by Shane Conto, Staff Writer

How far would you go to escape someone, and the life promised with said person? Or how far would you go to chase someone, and the life promised with them? Somehow, Grand Tour can balance the two sides of that tale…but not in the way you might expect. Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes crafts a fluid, atmospheric romp that explores many places in Asia through the eyes of these two potential spouses. This is not a film that works in a frequency with a traditional narrative but more in the wandering exploration of its characters in two pieces. The escape. The chase. Two stories for one yet so much more…but also less. 

What is the prevailing strength of Gomes’ film? The feeling. The atmosphere. The ideas. This is not a narrative focused film. Outside of a civil servant on the run and his potential wife on the chase, there are not a lot of concrete narrative threads to explore. But what keeps the audience engaged for the 128-minute film is the overall experience. The visuals are gorgeous for sure. The crisp black-and-white cinematography that intermittently weaves throughout this film is gorgeous. Even when the color visuals come in, that is striking as well. The combination of Guo Liang, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, and Rui Pocas behind the camera makes this such a visual experience that is unmatched by most films that have come out so far this year. There is a dream-like experience but the added layers of cultural interludes as an interesting layer to this experience as well. You get added layers about each destination and the people there. If you are open to divergences, there are meaningful experiences that really come to life. 

Does the screenplay of this film have an impact? Now to get this out of the way…the narrative is as loose as you can get. The resolution of the little story here is not exactly what you would expect. This is not a traditionally satisfying story but instead uses this loose story to explore the world and people around us. The film is split in two (generally) as the first half focuses on Edward, our escapist, and the second half on Molly, his abandoned betrothed. But each place they go, there are impactful thematic explorations. The way the film explores different cultures is unique and unexpected. Whether you are watching karaoke with someone pouring all their soul into “My Way” by Frank Sinatra or watching intricate puppet shows, you are feeling the people and their culture in organic and poignant ways. This is a strangely realized concept that honestly feels more like a documentary at times than a runaway story. The exploration of happiness, anxiety, ennui, and melancholy is quite poignant at times as well. 

Does character work or acting cops make a significant impact on the overall experience that is Grand Tour? Goncalo Waddington is a stranger in many strange lands in this film and this is apparent in this film. The conscious choice to have Waddington speak Portuguese throughout (despite being an American in the film) is a clever way to display the disconnect. Waddington’s Edward does not flee to explore other countries and cultures. He is running to hide, and that lack of connection is apparent in his character and the language barrier is a good choice to express that. You feel the prevailing sense of melancholy that comes over Edward thanks to the strong performance by Waddington. There is not a lot there in terms of characterization but there is at least enough to work with. Then you have the driven Molly who is brought to life with vigor by Crista Alfaiate. We can get behind the propulsive determination that Molly shows even if we are not quite sure why she would want to be with Edward in the first place. Waddington and Alfaiate do their jobs well as the reflective beings they are for the globetrotting to shine off. 

Is Grand Tour a big winner for an arthouse producer like Mubi? This is a hard sell for sure. If you are in the space to turn your dial to the right frequency to pick up on what Gomes is laying down, you just might have a special experience at your feet. If you need story, structure, and rich characters to connect and enrich your cinematic experience, that is not the recipe for Gomes latest concoction. But don’t get this wrong, there is a rich cinematic experience to be had…it just requires more buy-in and energy from you as well. 

Rating: Liked It

Grand Tour is currently streaming on Mubi

You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd

by Jacob Kinman, Contributing Writer

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with puppets. 

On the one hand (pun intended), puppets are a huge part of my childhood nostalgia, stemming from seminal programs like Sesame Street, The Puzzle Place, Between the Lions, and The Muppet Show. When crafted with artistry and intention, like Jim Henson and his disciples have done for decades, they can be friendly and comforting figures that teach us valuable lessons and make us laugh. 

Adjust a few facial features and lighting sources, and you’ve got straight up nightmare fuel. 

I think the first puppet that really scared me was on the cover of the Goosebumps book “Night of the Living Dummy”, which is obviously illustrated to be terrifying, but this one really stuck with me; I was officially terrified of ventriloquist dummies and creepy puppets forever. It perplexed me, really. How could something so innocent be made into something so evil? Would I be scared of Kermit or Elmo if they were made to look this way? Surely there will never be a creepier puppet! Or so I thought, until I saw The Rule of Jenny Pen. 

Based on a short story of the same name, The Rule of Jenny Pen is directed and co-written by James Ashcroft and stars acting legends Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. They are surrounded by a cast of New Zealand natives, being that the film was shot there entirely. Rush plays Stefan Mortenson, a judge who is placed in a nursing home after suffering a stroke during court. He shares a room with Tony Garfield (George Henare), a former famous rugby player riddled with injuries from his career. Among the residents there is a man named Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who always has a puppet of a baby doll with no eyes named Jenny Pen and is seen initially by Stefan as one of the more feeble minded residents in the home. 

Stefan soon discovers that Dave is much more evil than he leads on and witnesses him torment the other residents with his puppet. Dave even has a nightly ritual of abusing Tony by coming to his bedside, assaulting him, and forcing him to lick his puppet friend’s butthole, also known as the back of his hand. Yes, you read that correctly. 

Stefan eventually receives Dave’s wrath firsthand when he is assaulted with a bottle of his own urine in the night while he lies in bed. Stefan is pushed to the point of fighting back by disabling all of Dave’s inhalers, but this is unsuccessful and Dave continues his reign of terror. This inspires Tony to stand up to Dave after years of torment and the two come together to put an end to the titular rule of Jenny Pen. 

I do want to emphasize how great the two lead performances are. Rush portrays Stefan as a man who is determined to maintain his dignity and self-respect in spite of all his challenges, and plays it with a sense of gravitas. Lithgow is simply swinging for the fences in this role, and an actor with his range can actually pull off something so absurd very well, with its own sense of depth. The supporting actors are doing good work as well, especially Henare who conveys someone who used to be so strong, and has been weakened by time and trauma. Also, there’s lots of great Kiwi accents from the nurses and some of the residents, which is always delightful.  

As a whole, Jenny Pen does not rule, and ends up being a bit disjointed and dissatisfying. The film sets something up around the second act where Stefan looks at old pictures on the wall and realizes that Dave used to work at this same nursing home, going all the way back to the sixties. What we’re not told is how he ended up becoming a resident or if anyone at the nursing home even knows about his past. Give me half an hour more that tells us exactly what Dave’s backstory is and why in Big Bird’s name he ended up this way! You’re just left feeling dirty and unsettled with the whole thing, which brings me back to puppets. Jenny Pen is one ugly baby. The way Lithgow uses the puppet, not to mention the design of it, was quite disturbing. At one point, Dave goes all-out bonkers and repeatedly hits one of the residents with the doll while gibbering like a madman and in that moment, I was both highly uncomfortable and very taken with Lithgow’s performance, which basically sums up my feelings for this movie all in one scene.

