset button with the Fantastic Four it meant that two films were already pointless. The other film is Thunderbolts but Captain America 4 is the big casualty. Coming six years after Steve Rogers handed over the shield and four years after Winter Soldier and the Falcon TV show which I admit that I haven't seen, this film shows Sam Wilson walk from one scene to another saying things while grumpy pensioner Harrison Ford who is now President (playing the role previously held by William Hurt) from going Red.

GOOD POINT 01 - ESPOSITO & FORD SAVE THE FILM

There are very few standout performances in this film but the only ones that stayed in the memory are Giancarlo Esposito and Harrison Ford. Esposito is wasted in this film but he still gives it his all and if I were involved in production I would have told Esposito to do the role he did in Breaking Bad because that would have made him much more valuable to the plot. Ford might be getting grumpier by the day (something thats probably been happening since 1982) but it was good seeing Ford get that sweet sweet Marvel paycheck.

GOOD POINT 02 - NICE CONNECTION TO ETERNALS

Nice is probably stretching it but I thought it was unexpected that they referenced Eternals which came out 4 years ago and to the best of my knowledge has not been referenced since. So it is a bit random that they did this now but at least it was on screen for more than a split second and was the backdrop behind one of the best scenes in the entire movie.

GOOD POINT 03 - NEVER BORED

Whilst it's not the greatest film ever made, I was never bored at any point during the film. It was just under two hours long and the film never felt like there was any padding. Admittedly it wasn't very good but it still managed to maintain my attention for the entirety of the movie.

BAD POINT 01 - ACTION SCENES HAVE NO ENERGY - I DIDNT CARE

It didnt take very long for me to come to the conclusion that the action sequences were going to be disappointing. The very first one in fact helped me draw to this conclusion. The ultimate problem is that while things are happening, nothing is really happening and there doesn't seem to be any energy to what we are seeing. Action sequences should be entertaining and at best the strongest one in this film were passable. 

BAD POINT 02 - SAM WILSON IS CAPTAIN BLAND

It’s alluded to in the trailer but missing from the end film but there is a line about Sam Wilson not being Steve Rogers and this normally wouldn't be a thing but Wilson is very dull and whilst Rogers was never the most charismatic person in the world, he did have a charm and this is missing from Wilson. Whether this is Anthony Mackie’s fault or the writing, I never felt like he could be a leader and would have made a substandard deputy. Wilson seems so wrapped up in clearing some old person’s name that he never shows us why he would make a good avenger.

BAD POINT 03 - VILLAINS MOTIVATION IS RUBBISH

So Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder would have made a good villain but he’s the secondary villain for some. The film decided that Samuel Sterns is the villain to show people the reason President because he’s a bit grumpy. Not only is Sterns a terrible villain but his motivation is mediocre at best. I just didn't care. I think I miss the days when the villain would want global domination instead of getting a tiny bit of revenge. Marvel has always had this problem and it shows no sign of being sorted out.

OVERALL

My expectations were low for this film and they were met. The film isn't terrible but it felt like a film that cost a lot of money but never felt like it had been spent on any important areas. The performances are ok at best and pointless at once and the directing is fine but never felt like it has any vision behind it or anything that would ever make me want to watch this again and I think even the Marvel shills will not be rushing to recommend this anytime soon. Hopefully this is the last time that Sam Wilson leads a film because I dont think Disney/Marvel can afford many more films like this especially the way their films have been received at the box office since Endgame.