REVIEW: “Ballad of a Small Player” (2025)

November 1, 2025 by Keith Garlington

Colin Farrell brings every bit of his charisma and charm to his latest film, “Ballad of a Small Player”, a perplexing psychological drama that has so much going for it starting with it’s fully committed star. It’s directed by Edward Berger who is coming off of back-to-back Best Picture Oscar nominations for “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Conclave”. Those two names alone should be enough to pique any movie lover’s interest.

But Farrell’s wholehearted efforts and Berger’s sumptuous visual artistry can’t overcome the movie’s single biggest hurdle – its script. Adapting the 2014 Lawrence Osborne novel of the same name, screenwriter Rowan Joffé takes on the daunting challenge of untangling the already knotty original material. The film gets off to a good start, nicely setting the table both narratively and visually. But problems spring up alarmingly fast as the movie swings from stylishly intriguing to frustratingly convoluted.

Farrell plays Lord Doyle, a high-rolling gambling addict who has made his way to Macau, “the gambling capital of the universe”. We learn rather quickly that Doyle is in trouble. For starters, he fled to Macau after swindling over $900,000 from a wealthy elderly widow. But he gambled it all away in a run of bad luck. To complicate matters, he has ran up a debt of 352,000 Hong Kong dollars with a swanky Macau hotel and they’ve given him three days to pay up or they’re calling the police.

Doyle’s flawed addict’s logic tells him statistical probability is on his side and he’ll start winning soon. He’s convinced that he played his way into this mess and he can play his way out, with the right financial backing of course. But he’s having a difficult time finding a casino that will extend him credit. He finds hope in the enigmatic Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino hostess and loan shack who is in a pickle of her own. Doyle tries to persuade her to fund him, insisting that one big win would solve both of their problems.

As if that wasn’t enough, hot on Doyle’s heels is Cynthia Blythe (Tilda Swinton), a pesky private investigator who gives him 24 hours to come up with the widow’s money or she’ll have him deported back to London. Cynthia adds an interesting layer, but the story is more about Doyle’s mysterious relationship with Dao Ming who disappears, suddenly reappears, and then disappears again. Her presence and absence both play crucial roles in understanding Doyle’s arc. But the hazy storytelling makes getting to any deeper meaning a chore.

At its core, “Ballad of a Small Player” is a redemption story that offers an unorthodox representation of addiction. It boldly serves us its story with helpings of existentialism and tragedy. And its near purgatorial perspective keeps us questioning what we’re seeing. But all of those big ambitious lead to trappings that the movie can’t escape. Even worse, the lack of clarity leaves things murky to point that deciphering it all can be a headache.

“Ballad of a Small Player” is one of the most visually striking movies of the year. It’s also one of the year’s bigger disappointments. The movie is a visual feast, brimming with neon-bathed imagery and richly detailed compositions. And it’s anchored by a tremendous lead performance from Colin Farrell who deserved more fully realized material than he was given. But even with his eye-popping presentation, Berger can’t wrangle together the wealth of big ideas he clearly has. For that reason, his latest film falls well short of his previous two award winners.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Night of the Reaper” (2025)

October 31, 2025 by Keith Garlington

Tis the season to be frightened. It’s October, and while it’s true that horror movies come all throughout the year, this is that special month where horror fans celebrate the genre they so passionately love. In keeping with the holiday season, what better time to check out one of the horror movies that I missed from earlier this year. I’m talking about “Night of the Reaper”, an old-fashioned slasher with a distinct mystery element to it.

After a well-done prologue, “Night of the Reaper” introduces us to Deena Golding (Jessica Clement) who is returning to her hometown after being away at college. Deena was reluctant to come back to the town where her sister Emily was murdered a few years earlier. But she decides to return despite her sad and life-altering history with the place. Once there, Deena checks in on her parents and reconnects with her old friend Haddie (Savannah Miller).

Later that evening Deena gets a call from Haddie who’s in need of a favor. Haddie was supposed to babysit the local sheriff’s son but has gotten sick. So she asks Deena to fill in for her. Deena agrees and promptly drives out to the sheriff’s rural rustic homeplace where she meets his son Max (Max Christensen). The two hit it off well and settle in for the evening. But their night will soon take a chilling turn with the sudden appearance of a masked killer.

While Deena is a central character, the movie alternates its time between her and Sheriff Rodney Arnold (Ryan Robbins). His story is fueled by tragedy, as he lost his wife and Max’s mother to a fatal car accident. As Rodney attempts to manage his grief while raising his son, he’s also put on the trail of several unsolved area murders. He begins receiving mysterious packages containing clues linking the murders together.