Of course, I realize that the design of the puppet and the way that it’s used is intentional. This is a psychological horror film, after all, and Jenny Pen is used to psychologically horrific effect. There are some who might watch something like this and be delighted in its weirdness and cringe factor, so it’s not to say the film doesn’t have an audience. It also doesn’t look bad and uses a lot of camera techniques to portray the creepiness of Dave and his little friend pretty well. I can see how it would work objectively, but ultimately this movie just wasn’t for me. I didn’t hate it, and the two acting titans carrying the film kept me interested, but it didn’t really pull my strings. 

Can you tell me how to get back to Sesame Street? 

Rating: It Was Just Okay

The Rule of Jenny Pen is available to stream now on Shudder.

You can read more from Jacob Kinman, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd

by Shane Conto, Staff Writer

Are you ready for yet another tall tale of a great rebel who stands up against a powerful nation to protect their people from oppression? Yeah…this one has been told quite a few times at this point. There is difficulty looking at historic epics like this without thinking about other films like Braveheart or Rob Roy. But there are plenty of folk heroes in many cultures who deserve a spotlight due to the impact they made for their people. However, if the story is not fresh and doesn’t feel unique, it will live in the shadow of better films. That risk that did not stop director Nick Hamm from talking about the tale of its titular character, William Tell. 

Does Hamm do right by the legacy of Tell with his new historical epic? One thing is for certain: this is a well-made film. The cinematography does a great job of capturing the beauty of Switzerland. The costuming feels a little too modern for the period settings, but they are at least well put together. There are plenty of big set pieces and well-developed production design that brings this era to life in an effective way. The film is not particularly dynamic, but it does shoot its action well to deliver the number of thrills needed to engage its audience. The film is long as it reaches the two-hour mark and Hamm does his best to keep the energy high, but does not always succeed. There are plenty of elements, like the score, that works well for the film, but it struggles to stand out amongst better, more dynamic films. 

Does this adaptation of Friedrich Schiller’s play “Wilhelm Tell” engage and compel its audience? There is a feeling that this film does not offer up much that feels unique. We have heard so many tales in cinema like this (even if some of those stories were influenced by the legend of Tell himself). There are not many elements of the narrative that feel unique to William Tell and when the film slows down, you can feel the momentum dragging as well. This is one Robin Hood tale that should make a bigger impact, but the way it is presented just doesn’t leave a lasting impression. But it is not just the familiarity of the story that makes this film less impactful. There are plenty of elements that are stuffed into this basic tale. This film might be over two hours, but it still manages to feel completely overstuffed. There are so many arcs and characters fighting for focus that it is hard to get fully invested in many of them. There are whole characters who could have been fully removed, and the overall narrative would still be intact. But the overall thematic threads of the film that focus on tyranny and fighting back against power grabs are impactful and poignant today. There are elements that will speak to people even if the mechanism in which these ideas are presented is quite familiar. 

Does the cast help elevate this overall ordinary biopic? At the heart of the film, you have Claes Bang who leads the way as our “Robin Hood” type folk hero. He is there to take away wealth from the rich, but Bang finds a great balance between tough guy persona and the loving figure to his wife and son. Bang has a few moments to chew scenery and channel plenty of rage that you feel bubbling underneath the surface. His inspirational pep talk is a great scene for him to stand out. Then you have Bang’s loving on-screen wife in Golshifteh Farahani. She is a talented and impactful actor who brings presence to her scenes and delivers some real emotions along the way. Her character lacks depth but Farahani’s spirit brings plenty of emotion and energy to the screen. The likes of Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley unexpectedly pop up in this film and they dump plenty of (clunky) exhibition, but they at least bring some presence to the film. There are plenty of moving parts and characters in this film with many talented people getting lost in the shuffle. You will certainly see some familiar faces, but they don’t necessarily get much to do. 

Does William Tell have enough in the tank to give this a proper historical epic legacy? Tell finds Hamm leading the way with a well-made and interesting enough story that hits in certain ways in today’s geopolitical landscape. This is a film that is a bit too overlong and stuffed to the gills. Bang leads the way with a strong central performance that is full of emotion and intensity. Tell’s story is familiar at this point, but you might want to take advantage of this before it leaves theaters as it provides an engaging theatrical experience. The film does have an obnoxious tease for a superhero style sequel which feels so weird. William Tell is a strange case of being too familiar and strange at the same time. 

 Rating: It Was Just Okay

William Tell is currently playing in theaters

You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd

by Jeff Alan, Contributing Writer

The White Lotus returns with another season of intense character work, dark comedy, rich cinematography of a tropical destination, and – you guessed it – a death teased playfully and expertly. The cast is stacked with a collection of big-name actors like Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Michelle Monaghan, Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Leslie Bibb, Aimee Lou Wood, Natasha Rothwell, Sarah Cathrine Hook, Sam Nivola, Tayme Thapthimthong, and Lalisa Manobal, all of which intertwine and break apart perfectly throughout the season.

The season follows five main stories throughout a week at the famous White Lotus resort in Thailand. The first group is the North Carolinian Ratliff family: Timothy (Isaacs), his wife Victoria (Posey), and their children Saxon (Schwarzenegger), Piper (Hook), and Lochlan (Nivola). Piper is brought to Thailand to interview a Buddhist monk for a college thesis while the rest of the family is there to relax and indulge as part of their wealthy lifestyle, but Timothy is sent spiraling when he gets word that he is implicated in a business crime that could bring down him and his families entire fortune.

The next group to enter the resort is famous TV actress Jaclyn Lemon (Monaghan) and her two childhood best friends Kate (Bibb) and Laurie (Coon). Jaclyn and Kate who have rich lifestyles – one being an actress and one who’s Texas husband is a wealthy businessman – unintentionally start to alienate Laurie, who’s in the midst of a divorce, struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, and is passed over for a promotion at her law firm.

Also arriving with them is couple Rick (Goggins) and Chelsea (Wood), who have the most differing personalities as well as a significant age gap between them. As Chelsea tries to engage in the resort’s wellness programs, Rick seems disinterested in almost everything – including Chelsea – and seems transfixed on finding the resort owners husband, who he learns isn’t even at the resort but is recovering from an illness in Bangkok, which only annoys Rick even more. Arriving with the rest of the guests is Belinda Lindsey (Rothwell, returning from the first season) who is attending a work exchange program from the Maui location to learn more about this location’s wellness programs.

The last storyline that is followed in this season is with Gaitok (Thapthimthong): a well-meaning and polite security guard who is infatuated with fellow resort employee Mook (Manobal). However, Mook only seems to show interest in Gaitok if he expresses interest in furthering his career to something more “glamorous” like the bodyguards of the resort owner, despite Gaitok’s Buddhist outlook of non-violence.

