Category: 2025-2026

Spoiler-Free Review: “Highest 2 Lowest” (2025) starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, & A$AP Rocky

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When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller “High and Low,” now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. -Synopsis (A24)

Y’all, what can I say!? It’s NOT a good day when you realize that even Lee (director) can be disappointing! We just expect a LOT more from talents like him. Though there are segments of the film that are well-done, it does NOT creative a cohesive whole. Aside from Washington and Jeffrey Wright, most of the other actors were lackluster (or distracting- in the case of Law & Order: SVU alum Dean Winters). Also, they didn’t have much to work w/ when it came to characterization or dialogue. There was a LOT of set-up (w/ random transition shots), the mood was stagnant (aside from the 3rd act), and the soundtrack was loud/unsuited to the story. The “Boomer tone” (as one critic commented) will NOT appeal to younger gens. I still need to see the (original) film directed by Kurosawa; it’s streaming on HBO MAX.

There is little tension, which left the (small) audience I saw it w/ last month looking bored or mildly annoyed. I don’t have Apple TV+, so went to see it on the big screen (which is my preference- I’m old school). Movie theaters are closing ALL over the US; Hollywood (most likely) can’t woo back its (pre-pandemic) audience. In a struggling economy, even hardcore cinephiles are going to theaters less… and less. On a positive note, I think A$AP Rocky has potential; maybe he will work to strengthen his acting. As Roger Ebert said, rappers (being performers already), can project confidence onscreen. If you haven’t done so before, go check out earlier Spike Lee joints. You will NOT be disappointed!

[1] It’s difficult to take this movie in, or take it seriously. Ironically about a music mogul, Spike uses a continuous, distracting, misaligned, wildly inappropriate, cheesy score by Lawrence Manchester.

[2] I’ll rate this movie a 5 out of 10 due to the simple fact that the script is horrible despite Denzel Washington and Jeffery Wright carrying the movie, everyone else seemed like rookie actors who made the movie feel like a made for BET or Lifetime movie. I also have no idea why this movie went over 2 hours…

[3] Visually, the movie has its moments – colorful, energetic shots and a strong New York vibe – but that doesn’t make up for the weak emotional core. The pacing was uneven, and instead of being drawn into the drama, I often felt detached, watching a performance rather than being immersed in the story.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Spoiler-Free Review: “Companion” (2025) starring Sophie Thatcher & Jack Quaid

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Find someone made just for you. -Tagline

[first lines]

Iris: Most of the time it’s like… I don’t know. It’s like there’s this thick black cloud covering everything. Like we see the world, but we don’t really see the world, you know. We’re all just stumbling around directionless. No sense of meaning, no sense of purpose.

Since Iris (Sophie Thatcher- an up-and-coming British actress) and Josh (Jack Quaid) had their “meet-cute” in a grocery store, the couple have been inseparable. They seem deeply in love and V compatible! One weekend, they go to spend time w/ Josh’s old friends (Kat and Eli) at a lovely/spacious lakeside house. Iris is anxious, wondering if the others will like her. Kat (Megan Suri), who is dating a wealthy/older Russian- Sergey (Rupert Friend)- acts rude and cold to Iris. Eli (Harvey Guillen) and his doting bf, Patrick (Lukas Gage), are more chatty and friendly.

This is the feature film (streaming on HBO MAX) debut of a (promising) young American- Drew Goddard. It’s tightly edited, well-paced, and most of the cast do a good job. It’s NOT a “typical” horror, BUT a psychological thriller. The tonal shifts- from horror to comedy- will keep you on your toes. Gage (seen on S1 of The White Lotus) gets to show his range. Check it out for yourself; go in knowing as little as possible!

Related Shows To Watch:

The Outer Limits (S3: E1) – Bits of Love

A painter, Aidan Hunter (Jon Tenney), chats w/ his best pal, has breakfast w/ his parents, then spends time w/ a beautiful/blonde. His modern home is run efficiently by Emma (Natasha Henstridge), a computer that provides whatever Aidan needs. Sounds like a good life, right?

The Outer Limits (S4: E15) – Mary 25

Innobotics Corp. is looking for their next big product; exec Charlie Bouton (Tom Butler) proposes an android nanny- Mary 25 (Sofia Shinas). This is a variation on Valerie 23 (S1: E2), a companion that was discontinued after it developed feelings for its owner. Valerie 23 was a total disaster! Bouton is so confident that Mary 25 will function correctly that he takes it home to care for his children.

