Category Archives: Thriller
Thriller
Flash Movie Review: Fast X
WHEN I WAS LITTLE, BIG FAMILY dinners were exciting for me. It was there where I had my first taste of coffee; granted, it was a couple of drops in a coffee cup with milk filling up the rest. However, I felt like such a grownup sitting there sipping on my coffee like the adults around me. The family dinner was also the setting where I tasted wine for the first time and made everyone laugh by the sour look on my face after tasting it. The food was always plentiful because relatives would always contribute a side dish or dessert. I along with my cousins would always sit together. We started out at the “kid’s table” which was a separate folding table, usually covered with some type of water-resistant tablecloth. One adult would oversee us, placing plates of food in front of us and periodically checking to see if we were goofing off. It was not until we reached the middle school years before we would be allowed to sit at the “big” table with the rest of the adults. It was there where the conversations would cover a variety of topics that could cause almost anything from laughter to arguments. It did not matter to me because it was a great learning ground to see how one tells a story, a joke, has a debate or disagreement. AS WE WERE GETTING OLDER, THERE came a time when family members were getting engaged and married. For me, it added a new element into the mix of these family dinners. Suddenly this stranger entered our domain, as the boy or girlfriend of one of my relatives. Having them enter the mix immediately changed the dynamics of the get together. Suddenly individuals were on their best behavior. The language was toned down; in other words, less salty shall we say. Sometimes the person would fit in easily, but other times they would be the only one not laughing at something the rest of us found funny. Of course, some of these boys and girlfriends never lasted; however, if one turned into a fiancée or fiancé then that meant our family dinner would expand to include the future in-laws. There were times where the kid’s table had to be used for adults because there were so many people invited. I found the experience odd. Here were strangers I had never met, sitting and eating with us; it was always a crapshoot. Some could handle our noise level, while others sat there quietly throughout the meal. The more in-laws joining us eventually caused our big family meals to break apart where one sibling and all her offspring would hold their own holiday meal. With all the family connections in this action-packed sequel, I do not know how they could still sit around a dining room table. A SON WHO LOST HIS DRUG LORD father during one of Dominic Toretto’s, played by Vin Diesel (Bloodshot, The Last Witch Hunter), jobs is hellbent on seeking revenge against Dom and his family. With Michelle Rodriguez (The Assignment, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as Letty, Jason Statham (The Meg, Spy) as Shaw, Jordana Brewster (Hooking Up, Who Invited Charlie?) as Mia and Tyrese Gibson (Dangerous, Black and Blue) as Roman; this crime adventure film was a mixed bag for me. The movie had all the elements that go into this franchise: fast cars, unbelievable stunts, intense fighting, explosions, scantily dressed women, dancing and speeches. It was too much for me. I felt the script was designed to incorporate everything that had been used before in the previous sequels. This does not mean there were not times where it was exciting to watch the action; but I was starting to feel that this franchise had run its course. This picture was only the first half of the story; there will be another film coming out which explains the extra scene in the middle of the ending credits. If you like cars and car chases and are invested in the characters, then you will have an easier time watching this movie. There were many scenes with blood and violence.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Mother
WAITING TO CHECK OUT MY SCHOOL supplies, I saw something that changed my opinion about motherhood. In the next line stood a mother holding a crying baby. I had no reason to assume she was not the mother. She tried calming the child by gently bouncing her up and down, while making soft cooing sounds. I was wondering why the mother did not give the baby bottle she had in her hand to her child just as she brought it closer to her other hand to unscrew the top. Placing the bottle on the edge of the conveyor belt, she contorted her arm back to grab something out of her large canvas bag that was slinged over her shoulder. I could not believe what she pulled out of that bag; it was a bottle of cola. She quickly took off the cap and poured the soft drink into the baby bottle. I had to look around to see if anyone else was seeing what I was watching; it was the most incredible thing I had ever seen. The mother closed the baby bottle and stuck the nipple into the baby’s mouth. I thought the baby would spit out the carbonated liquid, but I was wrong. The baby calmed down and sucked away on that bottle, like the way I imagined a sugar addict would do it. I wondered if Dr. Spock would have approved. FROM THAT EARLY SINGLE INCIDENT, I realized not every woman is cutout for motherhood. I have encountered many women who were outstanding mothers. There was the mother who surprised her music-loving child with tickets to their very first rock concert, because she wanted to further encourage her child’s interest in music. On the other hand, I heard about the mother, who was attending the parent/teacher conferences at her son’s school, when the teacher mentioned the child’s disappointing testing scores and the mother exclaimed, she was screwed (the actual comment is not printable here). The mother was more concerned about the optics of having a child who is struggling in certain areas instead of focusing on finding the proper resources to help her son succeed. Her actions as told to me simply reinforced my belief that just having a baby doesn’t qualify a woman to be a mother. It takes a special person with a special skill set. It does not even have to be as skilled as the mother in this action thriller, but it certainly could not hurt. HAVING BEEN FORCED TO GIVE UP her child at birth, a single mother had to resign herself to a quiet life of solitude. That life would rapidly change when she found out her daughter was being targeted by someone from her past. With Jennifer Lopez (Shotgun Wedding, Marry Me) as The Mother, Lucy Paez (The Exorcism of Carmen Farias, Silencio) as Zoe, Omari Hardwick (Army of the Dead, Sorry to Bother You) as Cruise, Joseph Fiennes (Risen, The Handmaid’s Tale) as Adrian and Gael Garcia Bernal (Old, The Motorcycle Diaries) as Hector; this drama had a decent premise and a committed lead star with Jennifer. Granted even in a fight scene her makeup and outfits looked fine, but I did appreciate her effort in making the fight scenes look believable. My issue with this picture was the script. It was a good idea but came across as a series of cliches; it was easy figuring out what was going to happen next. I felt there could have been more given to the characters, both emotionally and historically. And of course, there were a few scenes that came across as non-believable. It was not lost on me that this film debuted Mother’s Day weekend because it really showed an intense example of a mother’s love. There were several scenes filled with blood and violence.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Smile
WHEN I WENT TO THE NEW dentist my first time, I did not realize he came from a line of dentists. I was sitting in the exam room waiting for him, looking at the different certificates that were hanging on the walls. He came in and introduced himself, extending his hand out to me to shake. Once we went over the preliminary discussion on why I was there and such, I asked him about one of the graduation certificates on the wall. The reason being the school was in one of my favorite cities. He told me that was not his certificate but his father’s. I was momentarily surprised which he detected because he offered me his family history. The dentist practice was started by his grandfather, who came to the states from Germany. My dentist’s father came into the practice after graduating college. I asked the dentist if he always wanted to be a dentist like his father and grandfather. He said he did from a young age, when his dad would bring him to the office, and he became fascinated by the X-rays of teeth and all the tools. To me, it was just interesting that the practice was made up by three generations. I have always wondered if multiple generational occupations happen by chance or some other variant. I WAS WATCHING A TELEVISION INTERVIEW, where the interviewee was explaining why she became a medical scientist. She explained when she was young, she watched her mother die of cancer. She remembered wishing she had a way of saving her mother. When the mother died, she decided she wanted to find a cure for cancer and that is what led her to the position she was now in. Though I understood how tragic the circumstances were for the scientist, I was intrigued how a set of events affects a child/person’s options in what they want to do for an occupation. I look at my history and I started out wanting to be a singer, to veterinarian to dancer to a DJ to a fitness teacher to credit and finances. There was no one who influenced or swayed me to any of these professions. For example, I have always loved animals. As I was growing up, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. When I was getting closer to my college years, I decided to apply to schools that had extensive networks to achieve my goal. It was not until I was halfway through the program when I realized I was not meant to become an animal doctor. Seeing what the main character in this horror, mystery thriller experienced in childhood, I had to wonder if she could do it all over again, would she have chosen the same line of work. AFTER WITNESSING A TRAUMATIC EVENT IN her office with a patient, Doctor Rose Cotter, played by Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why, Off Season) began seeing and experiencing unusual events. With Jesse T. Usher (Shaft, Independence Day: Resurgence) as Trevor, Kyle Gallner (Scream, Ghosts of War) as Joel, Robin Weigert (The Sessions, Big Little Lies-TV) as Dr. Madeline Northcott and Caitlin Stasey (Kindred Spirits, Please Like Me-TV) as Laura Weaver: this picture surprised me. Not being a fan of horror films in general, this movie offered legitimate eerie and scary scenes as it told its story. Because there was an element of suspense, I was entertained more than I had expected. Sure, there were elements of other films in this story and some of the characters had little back story to help connect with the viewer; but I felt the writers accomplished what they wanted to do and that is provide a tense mystery drama. What helped in my opinion was the absence of evil beings and spirits created from the makeup/CGI department. It was more of an old school horror vibe film, which I appreciated.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 4
THE RESTAURANT WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF one dessert. It is not just any kind of dessert; it is one of the best examples of a chocolate flavored dessert in my opinion. I did not tell the others about the dessert, simply offered the restaurant as a suggestion when we were deciding where to meet for dinner and the majority voted for it. At the designated time we all met at the restaurant and were quickly seated. The meal was tasty, and the conversation was fun. When it came to dessert, everyone was undecided except for me on what to order. I shared my opinion about the chocolate dessert. Evidently, I must be a good sales rep because everyone decided to order it. The look on their faces when the waiter brought us our desserts was priceless. I told them it was a large serving, but it must have not prepared them for the reality of what was sitting on their plate. So you have a clearer picture, let me describe this amazing dessert. It is a moist, chocolate layered cake with dark chocolate chips through it. The layers and frosting consists of this smooth chocolate fudge crème that I actually eat, since I normally do not like any type of frostings. On the outer edge of the cake (the widest part) is a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. As they say, it is heaven on earth. As the others tried their cake, I watched for their reactions. There was silence, no indication of whether they liked or disliked it. After a second or third bite most of them said it tasted great but was too much. TOO MUCH?! I WAS NOT SURE what they meant, so asked for clarification. The consensus was the cake was too rich and too chocolatey. I was taken aback because that certainly was not my perception. Asking them to elaborate, I listened to them tell me the portion was massive and the chocolate was over the top. They felt the extra chocolate chips on the edge was overkill and the fudge crème frosting was so rich that they felt they needed a shot of insulin to compensate for the spike in what they believed their sugar level was doing. It was a joke about the insulin but still, I could not believe it. Ultimately, I had to respect their feelings and opinions. For me, the cake was the perfect chocolate dessert; for them, it was too over-indulgent and decadent. To each their own, as they say; it was not my place to sway or woo them over to liking the dessert. When I thought about it, it was no different than people’s feelings about Las Vegas. One either loved the city or did not; again all one can do is respect their opinion. This type of dilemma is what I am experiencing with this latest installment of the action, crime thriller film franchise. WITH THE BOUNTY CONTINUING TO GO up on his head, there was only one thing left for John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves (Destination Wedding, Speed), to do. He would have to kill every one of the Elders of the crime organization that turned its back on him, to get his life back. With Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise, Mystic River) as Bowery King, Ian McShane (Bolden, American Gods-TV) as Winston, Bill Skarsgard (It franchise, Barbarian) as Marquis and Donnie Yen (IP Man franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Caine; I was looking forward to seeing this movie. However, that did not mean I wanted to sit in my seat for two hours and forty-nine minutes. The script was excessive and bloated. Having said that, I thought the fight sequences were outrageous and supremely choreographed. The only thing was, I did not have to see the fight scenes go on for so long, besides having so many going through the story. At one point, I felt I was watching a video game due to the intensity of the fight scenes. Now there were some cool fight scenes and I would love to know how many minutes in those scenes were actually Keanu doing the fighting. It truly was crazy and that is what these films are known for, not the acting or the believability of the story. I am torn on how many stars to rate this picture. Part of me felt there were too many repetitive scenes of violence and blood fighting; but on the other hand, they were so well done, and some were even humorous, that I was enjoying myself. If one is a fan of John Wick already, they may enjoy watching this more than someone who is unfamiliar with the story line. There was an extra scene after the ending credits.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Cocaine Bear
IT TOOK A FEW MONTHS OF convincing before I started eating tomatoes again ever since I saw them kill a human. Luckily, I only saw it happen on a theater screen on a Saturday afternoon. There was a small movie theater in my neighborhood; it was in the middle of the block with a discount store on one side and a liquor store on the other. Every Saturday they would have a kid’s matinee show for a discounted price and I was there at least two out of every four Saturdays of the month. I cannot remember ever seeing a film there I did not like during my childhood. Besides seeing those tomatoes that were attacking humans, I saw aliens from a different planet who all looked like they were clowns, evil clowns bent on destroying us. One week I saw the incredible shrinking man, the following one had an Amazon woman who was close to fifty feet tall. On the way home from the theater, my friends and I would act out a few of the scenes we especially liked from the movie. One of my all time favorite films from that time was a horror film with Vincent Price and Peter Lorre. One of them was a sorcerer and there was magician who I found out years later was a young Jack Nicholson. I was enthralled with the magic effects and curses; objects flying in the air and electric bolts coming out of extended fingertips. THERE WAS SUCH A HIGH LEVEL of comfort for me those Saturdays. I could always count on being taken to a different world or see my world from an alien’s perceptions. Yet, I felt safe with my box of popcorn and box of chocolate candy. It was years later when I came across the term “B” movie and understood most of those films I was watching back then were “B” films. None of them would ever be considered for an Academy Award; they had low production values and cheesy special effects. I did not know it back then, but the acting and the script were at a bare bones level, sometimes teetering on the absurd. But here is the thing, they were fun to watch. They usually could illicit an emotion out of the viewers; it might have been shock, fear or laughter, but there was always a reaction to what was coming across the screen. Presently, making a “B” film is being kitschy/retro. They can be over-the-top and fun as long as you do not give a lot of thought to the plot. If you are interested in watching a “B” film, this one certainly would fit the bill. WHEN A DRUG CARTEL LOSES A shipment of cocaine over a Georgia forest, the first to discover the drugs was a black bear. Anyone else coming near the drugs would have to deal with the bear who took a liking, some say addiction, to the cocaine. With Keri Russell (Waitress, The Americans-TV) as Sari, Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures, Solo: A Star Wars Story) as Eddie, O’Shea Jackson Jr (Ingrid Goes West, Straight Outta Compton) as Daveed, Ray Liotta (Something Wild, Shades of Blue-TV) as Syd, and Isiah Whitlock Jr (Da 5 Bloods, BlacKkKlansman) as Bob; this comedy horror was based on a true event which I have to say sounded crazy from the start. Directed by Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games franchise, Love & Mercy), this film does not take itself too seriously and that was fine by me. One must put reason to the side and just go with it, because it was a wild and entertaining viewing experience despite the scenes of blood, violence and gore. There were laugh out loud scenes mixed in with the great CGI display of the bear. I thought the kids were especially good in their roles. This was a steady to fast paced freaky, fun film with a stranger than truth story line. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Knock at the Cabin
IT HAD TO BE THE HARDEST decision in the world; I could not think of anything worse. I was watching the news report about an accident involving a father and his two sons. They were on vacation, and something happened to the vehicle they were driving in. There were no details yet about what caused the vehicle to go off the road, but it wound up plunging down an embankment and into a rush of turbulent rapids. The young boys and their father were stranded in the water apart from each other at some point. Purely on instinct, the father made his way towards his children. However, with the strong current dragging the boys further apart from one another, the father was being forced to decide which son to head for first, to try and save. I could not even imagine! How could anyone make such a decision? I was grateful there was not a video of the scene; only thing the news report showed was the mangled vehicle in the water. Sadly, the father was only able to grab and save one son. The other boy was dragged under the water and was found a distance away near the edge of the river, face down. He did not survive. THAT STORY STUCK WITH ME FOR some time. Just the idea of having to choose, whether one wanted to or not, which family member to save was such a horrific position to be in; I honestly do not know what I would have done if I was in that type of situation. I do know what can happen when one has to make that type of decision, however. A friend of mine has a relative who caused an accident in the car she was driving. Her two children were strapped in the back seat. She had trouble undoing the seatbelt from one child’s safety seat. By the time she was able to free that child from their seat, the fire had spread past the front seat of the car. Though the temperature was getting intense, she tried to undo the second child’s seat. Her sleeves caught fire a few seconds before it spread to her arms. She kept trying but the heat got to be too intense and a policeman who arrived at the scene had to pull her back in case the car was about to explode. With the loss of her 2nd child, she turned to drugs and alcohol to numb her grief and pain. As I said, it was such a tragedy that she could never recover from. Because of my knowing about this, I completely understood the predicament the couple found themselves in inside this horror, mystery thriller. THE SETTING WAS PERFECT FOR THE family to have an idyllic vacation; but it all changed when there was a knock at the door. With Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Glass Onion) as Leonard, Jonathan Groff (The Matrix Resurrections, Glee-TV) as Eric, Rupert Grint (Harry Potter franchise, Into the White) as Redmond, Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending, Persuasion) as Sabrina and Ben Aldridge (Our Girl-TV, Pennyworth-TV) as Andrew; this movie was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Old, The Visit). I thought Dave Bautista was a standout in this cast, playing a character that the audience could not tell was sincere or not. There were scenes that were excellently staged to keep the tension and thrills high; but, there were also spots that did not reach the same level due to the script. A majority of the time I was focusing more on myself, whether I believed what I was seeing was true or not. Also, the last quarter of the film turned weird for me, to the point where I left the theater feeling confused. There were a few scenes of violence and blood, though I appreciated the way they were filmed to prevent the audience from seeing the full results from the actions. I picked this movie to go see; maybe I did not make the smartest choice.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Plane
I LOOKED OVER AT THE PERSON playing a video game on their phone and wondered how they would help in a crash. They were small in stature and appeared to still be in college. Looking in the opposite direction, I looked at the person sitting by the window. Hopefully, I am not sounding judgmental; but they looked like they had been in their senior years for some time. I wasn’t sure if they were staring out the airplane window or dozing. All of us were sitting in the emergency row; my main reason was for the extra legroom. Before we had taken off, the flight attendant came over to ask each of us if we understood what was required in the case of an emergency. Each of us had to answer her with a yes or no answer. In all my years of flying on airplanes, I have only witnessed two people who said no to the request. They were asked to take a different seat on the airplane. This may sound weird; but when I find myself sitting in the emergency row, I tend to pay more attention to the other passengers. I am not sure entirely why I do this, but I think I am doing a quick assessment of who might be resistant to following the rules in the case of a crash or emergency landing. I know I would be freaked out, but I do not think I would bolt and forget about helping others get off the plane. THERE WAS ONE FLIGHT I WAS on, where I thought I would find myself assisting the flight attendants in an evacuation. The captain had announced over the speakers that we were headed into a rough patch while they tried to go around a bank of storm clouds. He turned on the seatbelt light and told everyone to hold tight; he would try to get through as fast and as safely as possible. We certainly hit a rough patch because there were a few times where the plane suddenly dropped in altitude. My stomach felt the same as when I am experiencing a sudden drop on one of those huge mega roller coasters. I was tightly gripping the armrests. Gratefully, the captain made good on his promise to get through the bumpy air quickly, though at the time it seemed awfully long. Listening to the chatter among the passengers, it was clear everyone was freaked out. Luckily none of us were on a flight like the one that took place in this action thriller. FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING, the pilot of a passenger plane was lucky to have spotted a small patch of land on an island, where he might be able to keep the plane relatively intact and the passengers alive. Unfortunately, there was more danger waiting for them after they landed. With Gerard Butler (Den of Thieves, A Family Man) as Brodie Torrance, Mike Colter (Black and Blue, Luke Cage-TV) as Louis Gaspare, Yoson An (Mulan, Jawbone-TV movie) as Dele, Paul Ben-Victor (The Irishman, Get Hard) as Hampton and Evan Dane Taylor (Castle Falls, The Enemy Within-TV) as Datu Junmar; this was a typical Gerard Butler film. I am not knocking it, but it was easy to figure out what would be taking place in this story. Having said that, I have to say this film was still exciting to watch. Put reason to the side and just go for the ride, would be my suggestion. I did like the variety of scenarios, and thought they kept the story on a steady clip. There was nothing new presented in the script; but if one just wants to experience a couple of easy thrills, then this movie would provide it and in a safe way. There were multiple scenes of blood and violence.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: M3gan
SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, I have a love/hate relationship with technology. When the devices are working properly, they can be terrific; but when they aren’t, they are such a pain. Driving to the office today, I was listening to a dance mix through my wireless speaker. Suddenly, the music cut off; I looked at my device and tapped pause. Just when I did it, the speaker turned off which is something it has never done. I decided to turn off my IPOD, wait several seconds before turning it back on, then turned on the wireless speaker. Everything was fine, like nothing had happened. It is stuff like this that drives me crazy. I cannot tell you how many times I have had IT personnel in my office because of an issue I was having with my computer and they will say, “I have never seen that before.” At first, I thought it was me, that I was doing something wrong; but, I was doing the same thing that my co-workers were doing, yet getting a different response. This is one of the reasons I never buy a new electronic device when it first becomes available. I already have a sense of mistrust; I do not want to get something that might reveal a couple of bugs from its initial use in the general population. MY MISTRUST SURPRISES ME CONSIDERING HOW much I loved robotic things when I was younger. The first robot I remember seeing was the one in the original film, “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” I loved that robot because of how protective it was of the space alien. Then came Robby the Robot, Rosie from “The Jetsons” and the one from the television series, “Lost in Space.” I thought it would be cool to have a robot as a family member. Someone you could play with, who always would be your protector. And yet, I find myself at this place in time where a simple conversation with a neighbor in the building elevator produces an advertisement on my social media of an item the two of us were talking about. Who says our devices are not listening to us? With every friend who has a personal assistant device in their home, I have always had a moment on the telephone where the device has interrupted our conversation because it thought they were being addressed by my friend. And yet, I have gotten used to asking Siri for directions or setting a reminder for me. But that is the extent of my usage; I am not comfortable doing anything more involved. And, if you think I am a bit paranoid, then watch what takes place in this horror thriller. AFTER LOSING BOTH OF HER PARENTS, in a horrific automobile accident, a young girl finds comfort with a gift given to her by her aunt. It is a new generation interactive toy that is nearly lifelike. Its main objective is to protect the girl, which it soon learns to do at any cost. With Allison Williams (Get Out, Peter Pan Live!) as Gemma, Violet McGraw (Black Widow, Separation) as Cady, Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians, Godzilla vs. Kong) as David, Brian Jordan Alvarez (A Spy Movie, Stuck) as Cole and Jenna Davis (Raven’s Home-TV, A Girl Named Jo-TV) as the voice of M3gan; this movie was fun. I know that sounds odd since it is listed as a horror film; but I must tell you, it was a smart production that knew exactly how to put a slight twist on the predictable. There were some humorous moments in the dialog and song choices that were a surprise to me. I appreciated the story and thought Allison and Violet were well suited to each other. There were several scenes of blood and violence that gratefully were not too graphic. Of course, I felt a connection to the story line, due to the one aspect of having a protector. Overall, this was an enjoyable movie watching experience.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Independent
EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF PRIMARIES while I was away for college, I have voted for every election. It certainly is easier now with the early voting opportunities and mail in options. I remember back earlier finishing work at the office and racing to get to the polling place before it closed, sometimes showing up just minutes before. So yes, the system to me is much better today. However, in my opinion, I would make election day a national holiday. For something so important as elections, I think all citizens should have the day off to make sure they can exercise their right to vote. The things I have seen taking place in other states troubles me because it appears as if the new state laws being put in place are geared to make it harder for an individual to vote. The news on this last election was showing lines of people, blocks long, waiting to vote. If I am not mistaken, one place did not allow voters to have any food or liquids with them while they were waiting in line for hours. It saddens me to see how such an institution and cornerstone of our government is being tarnished and abused the past several years. THERE IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE voting process that I find scary. It is the ability for a candidate to receive massive amounts of money from a single donor. Maybe it does not come directly from one individual, but their money can easily be divvied up among different political action committees for the candidate. There was a billionaire who lived in our state who donated millions of dollars to a governor candidate who had a hateful agenda. The amount of money given was obscene and all because the billionaire disliked the current governor’s policies which did not offer extra favor to the billionaire’s company. I think about the amount of money that goes into today’s campaigns and it could be put to better use in feeding the world or educating every single citizen or even funding new scientific research. But now it seems like only millionaires and billionaires run for political gains and positions. I know not every politician fits this description; but I would like to see a time where there are less political ads and mailers and more time for the candidates to go door to door or hold more campaign town hall meetings. Gratefully in my state the billionaire’s candidate lost significantly to the incumbent, so money did not make such a difference; but who knows what money can do. It may play a factor in this thriller for all you know. A YOUNG JOURNALIST MAKES A DISCOVERY that could have a major impact on an upcoming election. With Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim, The Last Ship-TV) as Elisha, Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-TV, Glass) as Lucas Nicoll, Ali Marsh (Queens of Daytime, In Plain Sight-TV) as Sharon Romney, Julianne Arrieta (High Resolution, Del Playa) as Rachel Atkins and John Cena (Vacation Friends, The Suicide Squad) as Nate Sterling; this political film was lucky to cast Jodie Turner-Smith. For me, she is the reason I was able to get through the story. The script needed to find a new angle or a flair of surprising twists because the story played out like something I had seen before. I liked the idea, but the directing along with the script did not take advantage of the acting skills of its cast. There certainly were good scenes throughout the movie, but as a whole it felt more like a wannabe picture instead of something new and fresh. It was too bad because Jodie and Ann Dowd had wonderful screen presence that grabbed my attention. The idea for the story was both good and scary, making me more anxious about today’s political scene.
2 ½ stars
moviejoltz 