While the sheriff intensifies his investigation he makes more alarming discoveries. Meanwhile Deena finds herself in terrifying game of cat-and-mouse with a demented killer. As you can probably guess, the sheriff’s murder mystery eventually merges with Deena’s slasher story, but not in ways you might expect. Writer-director Brandon Christensen throws in some big twists that sees the final act taking some refreshingly wild turns.

The writing takes some big swings, and to its credit it always stays one step ahead of its audience. We’re kept guessing which is a big part of what makes the movie such fun. At the same time, the script doesn’t spend enough time on key people to allow the ending to land as intended. I know that’s a very vague criticism, but it has to be in order to avoid spoilers. Still it’s too big of an issue to miss as it lessens the impact of the otherwise big finish.

“Night of the Reaper” leans on a number of tropes that horror fans will spot a mile away. And its lack of attention to specific characters and their arcs has repercussions. But the film surprises with its genre fusion of slasher and mystery. It also cleverly channels its 1980s setting through the aesthetic as well as the filmmaking. And it makes good use of its small budget, especially in the gory kill department. As a result, “Night of the Reaper” ends up being a nice surprise and a little bit more than your run-of-the-mill slasher flick.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

First Glance: “Scream 7”

October 30, 2025 by Keith Garlington

The “Scream” franchise keeps chugging along with the upcoming release of “Scream 7”. Wes Craven’s popular slasher film series began in 1996, lasting for four features before running out of steam in 2011. But the series returned in 2022 with a decent reboot only to drop the ball in 2023 with the dreadful “Scream VI”. But now its back with a new creative team, a new focus, and a brand new trailer. And just by first looks, there’s some fun to be had.

“Scream VI” welcomes back the series star Neve Campbell who returns as the original protagonist Sidney Prescott. She and her daughter Tatum (Isabel May) find their quiet, small town life disrupted by the murderous Ghost Face. The trailer also reveals a returning Courtney Cox as dogged reporter Gale Weathers. And it appears they aren’t the only veteran cast members to reappear. Kevin Williamson (who wrote three of the four original Scream movies) directs what looks to be a fun yet derivative sequel. Still, it can’t be much worse than the previous installment.

“Scream VI” slashes its way into theaters on February 27th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Safe House” (2025)

October 30, 2025 by Keith Garlington

2025’s “Safe House” shouldn’t be confused with or considered connected to the 2012 Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds action thriller of the same name. They do fall into the same genre, but that’s about as far as the similarities go. This recent film features a much different story, and director Jaimie Marshall tells it within an impressively lean and efficient 90 minutes.

Penned by screenwriter Leon Langford, “Safe House” maneuvers us through a handful of contrivances and an occasional trope or two on its way to delivering a propulsive action movie that’s just as much a tightly-wound thriller. It does an amazing amount within its fairly modest budget and the ensemble make good fits, often adding more to their characters than the script itself.

The film opens in downtown Los Angeles as a convoy is transporting the Vice President of the United States to a gala being held at City Hall. Suddenly the convoy is hit with high-grade explosives only a few blocks from its destination. At the same time, a bomb is detonated in front of City Hall, releasing a chemical agent into the heart of the city. As unknown gunmen rain down bullets, five federal agents scramble to a high-security federal safe house operated by a “housekeeper” named Anderson (Lucien Laviscount).

With barely any connections between them, the six key characters find themselves locked in a safe house with fellow agents they barely know, if at all. Aside from Anderson, we meet Special Agents Owens (Hannah John-Kamen) and Reeves (Michael Bradway) from the Department of Defense, the secretive Agent Choi (Lewis Tan) who was among the VP’s security detail, the trigger-happy Agent Sorello (Ethan Embry) from Homeland Security, and the grizzled Agent Halton (Holt McCallany) from Langley.

Still shaken from the terrorist attacks, the six agents must navigate their suspicions and work together if they want to survive. But that becomes increasingly difficult after the safe house is contacted by General Marshall (Brett Cullen). He informs the agents that the signal from the detonator used in the bombing has been traced to their building. Believing one of the agents to be the bomber, Marshall remotely seals the safe house until the identity of the bomber is discovered.

Most of the film follows the six rats in a cage who are not only fighting to survive threats from terrorists breaking in from the outside, but also the potential threat from a traitor already among them. Fear and frustration soon leads to paranoia. And the characters, with their distinct personalities and tightly held secrets, begin to clash. As for the audience, we’re left to take it all in – studying the agents and weighing the variables, all in effort to figure out who is or isn’t the person they claim to be.