“Materialists” (2025) starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, & Pedro Pascal

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SPOILER ALERT: Don’t read this post if you haven’t seen, or don’t want to know, details from the movie Materialists (released June 13, 2025).

Some people just want more. -Tagline

A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex. -Synopsis

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a 34 y.o. matchmaker for a high-end dating service (called Adore) in NYC. At the wedding of a client, Charlotte (Louisa Jacobsen- currently on The Gilded Age), Lucy meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), the brother of the groom. Lucy calls Harry “a unicorn;” he’s wealthy (via family money/finance career), tall, handsome, charming, and intelligent. As Lucy and Harry are having a convo, her ex-bf John (Chris Evans) enters the scene, presenting Lucy w/ a can of Coke and bottle of beer (her drink choice). John is also tall, handsome, and charming; however (at age 37) still working as a cater waiter/struggling theater actor. John’s (Sunset Park, Brooklyn) apt (shared w/ 2 roomies) was built in-studio; Celine Song (screenwriter/director) shared pics of where her husband (Justin Kuritzkes- screenwriter of Challengers) had formerly lived as reference. FYI: Sunset Park is NOT cheap these days; a Lyft driver who’d moved 3 yrs ago to Virginia had paid $1,500 for a one-bedroom.

Harry: I don’t know if you like me or if you just like the places I take you.

From her job, Lucy has gleaned that “a perfect match” can be made based on: upbringing, education, income/wealth, attractiveness (incl. height). A few in my (small) audience were surprised upon learning re: the leg-lengthening surgery (price: $200K). This is a real thing, though much less common than nose jobs or breast implants. Most of Lucy’s clients are portrayed as shallow; the women want someone at least 6 ft. tall and making over $500k/yr. The men want a gorgeous/fit woman (model-esque) who is much younger than them. Everyone’s expectations are unrealistic in this milieu; marriage is a business transaction (as it often was until the past 100 yrs, incl. here in the US).

Song worked for a professional matchmaking service for 6 mos. about 10 yrs. ago. Song (raised in her native South Korea and Toronto, Canada) made a big splash in Hollywood (NOT just the indie film scene) w/ her 1st movie- Past Lives (2023). John Magaro, who plays the voice of Mark P. (offscreen), was one of the 3 leads in that movie. I was V surprised when I learned that Song was taking on a rom com (NOT my fave genre- LOL)! Unfortunately, there was little “rom” (romance) or “com” (comedy) in Materialists; it was marketed all wrong (as many critics/viewers commented).

Lucy: […] If the service I was providing you was building you a man, then of course I can build you a man with everything on this list. But I can’t, because this is not a car or a house. We’re talking about people. People are people are people are people. They come as they are. And all I can hope to find for you is a man that you can tolerate for the next fifty years, who likes you at all. And you are not a “catch,” because you are not a fish.

There is zero (onscreen) chemistry btwn Johnson (a V limited actress) and her two (more experienced) leading men- Pascal and Evans. I saw these actors having more fun during the promo tour. We never see why Lucy loves (and in the end- chooses) John; it’s quite a missed opportunity! They hail from the same (working-class) background, were a couple 10 yrs. ago, and used to fight re: money. Many were put-off (or angered) by the manner the film dealt w/ the aftermath of an assault (NOT seen) to one of Lucy’s clients, Sophie (Zoe Winters- recently in Succession). Y’all don’t want a headache- just skip this one! IF you want to see an (effective) love triangle which is funny, I recommend Broadcast News (1987).

[1] Celine Song’s style is unmistakable – lingering shots, dialogue that feels like internal monologue, and a quiet ache humming underneath it all. […] By the end, I didn’t feel uplifted. I felt… thoughtful. A bit heavy, even.

[2] The storytelling of body language, lack of words, the lack of explanation, lack details in their dialogue, the simplicity didn’t really add to the story, whereas Past Lives worked perfectly.

[3] The weak link is Lucy herself. As the titular “materialist,” she’s meant to evolve from pragmatic matchmaker to romantic lead, but she remains frustratingly underwritten. Johnson, whose signature style often leans toward aloof detachment, doesn’t help. There’s little insight into Lucy’s inner world or motivations.

[4] To truly move beyond materialism, we need more than just emotional rebellion. We need healing, self-awareness, and wisdom.

[5] The jokes aren’t funny. The romance isn’t romantic. The drama is flat.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews