Jake's Cinema Room

2022. R. 136 mins. Directed by Noah Baumbach White Noise is the latest movie from director Noah Baumbach, who has had a rather successful career thus far. Baumbach brings a lot to the table this time around and unfortunately it feels as if he brought a little too much to make it work. This is a movie that tries to pack so much into it that ultimately it feels like not everything is executed well enough to be a success. That's not to say that there aren't things here to praise or enjoy, however the story and structure are so convoluted that it ends up being a disappointment. There are moments throughout White Noise that will have you scratching your head. The story tries to give you a little bit of everything. It's a comedy, a drama, a thriller and even has a little bit of sci-fi and horror elements to it as well. Trying to juggle all of those elements just doesn't work here the way you would hope for. Baumbach's direction seems too disjointed, and it never feels lik...

  2022. PG-13. 139 mins. Directed by Rian Johnson In 2019 Knives Out was released to critical and financial success. Director/writer Rian Johnson put together one of the best movies from that year and solidified himself as a top notch director and writer. Netflix bought the rights to release to more movies in the Knives Out universe. Enter in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. With only Daniel Craig returning from the first movie and a new cast of characters, does Rian Johnson manage to strike gold once again or does it suffer from sequel-itis and pale in comparison to its predecessor? This time around we follow Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he is invited to a remote island owned by billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). Miles has invited his close friends to his private island for a weekend party where he plans to have a murder mystery party in which all of his friends try to solve the mystery of his murder. Along for the ride is tech entrepreneur and Miles’ ex-partner Andi (Jan...

  2022. PG-13. 161 mins. Directed by Ryan Coogler After the massive success of the first Black Panther, and because Marvel typically gives all their hero’s multiple movies, it was inevitable that a second movie was going to happen. Unfortunately, main star Chadwick Boseman sadly passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer. Now the question is how does Marvel move forward with second movie after their main actor passes away? Well thankfully Ryan Coogler is back in the director’s chair and most of the crew from the first movie comes back meaning we should have another hit on our hands. Coogler and company have done the impossible of successfully making a good sequel when they no longer have their main actor. In Wakanda Forever King T’Challa has passed away from an undisclosed issue. The country of Wakanda is in mourning and they don’t really know how to move forward with no longer having someone under the Black Panther mantle. Fast forward to a year later and Queen Ramonda (Angela...

  2022. R. 111 mins. Directed by David Gordon Green Halloween Ends marks the final installment in the David Gordon Green trilogy that is a direct follow up to the 1978 original John Carpenter film. Whether or not this is the definitive final Halloween movie remains to be seen but it seems likely within the next 5-10 years we'll see another reboot of some kind. Halloween (2018) kicked off this new trilogy with arguably the best Halloween movie since the original. Last year's Halloween Kills was a bit underwhelming but still managed to be entertaining despite some odd choices. Does Halloween Ends give the franchise a proper send off or does it drop the ball with it's finale? It's been 4 years since the events of Halloween Kills. The town of Haddonfield is still not right after Michael Myers tore through the community and wrecked havoc once again on Halloween night. Michael has gone underground and hasn't made his presence known since that night. Laurie (Jamie Lee Curt...

  2022. R. 121 mins. Directed by David Bruckner. The Hellraiser franchise has been one of the more overlooked in the horror genre over the years. Outside of a good first entry and a decent sequel the rest of the series is mostly forgettable. It does boast one of the more memorable villains in Pinhead and the Cenobites are an interesting group that we unfortunately never really get to know too much about throughout the series. We are at the point now where the series needs an overhaul so we have a new take that tries to reignite some life into the series. Director David Bruckner takes over behind the camera and the story used is a lot closer to the original story from Clive Barker. When a young woman named Riley (Odessa A'zion) comes into contact with an ancient puzzle box she inadvertently summons the Cenobites, a group of supernatural beings from another dimension. Riley's friends and brother end up getting involved with her situation not knowing that the Cenobites will stop ...

2022. R. 134 mins. Directed by David O. Russell. David O. Russell has had a pretty solid track record over the years. The last four movies he's directed have all been nominated for Oscars and while he has never been nominated for one himself he has still become one of the more competent directors over the years. He generally likes to work with big casts and an array of A-list actors to shotgun his movies. Amsterdam is his latest directed movie and boasts what is easily his biggest cast yet. While ambitious with its intentions, Amsterdam is unfortunately one of the most disappointing movies of the year. In Amsterdam, we follow three friends; Burt (Christian Bale), Valerie (Margot Robbie) and Harold (John David Washington) as they get involved in one of the most outrageous plots in American history. Burt and Harold witness a murder and are framed for the killing of a young woman. They link up with Valerie and her brother Tom (Rami Malek) who gives them the advice to speak with Genera...

  2022. PG. 103 mins. Directed by Anne Fletcher. Hocus Pocus  opened in 1993 and was a moderate hit at the box office. Over the years it has become arguably one of the biggest cult classics off all time. From home video to playing on TV to now on streaming this movie has garnered a huge success since its release. This is a mainstay every Halloween for kids, families and adults that grew up with the movie to watch so it was inevitable at some point we would probably see a sequel. The original is a fun and entertaining Halloween movie that doesn't break any new ground but is a good watch especially for families.  Hocus Pocus 2  stays consistent with what worked in the first movie and is able to make a sequel that holds up well against its predecessor. This time around we follow three new girls: Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham). With them being into witchcraft, Becca and Izzy decide to check out the old Sanderson house that t...

  2022. R. 115 mins. Directed by Nicholas Stoller Bros  follows Bobby (Billy Eichner), a single guy who runs his own podcast and is in the process of opening the first LGBTQ+ history museum. Bobby has always been more into his work than relationships so he mostly uses dating apps to hook up rather than commit to any relationships. While at a club one night he meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a guy who is not normally his type but there's something about him that interests Bobby. Aaron also has never committed to a relationship before either and mostly just hooks up as well. Both guys are complete opposites but share some similar beliefs that make them very compatible. Despite never committing to relationships in the past Bobby and Aaron decide to give it a try but both have reservations about doing so. As far as romantic comedies go Bros  does a great job at giving audiences something different. This is one of, if not the first mainstream rom-com to feature two male leads. ...

  2022. R. 102 mins. Directed by Zach Cregger A young woman named Tess (Georgina Campbell) rents out an Airbnb just outside of Detroit while she's in town for an interview. When she arrives, there is already someone staying there, a man named Keith (Bill Skarsgard). Turns out they both have the house reserved for the same dates through different websites. Keith decides to let Tess stay so they can figure out their situation the next day. While Tess is hesitant at first she decides to stay. During their stay Tess and Keith soon discover that the house may not be what it seems as there is a secret lurking that will soon make its presence known. 2022 has been a great year for horror movies thus far. With great movies such as X, The Black Phone and Nope, Barbarian joins that list and is the most unpredictable of the bunch. Director/writer Zach Cregger has crafted one wild ride. This is a movie that hits so many different beats as not only is it truly frightening but it adds some much n...

2022. R. 99 mins. Directed by William Brent Bell Back in 2009, Orphan hit theaters and was met with mixed reviews but was able to cash in on almost $80 million worldwide. The movie is well remembered as having one of the craziest twist endings of all time. Now we jump forward and we now have Orphan: First Kill which is a prequel to the '09 hit. This time Leena (Isabelle Fuhrman) breaks out of an Estonian psychiatric facility and decides to head to America. She is able to do this by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family named Esther. The family is glad to have her back after losing their daughter four years prior, however there may be more going on in this house than "Esther" realizes. Let's go ahead and put it out there, this movie is insane. Even more so than the first one, Orphan: First Kill goes off the rails multiple times and it makes things so enjoyable. While Director William Brent Bell doesn't have the best track record as a filmmaker he...

  2022. PG-13. 122 mins. Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum Purple Hearts follows Cassie (Sofia Carson), an up-and-coming singer/song writer who is also struggling with diabetes. It's getting to the point where her insurance won't cover her medication anymore and she can't afford it on her own. While at her day job at a local bar she runs into an old friend who is there with his Marine friends. She instantly has an issue with one of the friends named Luke (Nicholas Galitzine), who is also struggling with his own problems. He's a recovering drug addict and is in debt with his old dealer for a large amount of money. Despite being on opposite sides of the political spectrum and not getting along in any way, shape or form they come to an agreement where they will get married so they can take advantage of the healthcare for Cassie's medication and Luke will make more money so he can pay off his debt. All seems well enough until a tragedy interrupts their lives. Over ...

 2022. R. 96 mins. Directed by James Morosini I Love My Dad follows Chuck (Patton Oswalt), an estranged father who wants nothing more than to reconnect with his son Franklin (James Morosini). Franklin unfortunately won’t give his father the time of day as he’s fed up with years of his father lying to him and never being there when he needed him. Chuck ultimately becomes desperate in his hopes of his son letting him into his life again. After meeting a nice waitress named Becca (Claudia Sulewski), Chuck comes up with the idea to make a fake online profile using Becca’s name and pictures as a way of connecting with his son. Franklin instantly becomes infatuated with Becca and now Chuck must decide how long he lets this go on before it hurts their relationship even more. James Morosini proves himself to be a triple threat here. Taking on the reigns of not only starring but also directing and writing he puts on lot on himself. He should proud of what he’s accomplished here as he kno...

  2022. R. 93 mins. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur What would you do if you and your family were stuck in the territory of a ferocious lion? For Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) and his daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries), they find out very quickly that it is not an easy situation to be in. While in South Africa the Samuels and their friend Martin (Sharlto Copley) find themselves in the hunting grounds of a rogue lion that doesn’t want anything invading its territory. With their car crashed and not knowing when the lion will strike again the group does everything they can to survive. Beast tries hard to be more than the typical man vs. nature outline but unfortunately ends up being just that. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but there really isn’t anything new here. With that being said there is plenty to enjoy. This is an extremely tense movie as you never know when the beast will make his next appearance. It’s set up like a theme park attraction with ple...

  2022. PG-13. 118 mins. Directed by Taika Waititi Everyone’s favorite God of Thunder is back for his newest solo adventure. This time around Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has a lot on his plate with the threat of a new villain in the form of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). Gorr has been deceived by a God that he was a disciple for in the past and is now seeking revenge on all Gods after losing his daughter. After New Asgard is attacked Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), his friend Korg (Director Taika Waititi) and his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now has the power of Thor and can wield his former hammer Mjolnir. Thor: Love and Thunder is the fourth movie in Thor’s solo outings and continues with the same style and direction as Ragnarok. Director Taika Waititi returns to helm Love and Thunder and brings he unique vision to the character once again. Waititi was a large reason as to why Ragnarok was able to let the character of Thor really flou...

  2022. R. 103 mins. Directed by Scott Derrickson The Black Phone is the latest movie from Director/Co-writer Scott Derrickson and his writing partner C. Robert Cargill. While also teaming up for the first Doctor Strange, Derrickson and Cargill were the minds behind the 2012 hit Sinister , as well as its disappointing sequel. There is a definite style these two have on their projects together and its no surprise that The Black Phone shares some similarities to Sinister, however they both can stand on their own respectively. It’s still early but it should be safe to say that The Black Phone is one of the best horror movies of 2022. We follow Finney (Mason Thames), who is a 13-year-old growing up in a small town in 1978. He lives at home with his father (Jeremy Davies) and sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), his mom has unfortunately passed away at this point. Finney is a quiet kid that kind of keeps to himself while Gwen is the more outspoken of the two who isn’t afraid to show her t...

  2022. R. 117 mins. Directed by Jeremiah Zagar Anytime Adam Sandler can step outside of his comfort zone and put out a drama it will generally turn some heads. Here is no different as Sandler gets the opportunity to make a movie about one of his favorite pastimes, the game of basketball. Surprisingly this is under his Happy Madison Productions, which is typically where all his comedies come from, but this is the first venture into dramatic territory for the company and it passes with flying colors. Director Jeremiah Zagar takes a rather formulaic underdog story and elevates it to where the movie stands out on its own. Hustle follows Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugerman, former NBA player turned scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. Stanley has been on the search for the next great thing to bring to the NBA. After a failed attempt that was drafted by the team’s new co-owner Vince Merrick (Ben Foster), Stanley is sent back out to see what talent he can find. While overseas he comes acros...

  2022. PG-13. 102 mins. Directed by Louren Bouchard & Bernard Derriman Bob’s Burgers is the latest adult animated TV series to get a movie treatment. We’ve seen shows like South Park , The Simpsons and even Aqua Teen Hunger Force get their shot at the big screen. The question for any series that gets the chance for a movie is how do they make it feel like a movie and not just a long episode of the show? Thankfully, The Bob’s Burgers Movie is able to take all the best aspects of the show and turn them into a feature length movie with plenty of success. If you’ve been watching the most recent season of the show, they have been slowly building up to this movie. Everyone’s favorite restaurant family, The Belchers, have a big situation on their hands. A sinkhole has formed right in front of their building, causing customers to not have easy access to their restaurant. To add fuel to the fire they are close to losing the restaurant if they can’t make loan payment to the bank. Wit...

  2022. PG. 95 mins. Directed by Charles & Daniel Kinnane Home Team is the latest Netflix movie from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. In this one we follow Kevin James as real-life New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. After coming off of winning the Super Bowl in 2010 Payton gets suspended in 2012 for allegedly paying his players to purposely injure the players of other teams. After he gets suspended Payton spends his time trying to build a relationship with his 12-year-old son. His son just so happens to play football on the worst team in his Pop Warner league. To try and get closer with his son Payton eventually becomes the team’s offensive coordinator to try and help them turn their season around. This movie is quite the oddity. The movie itself isn’t really odd but just the whole concept is kind of mind boggling. I don’t think anyone ever imagined there would be a movie about what Sean Payton was doing during his suspension from the NFL. Let alone it being ...