This season has a lot of moving parts in it but doesn’t exactly feel hard to follow, with the different groups intertwining in ways that make the storylines easier to pay attention to. The biggest groups that merge are Chelsea and the two Ratliff sons Saxon and Lochlin who also meet a young Quebec woman that befriends Chelsea easy in the season and is revealed to be dating a familiar face from the previous seasons. Ultimately, those four people go on to have one of the most talked about moments on the internet of the entire season.

The biggest theme that I found that comes up throughout the season is the idea of class and wealth. We see many of the guests and even resort workers struggle with. The Ratliff family embraces their wealthy lifestyle, particularly the matriarch of the family Victoria who is often stating her need for her lavish lifestyle and even going as far as saying at one point that she can’t live without it. At the same time the daughter Piper is looking to embrace a completely different lifestyle altogether, bringing her family to Thailand for an ulterior motive than just writing a thesis. Laurie struggles with her friends in that way as well, with Kate and Jaclyn making comments to each other about the kinds of lives they have and plastic surgery they get done, calling each other beautiful only to leave Laurie standing awkwardly nearby not receiving the same comments, and even going as far as to talk about each other behind the others back about their lives. It’s very catty and “high school” of each of them to do. Even Gaitok struggles with this over the season, as he pines for Mook, but she only seems to like him if he’s on the cusp of getting a higher position or shows that he can be “brave” in his line of work. It reminds me of another high school-esque thing where a girl would only like you if you were impressive enough.

There is not much about this season that I saw as a negative or that hurt the show in any way. The writing is well executed, the camera work is by far my favorite thing to look at, and the shows use of foreshadowing throughout the season has really fun payoffs by the finale. However, if I were to give one negative to the series, it would be one aspect of the finale. Without spoiling anything, it has to do with a reveal that a character finds out right at the end that I think hurt that storyline for me. It seemed a bit unnecessary given an event that happened right before it and just felt tacked on to hold more emotional weight that I don’t think the scene or even the storyline needed. And by the time the sequence of events that follows unfolds, it’s not addressed and doesn’t ultimately matter. 

The White Lotus continues to impress me with its themes, camera work, engaging characters, and I look forward to seeing more that comes out of Mike White’s award-winning series and I will be wondering until then what location will be the site of the next big death in this world.

Rating: Low Side of Loved It

The White Lotus is currently streaming on Max.

You can read more from Jeff Alan, and follow him on Instagram, and Letterboxd

by Shane Conto, Staff Writer

How does someone process one of their loved ones committing an evil and horrifying act against other people? School shootings are all too frequent in the United States and there are so many different angles to these horrific stories. You obviously have the shooter who has committed these terrible acts. There are the victims who will never get to grow and live out their life because they have been unceremoniously torn from this mortal coil. You have survivors who have trauma that will live with them for the rest of their lives. There are the loved ones of those who were killed as well. Then you have the other element…that loved ones of the shooter. 

How does acclaimed actor Michael Shannon tackle such a challenging topic with his new directorial effort? With an acclaimed film like Mass still living in the minds of cinephiles, Eric LaRue navigates this story in a different way through the screenplay by Brett Neveu (based on his own play). Where Mass is a claustrophobic drama where four parents are stuck in a singular conversation and must process this shared trauma, Eric LaRue explores the lives of the shooter’s parents. Taking this story out into the community is an interesting choice and allows there to be different aspects of life. You have Janice LaRue struggling with getting back to work and the type of “distraction” she brings to her workplace (there is a prank done to her that is heartbreaking early in the film). You see her navigate a religious man trying to bring her and the victims’ mothers into the same space. How this plays out is unexpected and challenging. The elements of Eric’ father, Ron, are less interesting as he explores a new church and a new woman sliding into his life, but the way this screenplay explores religion in the aftermath of such an event and its’ impact on the community feels fresh and compelling. This all leads to an unexpected climax that is perfectly executed and is just filled with emotion. 

Does Shannon bring something special from behind the camera? You can tell that there is not a strong and distinct creative voice behind this film. But Shannon navigates this story with tact and care. The film sits in its moments (not a surprise since this was a play) and allows the actors to deliver. This feels like an actor’s film and Shannon does a great job of crafting a film that gives its actors the space to sell every word and bit of emotion on screen. This is a film that is not flashy but there are small creative visual choices that deliver quite a bit of impact. The perfect example is the final shot of the film that leaves the audience sitting in a moment of great emotion. Shannon shows off a steady hand with Eric LaRue and that is exactly what is necessary when tackling such a challenging subject matter. 

Does the cast deliver with a film that is certainly actor focused? The greatest achievement of this film is finally giving Judy Greer a leading role to really shine. The sadness, shock, anger, and every other complicated emotion swirling around is just there. Greer has a vulnerability here that is challenged with each new roadblock in her way. A lot of this film is placed on her shoulders, and she rises to the occasion every moment. Alexander Skarsgard has a completely different job as a father who is moving on a lot quicker than his wife. He brings a brighter and more bubbly nature that clashes so well with Greer’s deeply shaken performance. Paul Sparks and Tracey Letts both play religious leaders and deliver completely different perspectives as well. Sparks has an awkwardness and desperation as he tries to cling to his flock (which he loses to Letts’ church). Sparks oddly feels a tad like Tim Robinson… which is such a strange energy for the film (but it works). Letts is not in it much but plays the televangelist type so well. Finally, Alison Pill brings her unique energy as a performer to her role as a woman who is making things interesting in the life of Skarsgard’s Ron.

Is Eric LaRue a strong effort from Shannon? This film is certainly full of emotion and navigates its themes with a steady and empathetic hand. The cast really shines with Greer leading the way in a career best performance. Shannon shines more in subtle yet effective ways. Some narrative elements are not as interesting and the film occasionally feels limited by its’ play roots but overall, this is a moving and impactful experience. 

Rating: Liked It

Eric LaRue is currently playing in theaters

You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd

by Shane Conto, Staff Writer

What would you do if you won the lottery? Even better question…what would you do if you won the lottery TWICE? That compelling question is one of the key elements of the story to the new comedy, The Ballad of Wallis Island. This little, quirky film is written by Tom Basden and Tim Key. Not only that, both of these gentlemen star in the film with Key portraying our quirky, reclusive individual named Charles who decides he is going to pay an aging music star quite the sum of money to perform a private concert for him. But there is an added layer to this already strange and unique premise…Charles invites Herb McGwyer’s former music partner Nell Mortimer (and her husband) to join in said concert. That sounds like quite the bit of drama (and laughs) to ensue.

What is Basden and Key able to accomplish on the page? Quite a bit with some familiar ingredients and beats. You have a few narrative threads that are going to play out exactly how you expect them too. There will obviously be some strange banter between this recluse and this musician that will soon give way to some genuine connections. There will be a spark explored between these former musical partners. Her husband will most certainly be the “stick in the mud” to this situation. The destinations might be expected but it is the journey that Basden & Key craft makes this such an impactful experience. There are so many hilarious moments sprinkled throughout this film. The dialogue (especially Key’s) is so sharp, clever, and charming. The music is quite good as well and makes for some moving and impactful moments, which is an essential piece when you are offering up a story centered around musicians. The character growth is probably the most impressive element of the film. Charles and Herb grow so much because of this unexpected experience together.

Does Griffiths bring a steady and effective hand from behind the camera? This film is just so rustically beautiful. The design of Charles’ home is just so effective as the audience is made to feel just as at home as Herb. There is a raw and authentic feeling to the film as well. This island is not bright and shiny, but its beauty is still captured in the gorgeous and engrossing cinematography done by G. Magni Agutsson. There are some sharp directorial moments as well. There are few intense moments in the film but one moment out in the water has some unnerving editing and direction that makes you feel like you’re drowning as well (it is such an uncomfortable moment). The biggest achievement that Griffiths has as a director with this project is the perfect balance of humor, authentic emotion, and the power of music. This film is one of the funniest movies to come out in theaters in a while. There are some really moving moments throughout the film as Charles and Herb go through such personal journeys. When the film offers musical moments, it is fully engrossing and the music channels through you so well.

What really ties this whole experience together? The cast. Basden and Key accomplish a lot with their screenplay, but it is their performances that make this film feel so impactful. Key is a revelation. His performance brings Charles from the page into a character who is immediately beloved. There is something special about this performance as it is so layered and filled with inspired acting choices. Key can capture the complete lack of social skills in Charles through his body language, facial expressions, and reactions. His comedic timing is unmatched with so many great retorts, biting barbs (that are not meant to be mean, but he just has a way with words), and his commitment to the silly play-on-words is just so endearing. But it is the emotion underneath that surface that Key regulates so perfectly that makes him so effective. Basden doesn’t quite have the personality of Key here, but he is able to sell this transformation from tired and lost soul to someone full of new life and hope. Mulligan is just fantastic as ever in the more limited role that she has in the film. Special shoutout to Fleabag alumna Sian Clifford who crafts such a charming and sweet potential suitor for Charles.

Is The Ballad of Wallis Island the charming little flick-that-could at this early juncture in 2025? Griffith, Basden, and Key have created such a charming and moving little film that everyone should see. Key is a true wonder on screen and his character of Charles will be an instantly beloved figure in 2025 cinema. This little ensemble and this gorgeous remote island bring so much to the table which turns out to be quite the magical cinematic experience.

Rating: Loved It

The Ballad of Wallis Island is currently playing in theaters

You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd

by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer

Welcome to Cross-Platform Partners! In honor of a new movie release, I have selected a TV show to watch to pair with the movie. Think of it as a way to get hyped for the new movie, a preview of things to come, a means to tide you over if the movie won’t be released where you live for a little while, or a change of pace if you’ve run out of related movies or sequels.

For March, I picked Once Upon a Time for March to pair with Snow White!

Snow White is a fairy tale that has gone through many iterations. From the first Disney animated movie to most recently being portrayed in live-action by Kristen Stewart and Lily Collins, the character has had a history of over 100 years in cinema. She has come under scrutiny for perpetuating gender roles and mistrusting the wrong old lady, but her relationship with the seven dwarves has endured the test of time. Although Rachel Zegler’s turn as Snow White has had its own controversies, her film is bound to get some attention from younger audiences (like my daughters). To me, though, the definitive version of Snow White is played by Ginnifer Goodwin in Once Upon a Time.

Once Upon a Time is about the town of Storybrooke, Maine, where magic is held hostage by an Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), and fairy tale characters are forced to live a life devoid of fantasy. It isn’t until Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) shows up that the magic is unleashed. Her and her son Henry’s (Jared S. Gilmore) lives are never the same, as they are whisked into a world unlike anything they could have imagined, filled with lands and characters known only on pages of books and imaginations.

This show does a fantastic job portraying many notable characters from fairy tale lore, and it deftly balances both the fairy tale and real-life stories. For instance, Snow White’s partner is Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), but his real-life (or cursed) form is that of a John Doe in a coma until he awakens. His backstory is similar to the original Snow White, but his arc expands beyond the main narrative into something else. The same happens for almost all of the other characters, from Belle (Emilie de Ravin) to Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge).

Family is a substantial part of Once Upon a Time, with several characters being connected by blood. Many characters are found to be family, even if that isn’t their actual backstory in the original stories. This accomplishes two things: It ups the stakes for, and semi-organically weaves the stories together. It can get muddled, since you’re sometimes tracking two to four characters for the same performer, but the benefit is that it allows each actor to expand their reach and play with so many different personalities and characters. Take Parrilla, for instance. She plays a few versions of the Evil Queen: a cursed one named Roni, when the show incorporates a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde-like potion, and Regina, the mayor of Storybrooke. 

I enjoyed how some characters have the script flipped on their classic arcs. For instance, Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) is a villain in the usual Peter Pan story. However, in Once Upon a Time, he’s a good guy trying to be the best person he can despite his charm and wicked ways. The same goes for many other characters in the show.

Not everyone is a fairy tale character, though, with certain pieces of classic literature being represented. Characters like the Wicked Witch of the West (Rebecca Mader), Dr. Frankenstein (David Anders), and Dr. Jekyll (Hank Harris) are included, allowing the show’s creators to expand the story while incorporating a general fantasy element. 

Not many of the characters last the entire run of the series. Some eventually move to recurring or guest roles. Unsurprisingly, the only character to last the whole series is Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle). Rumple is a trickster responsible for several evil storylines in Once Upon a Time. He’s among the most interesting and fun characters to hate (and secretly love). I mentioned before how some characters are looking for redemption, and Rumple struggles between wanting to stay the way he is, or to become a better person. Carlyle chews up the scenery every time he’s on screen, giving one of the most dynamic performances throughout the show. His shtick can sometimes become a bit grating, but Carlyle is easily the best performer of the series.

I love alternative history, so it’s no surprise I found Once Upon a Time enjoyable. It’s is attempting to do a lot, and largely succeeds: It’s forging a new path for many well-known fairy tale characters, while trying to maintain the history and tradition that these stories present. Themes involving family and redemption make the story worth watching, and the performers are excellent, considering many of them portray multiple iterations of their characters. This is a fantastic ride through and through, especially for those who love fairy tale characters who subvert expectations.

You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd

Video game movies and shows are famously looked down upon. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to be good! So with both A Minecraft Movie and the new season of The Last of Us coming out, we got together and discussed some video games that could be successfully adapted into movies or TV shows. Let us know what you think @SiftPop!

