Comedy, Whodunnit, Thriller, Murder Mystery  
Run Time: 2 hr 10 min 

​What’s it about: After the alleged suicide of famed author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) on the celebration of his 80th birthday, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates Harlan’s entire family in suspcion of murder 

THE SKINNY: This movie is simultaneously so much fun and an incredibly relevant allegory for the state of our country! This movie feels incredibly fresh, fun, relevant, and exciting. It’s full of hilarious characters, exciting twists, and excellent acting. In many ways it feels like a Clue for the 21st century. Rian Johnson has written an incredible script with a huge cast, all of whom knock it out of the park. 

GO IF: You want to have a wonderful time at the movies full of thrills and laughs.  

GO IF: You love murder mysteries, comedy, and/or crime novels. 

GO IF: You love any of the following actors: Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Chirs Evans, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, Katherine Langford, MIchael Shannon. 

THE GREAT 

The plot is expertly written with tight and exciting twists that truly keep you engaged until the end. Rian Johnson makes you believe that he gave you the answers early on, but of course there is more to the story. 

The social commentary is what really makes this film more than just delicious fun. Without spolling anything Rian Johnson has brilliantly crafted a commentary on greed, ignorance, and privilege among the wealthy (and white) people in this country. Of course, the president sneaks his way into the conversation, but don’t worry this movie is not plagued with politics. 

The comedy is truly hilarious. 


THE CULTURAL IMPACT 

This movie made over 40 million dollars even when Frozen 2 made an additional 124 million dollars, which is a good thing for movie lovers. Knives Out is an entirely original script (no comic books, no IP) and it was successful. While this movie is not likely a top awards contender, it is a wonderful family friendly adult film that is perfect for this time of year. 

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Animation, Adventure 
Run Time: 1 hr 43 min 

What’s it about? The sequel to the 2013 global phenomenon, Frozen 2 returns to Arendelle as Anna, Else, Sfen, Kristoff, and Olaf embark on a new adventure to “into the unknown” to save Arendelle from a magical forest. 

The Skinny: This movie is exactly what you would expect it to be and for some, what you hoped it would be. The animation is stunning and the characters that we have come to love are back and as delightful as ever. My major contention with this film is that the music, although good, is not as memorable as the first film (which to be fair, writing songs as engaging as those in the first film would be an incredible feat. Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are truly modern geniuses and have won 2 Oscars for their filmic work alone) Additionally, the plot is simultaneously thin, predictable, and confusing. Without spoiling anything, there is a “natural force” in the movie that never fully gets explained. In addition, unlike the first film when Hans turns out to be the villain, there are not fun plot twists like this in the sequel. There are revelations that ultimately make up a tidy plot, but the story's progression is fairly obvious. In essence, I left thinking, ok that was good, not great. 

Lastly, this film remains highly reliant on the first in that there are multiple plot sequences that exist exclusively to rehash the plot of the first. Though enjoyable at times, it feels somewhat cheap and almost revealing that this story isn’t as satisfying as the original incarnation.Not to compare apples to oranges, but there have been sequels that truly expand the universe of the characters we already love. I think about Shrek 2, Cars 2, and all 3 installations of How to Train Your Dragon as examples of when this was achieved. 

Side bar: if you recently viewed Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, you will experience some oddly parallel plot points

GO IF: You have small children or are looking for a family outing that involves small children 
GO IF: You enjoyed the first one and you want to see more 
GO IF: You want to see some stunning animation 


THE GREAT 

Josh Gad is the true standout. Being the jester in the bunch his part would naturally make him shine, but truly his work in this film is magnificent. Kristen Bell is also as delightfully bright and zany as ever! 

Into the Unknown is the one song from this film that I found undeniably wonderful. It’s featured in the second trailer and is covered by Panic! At the Disco. This song fills you with the same jubilation that was achieved with most of the first film. 

The cinematography is stunning. There are some truly epic shots that will take your breath away and deserve to be seen on the big screen before they are stowed away for years on Disney+. 

THE LESS GREAT 

As I said previously, the music in this film is simply not as memorable, 

The lack of antagonist, which is hard to explain without spoiling the entire movie, is a main reason I left feeling slightly less than fulfilled. Yes, Frozen is a story of women vs nature and women vs. self, but even so, this quest for knowledge lacks the urgency present in the first film. 

THE CULTURAL IMPACT 

This movie is in many ways a command performance at the movies. The movie made $127 million domestically in its opening weekend for a $350 million global total. This film has definite potential to be the 6th Disney film to make $1 billion in 2019 (Captain Marvel, Avenger’s Endgame, Toy Story 4, Aladdin, The Lion King) which is truly amazing. Frozen was a global phenomenon and naturally so will be its sequel. 

I just want to say, I'm not trying to rip it apart for criticism's sake. I went in hoping to absolutely love it. 
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​Action, Adventure, Comedy  Run Time: 1 hr 59 min 
​
What's it about? Based on the 1976 television show and the 2000/2003 films, this Charlie's Angels follows 3 (really 4) badass women on an international rollercoaster mission to prevent the weaponization of a new tech product.

GO if: You want to have a great time with stellar action sequences, exceptional clothing, and hilarious
GO if: You loved any of the previous incarnations 
GO if: You want to support female writers/directors in Hollywood.

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The Great 
The plot is truly a rollercoaster. With 9 potential characters that could be a villain, the duplicity of the many characters keeps you on an exciting and suspenseful ride through to the very end. 

The action is top notch. The film features roughly 6 awesome action sequences including a vicious brawl in a rock quarry. 

The clothes rock. As a homosexual who loves fashion, I was truly drooling at the wardrobe of the entire cast. Hats off to costume designer Kym Barrett. 

The music should not be understated. Ariana Grande co-executive produced the soundtrack, which is full of gems. 

The acting is not Oscar worthy, but it's undeniably enjoyable. 

The Less Great 
The pacing gets a little slow at times. Yes I just praised the plot and I stand by that, but there are moments that make you think "ok keep going." 

The Cultural Relevance 

This film is a reboot of a beloved franchise and deserves to be seen. It is not making financial waves, but it's a truly delightful night at the movies.