If you are a fan of Twin Peaks, Shutter Island, or the first season of True Detective, you should absolutely give Alan Wake a shot. (I can only speak for the first game, since I haven’t played the sequel yet.) Set in the small island of Bright Falls, Alan Wake is a crime writer seeking a getaway to cure his writer’s block with his wife Alice, who mysteriously and suddenly is abducted. Instantly transported a week later, Alan awakes from a car accident not remembering anything since his wife’s abduction. He finds pages of a new novel he wrote scattered, and they start to come to life attacking Alan. It is up to him to recover the pages, fight the enemies primarily using light, and unravel a labyrinth of a mystery to try to recover his wife. I struggled to include this one because so much of the magic of this game is in the gameplay, so it couldn’t be a one-to-one adaption, but there is enough intriguing about this game that it simply must be attempted to be brought to the big screen (or more ideally a high-budget series). (Aaron Schweitzer)

Let’s begin by addressing the elephant in the room: There already was an adaptation of the Assassin’s Creed franchise released in 2016, and it was awful. However, I don’t think that film is an indicator that an Assassin’s Creed adaptation could never work, but rather a guide of what not to do. Instead of focusing so heavily on the modern day story and the animus, a machine which allows people to experience the lives of their ancestors, instead center the historical escapades of the actual assassins. Better yet, completely disregard the animus and just adapt the story of Ezio Auditore, the franchise’s most interesting and charismatic protagonist. A young Florentine nobleman in Renaissance Italy, Ezio is set on a path of revenge after his family is murdered by members of the mysterious Templar Order, the mortal enemies of the assassins. Imagine an HBO miniseries following Ezio’s story from Assassin’s Creed II, traveling across Italy with help from the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli as he hunts down members of the templar order, culminating in his final duel against the corrupt Pope Alexander VI. Visualize the sweeping vistas of the Italian countryside and stunning recreations of Florence and Venice and see the incredible parkour and action scenes as Ezio tracks and eliminates his foes. Ezio’s story is perfectly suited to a cinematic expansion, and heck, if it’s successful, you’ve got two sequels ready to go in Rome and Constantinople with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Revelations. (Jake Hjort)

It’s 1960. You’re flying over the North Atlantic when suddenly the plane barrels downward and slams into the freezing water. By some miracle you survive, though everyone around you is dead. Stranded. And already fighting off hypothermia, you begin to accept the inevitability of death. But you turn, locking eyes on an uncharted island, with a lighthouse vigilantly standing guard atop the rocks. You swim over, climb out of the cold water, and walk into the lighthouse to find an elevator. Only it doesn’t go up. It goes down… to the surface of the ocean floor where a gleaming metropolis slumbers, completely unknown to, and isolated from, the world above. A video plays in the elevator, preaching utopian prosperity, and telling you about the brave people who left the surface in the late ‘40s to free themselves of restrictive governments, and the moral righteousness of the church, to pursue unbridled artistic, scientific, and economic growth. Your pulse races with excitement at the possibilities, but when the elevator doors slide open, you find nothing but death. Rotting corpses and psychotic murderers imbued with the power to light people on fire with the snap of their fingers. What once was promising is now horrifying. Your pulse races still, but now it’s due to unmitigated fear as you fight tooth and nail for your survival. And that’s just the opening 15 minutes of the film… There is no video game that needs to be adapted into a feature film more than 2007’s BioShock. It redefined how narrative games would be made from that point forward. If made right, BioShock could not only be the greatest gaming adaptation of all time, it could easily be an Oscar contender due to its rich characters, innovative story, deep themes, explosive violence, eerie horror, and jaw-dropping world building. (Heath Lynch)

Never heard of Darkest of Days? I’m not surprised at all! The 2009 release only dropped on Xbox 360 and PC, and from a smaller studio with a smaller budget, it was not marketed all that well. Another reason you may have not heard of the game is that it just isn’t very good. Crippled by lofty ambitions on a small budget, the frame rate is incredibly laggy, the voice work feels like it was from a past generation of consoles, and the story makes turns that are either annoying or forgettable. But here is why this game should be adapted: the concept. You play as Alexander Morris, a soldier who fought with General Custer at Custer’s Last Stand. Morris was killed, but logged as M.I.A., since his body was never recovered, and a group from the 22nd century rescued Morris and recruited him for their cause. Morris is then costumed to the time, and is sent back to make sure that V.I.P.s survive a battle they did not, whether for a purpose they have yet to fulfill or to secure their bloodline. As Morris, you fight in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and even Pompeii! I’m not saying this movie would be high-brow entertainment, but it would be right there with the best of Michael Bay’s work. (Aaron Schweitzer)

Arkane Studios’ action-stealth opus Dishonored has absolutely everything a blockbuster picture needs. It’s set in the grimy streets of Dunwall, a fictional city loosely inspired by industrial-era London. Protagonist Corvo Attano, right hand to the queen, is framed for the assassination of his liege and condemned to prison. Instead of praying that the dastardly conspiracy is unraveled by authorities, Corvo opts to break out and avenge the monarch. The player must tap into Corvo’s stealth expertise and mystical power set to clear his name, evade authorities, and uncover the fate of the queen’s young daughter. All while enduring the horrors of an overpopulated city failing to keep the grotesque plague at bay. The narrative is focused enough to pack into a feature film, with a bevy of twists and turns to keep the audience invested. The production could even tap into the series’ star-studded voice cast, including Lena Headey, Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, and Michael Madsen — just to name a few. A high-caliber special effects team would have a field day with Corvo’s stylized, distinct move set, guaranteeing visuals that will draw eyes in a crowded genre. Especially if they were able to snag a stunt savant to direct like Gareth Evans or the up-and-coming Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah duo, who could masterfully evoke the claustrophobic, pestilence-stricken streets of Dunwall. (Jack Grimme)

Ghostwire: Tokyo would be admittedly expensive to adapt, but it should absolutely have the effort put into it. After a strange disappearance of most of Tokyo’s population, the streets are roamed by enemies that clearly have a supernatural quality to them. After being equipped with your own supernatural abilities to counter them, your task is to discover what happened, while helping trapped souls find the resolution they need to move on to the next world. The game has an emotional and cathartic ending that I was not expecting, making me forgive all of its faults beforehand. The world is insanely beautiful and full of meaningful side quests, but its biggest fault is that the gameplay gets repetitive very early on. I wouldn’t blame you if you started it and stopped a few hours in, but I thought the thrills, horror, and ending are well worth fighting the repetitive gameplay. A film or series adaptation could cure this game of its biggest fault, making it an overall much better experience. (Aaron Schweitzer)

The Kingdom Hearts franchise has gone off the deep end in terms of convoluted confusing insanity. But that doesn’t mean that the first two games weren’t legitimately fun and full of fantasy elements worthy of adapting. I think a shrinking of the story would allow this series to get back to its roots and conclude a now-neverending series in a way that would be much more satisfying for fans. Plus, with Disney characters involved, you have a built-in audience that will result in big box office dollars. It’s a simple adventure of a Sora trying to find his friends, with the help of Donald and Goofy, by visiting different worlds and stoping the evil from spreading. You could make a trilogy out of just the first game, or you could streamline it to be one incredibly solid standalone movie. A movie adaptation would also allow the writers to ignore the power scaling and memory erasure that’s needed from game to game, and allow these characters to grow and be fleshed out to a greater degree. Kingdom Hearts at its core is about love, friendship, and selfless heroism in the face of literal and metaphorical darkness, and that is what make movies worth seeing! (Nick Ferro)

Have you ever wanted to see a Lion King 1 ½ version of The Lord of the Rings? Taking Tolkien’s classic and epic tale and following some characters on the periphery who battle, explore, and fight parallel with the Fellowship is such a cool idea. This made for one of the best Middle-earth games, and it would make for an even cooler film. Get Peter Jackson back. Make sure there are plenty of practical effects and locales. Recapture the glory of the original trilogy, but with a whole new team of excellent characters. The story of The Third Age has a roaming RPG feel, while delivering a narrative with some serious twists and turns. The characters experience plenty of emotional trauma, and that could make for such moving elements as well. You have the world of Middle-earth well-represented and each character stands out with personality, as well as look and fighting style. These would be interesting characters for some talented actors to sink their teeth into. A film (or series of films) would allow the audience to really connect with them, and see The Lord of the Rings from a whole new perspective. (Shane Conto)

Mass Effect arguably has one of the most expansive established universes when it comes to the science fiction genre. When we first get a chance to see the galaxy of Commander Shepard, we’re greeted with a vast codex to explain the history leading up to the events of the first game. This codex lays a foundation, but in this foundation, and the knowledge from it that humanity’s first steps into galactic society was started by a war, is where I sense opportunity. Telling the story of the First Contact War from the Mass Effect series is a movie that would give people who love the series a story based on something they have heard of, while also giving people who have never played the games an action-packed adventure to see a depiction of humanity’s first interaction with the galactic community. From an initial misconception on both sides to the brink of an interplanetary fight, there’s a fertile field for storytelling that can be cultivated and show the beginnings of one of the most popular science fiction games in recent history, without having to constantly worry over what choices from the game should be done for the big screen. (Joseph Davis)

The problem with many video game adaptations is that there simply is far too much story to successfully boil down into a single movie’s narrative, and adaptations that have been successful have been so on vibes, on setting, and on the distillation of the gameplay loop. In no video game does this seem as straightforward as Shadow of the Colossus. It follows Wander, a young man who takes the dead body of a girl named Mono to an old shrine in a forbidden land, where an entity known as Dormin, which has the ability to return the dead to life, is said to reside. It tasks Wander with slaying 16 giant creatures that roam the land in exchange for the girl’s life. Of course, a film adaptation could be able to get this done in two or three colossi, instead of the game’s 16, and focus instead on the dour tone of the story, but defeating the colossi in the game is no small task, and it becomes increasingly clear that it’s not something to be celebrated. Following Wander and his horse Agro as the only two living things in this vast waste while they journey between the shrine and each colossus is part of that increasingly questionable journey, and with very little dialogue to carry an adaptation, there’s plenty of room for big set pieces to take center stage. A director who knows how to focus on transferring the tone of the game could make something incredibly special with this story. (Chris Bakker)

At this point, there aren’t many games from my childhood that haven’t gotten some sort of adaptation. I’m honestly shocked Spyro the Dragon hasn’t. While there was a failed attempt at an adaptation withThe Legend of Spyro 3D, the fact that nothing has come to fruition as everybody’s scrambling for content with any hint of IP connection is shocking — particularly considering the success of its peers. Sure, it’s a platformer whose plot I couldn’t tell you much about, but a purple dragon going on an adventure to collect treasure and defeat the baddies is about as complicated as it needs to be. With the success of the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the time is right for this purple dragon to get an animated adventure of its own. (Jake Bourgeois)

The game Subnautica is designed so that you can bypass most of the things that relate to the story and instead become immersed in the game’s world and atmosphere. The main things players remember about the game are to do with the world, what you can do in it. So I think the best approach to adapting this game would be to write a new story and set it in the world of Subnautica, similar to Fallout. The writers have free reign to write whatever story they want, as long as the basic setup is about a lone driver stranded on a planet covered almost entirely by water, equipped with a device that enables them to build underwater bases and aquatic vehicles, though maybe not out of thin air like in the game. They may also want to include some of the creatures from the game, most notably the Leviathans, to make it clear this is the world of Subnautica and also for the novelty of seeing those creatures in live action form. The hardest part of adapting this would be finding an actor who can carry it alone since the main character would be alone for almost the whole runtime. This might be especially hard since the main character game was essentially you, which you cannot do in a movie. (John Tillyard)

Let’s face it, the Warcraft movie was disappointing outside the extreme WoW fan community. It tried to do too much, too fast, because there are two full story campaigns in that original game. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve redemption. Warcraft 3 and it’s expansion are equally packed with lore. However, there is an element that is fairly self contained: the rise and fall of Prince Arthas, a prince who sets out to save his kingdom from an undead horde, only to be corrupted by evil in the process. Just following his part of the campaign through the first movie would allow for a fun adventure with many relatable characters like Uther Lightbringer, Jaina Proudmoore, and Sylvanas Windrunner. The hero’s journey that results in Arthas breaking bad would sell to modern audiences in love with shows like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, and you could end the story with one movie without leaving the audience on a cliffhanger, but they would still be able to do at least two sequels as well. There aren’t enough A-list fantasy movies out there to compete with Lord of the Rings, but Warcraft is sitting there ripe for the taking! (Nick Ferro)

What better way to launch a family friendly adventure film series than by bringing a beloved computer game series to life from parents’ childhoods? I know I’d much rather sit through a movie with the pull of nostalgia to interest me than one that only appeals to my children with a few adult jokes slid in. Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is the perfect game to develop into a live action series. Set in the late 1950’s, this iteration of Carmen would be an eclectic blend of international spy and art heist orchestrator. Think a mix of Danny Ocean and Charlie’s Angels, with all the cool tech gadgets of James Bond and the style, grace, and quirk of Audrey Hepburn in Charade. And who better to wear the ruby trench coat of the dynamic damsel of criminality than the fabulously fashionable Rachel Brosnahan? The premise for the first film would revolve around Carmen traveling the world apprenticing with former field agents of V.I.L.E to earn her status to take on theft jobs on her own. The mentoring masterminds would all be played by actors who have played thieves and heist conspirators (to add a little extra spice for the parents in the audience), like George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pierce Brosnan, Cary Elwes. But every good criminal needs a foil to foul up their felonious aspirations. Carmen’s adventures will allow her to travel the globe, causing chaos for law enforcement across not only timelines but jurisdictions, allowing the opportunity for both brash and capable detectives to investigate her crimes, as well as fun bungling and inept ones. The storylines are truly endless, since Carmen can be partnered with mentors to steal fictitious art and jewels and the occasional real life artifact keeping the audience guessing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (Patrice Downing)

by Robert Bouffard, Editor

“Economical” is a good way to describe Steven Soderbergh these days. Between the way he makes his movies, and how long his movies are, he gets in and out, with a quality time being had in between. After January’s Presence came in at under 90 minutes, Soderbergh’s second outing of the year, Black Bag, is 94 minutes, and each one of those minutes is packed to the brim with actors we love spouting David Koepp’s dialogue about the intersection between marriage and British intelligence. 

British Agent George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is informed that someone is suspected of betraying the country — it could be one of five people, including his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). So George and Kathryn invite Freddie (Tom Burke), Clarissa (Marisa Abela), James (Regé-Jean Page), and Zoe (Naomie Harris) over for dinner. Kathryn thinks it’s so that George can attempt to read their four guests — something he does so well — but what she doesn’t realize is that he’ll be reading her as well.

What’s most impressive about this movie is that in such a short runtime, Soderbergh packs so much in. We get scenes of George with each one of his suspects, as well as one-on-one scenes between just about every combination of the other five. But the real focus is on George and Kathryn’s marriage. It’s an open secret that no one in their line of work remains faithful to their partner, but these two do. At least, George thinks they do.

With this setup, Soderbergh has a spy genre package to investigate the institution of marriage. It’s about what we do and do reveal to our partner, and why, and how that does or doesn’t work in the context of the relationship. Perhaps it’s not always best to be completely honest? Perhaps there are things that are always meant to be private, even in a relationship that demands complete openness? The movie wrestles with these questions in an interesting, fun, sleek, and gripping way.

Inside this genre packaging, Black Bag is very talky. Each scene is an intense conversation with layer upon layer. Each character is always hiding something, deftly choosing what exactly to reveal to the person they’re talking to. Thankfully, each performer is game. Fassbender’s role is naturally reminiscent to that of The Killer, thanks to George’s steely robotic tone, but that’s something Fassbender’s done a few times, including when he literally played a robot in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. He’s good when he’s playing someone on the robot-sociopath spectrum. 

As for the supporting cast, Blanchett doesn’t have much to do, but she brings her trademarked aloofness to the role. Abela essentially does Yasmin from Industry, but it serves the movie well. I like her in both those roles, though I’m interested to see if she has any other speeds. Conversely, having not watched Bridgerton, my only impression of Page is his intentionally charisma-less Dungeons and Dragons character. Black Bag is essentially a showcase that has charisma to spare. He’s really good in this. Harris, as his girlfriend and psychologist, is giddily sneaky and conniving; she’s great here. But Burke is easily the standout performance in the whole movie. I’m having a hard time believing that he’s not actually related to Orson Welles, because it’s uncanny in Black Bag. It’s like the energy of Welles’ characters in The Third Man and Touch of Evil just popped into a modern day movie, but with Burke’s majestic beard. It turns out casting Burke as Welles in Mank was deeply inspired.

Black Bag is about as good of a movie as you’ll see from Soderbergh that doesn’t have Ocean’s in the title. It’s engaging and fun, and had me giddy from beginning to end. 

Rating: Loved It

Black Bag is currently available on VOD

You can read more from Robert Bouffard, and follow him on Letterboxd and Bluesky

by Jeff Alan, Contributing Writer

The hit Apple TV+ show Mythic Quest returns a full two years after its Season Three finale, bringing our lovable gamer devs back to the video game world. Season Four picks up shortly after Season Three’s end when Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicado) agree to come back to Mythic Quest, giving up their own solo venture and bringing it under the MQ umbrella. Ian comes up with a new expansion of the game, a virtual “heaven” that players can only access when they die. Ian’s usual manic and sometimes intrusive behavior starts to cross lines as Poppy hides her new boyfriend from him, keeping her work and personal life separate. At the MQ headquarters, David (David Hornsby) is uninterested in the expansion and wants to focus more on their other property, Playpen, which turns out to be a huge hit, where the creator of the game Dana (Imani Hakim) along with Brad (Danny Pudi) and Rachel (Ashly Burch) want to help her get out of her contact with MQ to start seeing more return on her product.

Season Four focuses on the struggles Ian and Poppy have with keeping their work-life balance and boundaries clearly defined, Rachel and Dana’s relationship reaching new heights as they navigate their blossoming careers, David’s continued struggle to keep MQ afloat and relevant, and the company’s adaption of new technologies like AI.

Mythic Quest continues to delight by bringing more fun antics from the characters we’ve come to know and love. Watching Ian and Poppy work together has always been a fun aspect of this series, and this season takes their dynamic to a new place, as they create AI versions of themselves for the other to work with. And Poppy tries to keep Ian out of her personal life when he gets a bit too reliant on her. The show handles this pairing really well. Though while we have the Ian/Poppy pair, the rest of the characters mix in different ways, like Brad and Dana teaming up a lot throughout this season, David and Jo having a love/hate relationship working together, and Dana and Rachel’s romance continuing to grow — these groupings are always fun to watch.

Something else Mythic Quest does very well is that at least once a season, at least one episode breaks from the main story to give us a small side story or flashback that is a bit more touching and interesting than the main plot of the season. This season, we get a parallel story centering around the return of popular gamer/streamer Pootie_Shoe, as he struggles with growing up and wanting to change his image to reflect that. Another great episode has the main team at MQ invited to a private island to partake in a murder mystery game where the lives of several characters is changed in more ways than one.

I think If I was to give some negative points to the show, while it certainly is entertaining, Mythic Quest doesn’t really do anything to stay relevant. It’s not particularly fresh or riveting with its time, and the character pairings I mentioned before are all pairings we typically get, which can be a little repetitive after a while. But at four seasons in, and especially with this story the show has going, I think it would be hard to start changing it up more, so it seems like they are kind of stuck in this situation. Not that it’s a bad situation to be in, because Mythic Quest is still quite good regardless, but if things were to change, it might not benefit the story much.

At the time of this writing, Apple TV+ has yet to give the series a fifth season. But as a fan of nearly all of the cast members, I want to see it go on, even if it’s for just one more season. The writing is fun, and the stories are good, but I wonder if it will do anything more to change things up, because I fear it may get a bit too repetitive if it continues the way it’s going.

Rating: Liked It

Mythic Quest is currently streaming on Apple TV+

You can read more from Jeff Alan, and follow him on Instagram, and Letterboxd

by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer

I played pee wee baseball for only one season. Pretty quickly, I figured out that baseball wasn’t my jam. Between second base and the outfield, the fear of getting hit by the ball consumed me. In that season, my teammates made playing a sport I wasn’t good at fun. I knew how hard the coach was trying to get me to enjoy playing baseball, but in the end, I just enjoyed being part of a team that I knew couldn’t be sustained past this season. We didn’t win a lot; thankfully, I felt I contributed to some of the wins.

The trip down memory lane for baseball was one of the fun parts of watching Win or Lose. The series is a vignette story from the perspective of several different characters on the Pickles baseball team. As they make the way to the day of their pee wee baseball championship game, several characters, on and off the team, share their struggles personally and on the field.

I have to hand it to Pixar for taking a risk here. Except for Dream Productions, they haven’t done much with long-form, episodic television. Disney hasn’t exactly had success with shows on Disney+, so Pixar dipping their toes into television feels either like a fun evolution into other mediums, or desperation from the House of Mouse for anything that resembles a hit. In turn, Pixar is up and up, with Inside Out 2 making gangbusters at the box office in 2024. If anything, Pixar might have been the best choice of a studio that created liberties to make a story worth telling for television.

There are a bunch of things I will give Pixar credit for with Win or Lose, starting with the animation style. Pixar has done a fantastic job ensuring all their movies have a unique animation style. What sets Win or Lose apart from the film is that each episode is unique, with a colorful array of animation styles. Each character has a way of being presented that is specific to them in both a positive and negative way, addressing issues and coping mechanisms similarly. Each character’s make-up makes each episode singular, with 2D animation, animation that feels like a cardboard cutout, and comic book-style layouts. The use of colors is awe-inspiring during character sequences, considering that, for the most part, it’s a traditional computer-animated primary palette. The sequences that struck me the most involve Pickles pitcher Yuwen (Izaac Wang), because of the outstanding use of animation that looks like cardboard, as well as how his storyline involves topics of being vulnerable and putting up a “cool guy” persona.

The storytelling method can sometimes feel choppy, but I love how inventive it is to tell the story from several viewpoints. Win or Lose is not precisely told linearly, echoing Tarantino levels of storytelling mechanics. Because of the other vantage points, we don’t always understand how someone else feels until we see it from their perspective. This lesson about perspective is terrific to teach everyone, not just kids, as a reminder that we don’t know what’s going on in someone’s head, and that taking the time to slow down and listen might be a necessary route to helping someone.

I’d be remiss not to address the controversy surrounding the Pickles’ star outfielder Kai (Chanel Stewart). Originally written as a trans character, Disney decided to remove this aspect of her character. Stewart criticized the decision, and I agree with her assessment of the situation. The episode that focuses on Kai is one of the series’ best episodes, but unfortunately, it is watered down to not address some of the root issues at hand. The lessons are similar, with her dad pushing her to be the best she can be. As a character, Kai could have been a groundbreaking moment for Disney, but instead, they blinked and caved into the potential pressure. It’s disappointing that the studio wouldn’t let the story continue as initially conceived. Still, it hardly comes as a surprise, considering some recent news regarding Disney’s decision to back away from social issues in their content.

What’s most striking about Win or Lose are the themes this tackles. Every character has something going on in their lives that is causing them to struggle. Win or Lose isn’t interested in casting judgment, but in spreading awareness about how situations in people’s lives can affect them in various ways. Take Coach Dan (Will Forte) and his daughter Laurie (Rosanna Jean Foss). Each character struggles with something similar, like feeling like an imposter and anxiety surrounding their relationship. How they manifest these feelings is different and butts up against other teammate’s issues. Coach Dan’s coping strategy is to whisper his true thoughts at people, and Laurie’s is to have her anxiety sweat glob into a monster that weighs her down. Every character in the series has a coping mechanism for money, social media issues, and relationships. It can be a little overwhelming at times, but it also feels authentic that everyone works together at the end to help for a shared cause.

The other theme that is present is teamwork. Relationships are a key aspect of Win or Lose, whether it involves family, friends, or personal relationships. The team as a whole is strong, but the issues that specific individuals have threaten this balance. The final game is a mess between the coach, players, and umpire Frank (Josh Thomson). In turn, the two families’ relationships are compromised, and certain characters need to resolve them so they can move forward. Taylor (Kyliegh Curran) and her brother Ira (Dorien Watson) have different issues, with an episode dedicated to Ira befriending random kids while Taylor is at practice. Taylor, though, is dealing with issues with Yuwen. Both of these issues affect the relationship with one another. Similar issues persist with the Pickles’ catcher, Rochelle (Milan Elizabeth Ray,) and her social media star mother, Vanessa (Rosa Salazar). 

The championship game for the Pickles culminates with all these issues coming to the forefront with the characters. It’s an important milestone for all the characters, yet each character faces critical decisions about themselves that bring the game to a halt. Everything we learn throughout the season is testing, and how it is resolved is beautiful. It’s hard to stick to the landing at the end of a season, and considering everything that happens, Win or Lose does this in a way that shows that people are far more critical.

Pixar is on to something with Win or Lose. A longform story like this provides opportunities to experiment with animation styles and play with themes that have more time to develop. The characters are unforgettable collectively and individually; this is a genuinely unique experience. It could have been an all-timer, and if the story had unfolded the way it was initially meant, it would have been in the pantheon of Disney+ originals. Instead, we get a great, close-to-outstanding series stunted by fear. Despite that, Win or Lose is one of the best things Pixar has put out in a long time, and should be a path forward to doing more television shows in the future.

Rating: Liked It

Win or Lose is currently streaming on Disney+

You can read more from Mike Hilty and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd

by Austen Terry, Contributing Writer

Jason Statham action movies have become a genre all their own, with just about one a year coming out. So much so people have made a meme out of their titles. This year is no different, as A Working Man reunites Statham and David Ayer after last year’s The Beekeeper. Plus, the action movie genre has seen several movies with the same premise where a retired soldier comes out of retirement for revenge.

A Working Man tells the story of Levon (Statham), a retired black ops soldier who left his job to go straight for his daughter Merry (Isla Gie) after his wife’s death. When Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas) is kidnapped, her parents, Joe (Michael Peña) and Carla (Noemi Gonzalez), Levon’s employers, ask him to find her. In his investigation, Levon finds that the Russian mafia is involved, and as his friend Gunny (David Harbour) tells him he killed his way into this, and will have to kill his way out. 

Ayer directs and writes the screenplay, along with Sylvester Stallone, bringing the book Levon’s Trade by Chuck Dixon to screen. Action movies are scored by how good the action is, and there are some good action set pieces here, but it is hard to follow. Statham gives his all in continuity his action film roles, but several times, the action is filmed not to show Statham. The movie is very fast paced, but it also didn’t need the near-two-hour runtime. 

Statham has great chemistry with all the stars, and knows how to be intimidating when getting answers. Plus, Ayer shines in bringing the actors to where they need to be. Though some of the villains are over the top and some plot points are left unresolved, the movie still has its moments. Similar to The Beekeeper Levon doesn’t do a lot of investigating; he watches from afar, but pretty much doesn’t need help. 

The story was told better in 2008 with Taken, but A Working Man still ended up not being a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Rating: It Was Just Okay

A Working Man is currently playing in theaters

You can read more from Austen Terry, or follow them on Instagram and Letterboxd