As the mystery is playing out, the filmmakers break it up with several kinetic action sequences as the terrorists begin penetrating the fortified building. If you look close, there are clues to spot in the hectic shoot-outs and bone-cracking brawls. But these scenes are mostly about the well-choreographed action. It’s intense, fast-paced, and thrilling in large part due to Marshall’s crisp approach and the skillful lensing from cinematographer Michael Merriman.

The biggest problem with “Safe House” is a frustrating one. It’s found in the movie’s big reveal which unfortunately goes the more obvious route. Not only is the culprit’s identity fairly predictable, but their revelation rushes the movie to an underwhelming finish that’s capped off with a cliffhanger meant to set up a sequel. But the unexceptional ending doesn’t undermine the taut powder-keg story that leads to it. Marshall shrewdly keeps us invested by steadily propelling things forward and raising the stakes every step of the way. His steady screw-tightening and bursts of furious action makes “Safe House” an entertaining watch.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Anniversary” (2025)

October 29, 2025 by Keith Garlington

“Anniversary” travels a pretty crazy path. It begins as a domestic thriller before flirting with becoming a psychological thriller and ultimately ending as something resembling a dystopian thriller. It’s a movie filled to the brim with clever ideas, some of which sizzle with intrigue and tension while others have a hard time connecting to everything else we see. Ultimately, I love that “Anniversary” takes some wild swings, even if it doesn’t hit everything it swings at.

“Anniversary” comes from director Jan Komasa who’s working from a screenplay written by Lori Rosene-Gambino. The film sports a terrific ensemble that features Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch, Phoebe Dynevor, Dylan O’Brien, McKenna Grace, Madeline Brewer, and Daryl McCormack. All play characters caught up in a whirlwind of family dysfunction. Some stems from buried issues from their pasts. But most come with the introduction of a new person into their lives.

The movie opens with the Taylor family gathering to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of Ellen (Lane), a Georgetown University professor, and Paul (Chandler), a restaurant owner. Joining the honored couple are their children, Cynthia (Deutch), a stuffy environmental lawyer who brought her disillusioned husband Rob (McCormack), Anna (Brewer), a provocative stand-up comedian, Josh (O’Brien), a smarmy and angsty struggling writer, and their geeky science-loving youngest, Birdie (Grace).

But it’s an outsider brought into their fold who swiftly turns things upside down. Accompanying Josh is his new girlfriend Liz (Dynevor). Josh is smitten with Liz and from all indications she feels the same way about him. But Liz is nervous about meeting his family. We see why once Josh introduces her to his mother. It turns out Ellen and Liz have some bad history dating back to an incident at the University. The sheepish yet cryptic Liz says it’s all behind them while a skeptical and cautious Ellen believes it’s no coincidence that Liz has attached herself to her son.

This first segment sees Komasa planting several narrative seeds as he sets up this complicated family dynamic. From there he jumps ahead eight years, and then two years, and so on. At each stop on the timeline we revisit the Taylors and witness another phase of their deterioration. Ellen’s frustrations with Liz festers, Cynthia battles depression as her relationship with Rob sours. Anna has a violent encounter at one of her shows. And the observant Birdie quietly soaks it all in.

But what about Josh and Liz? The couple marry and soon have twins. Later, Liz writes a controversial book called “The Change” which becomes a cultural phenomenon. The radically political manifesto sells over 10 million copies, making Liz and Josh a wealthy and powerful couple. The success of Liz’s book not only tightens the tension within the Taylor household. It lays the groundwork for an authoritarian dystopia which ends up affecting the story in ways we never see coming.

From the very start there’s no denying the movie’s mammoth ambition. It’s melding of domestic and sociopolitical chaos is bold, but it’s a bit too much for it to handle. Still, the steady screw-tightening creates the kind of ever-intensifying, anxiety-riddled drama that keeps you glued to every harsh word and hateful stare. Meanwhile Komasa opens up a wealth of themes which he examines with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He doesn’t hide his provocative prodding or his blunt-force messaging which overall works for and against his film.

As the film zips from point to point, certain family troubles escalate too quickly and without much explanation. Others feel oddly disconnected from the bigger story. But Komasa steadily propels his story forward, leaving us with little time to dwell on the negatives. He also lets his cast go for the jugular leading to some savory performances. Lane gets one of her meatiest roles in years. Chandler is a stabilizing force. O’Brien exudes detestability. Dynevor is a mystery who never tips her hand. They are all crucial ingredients that make this enthralling, swing-for-the-fences effort work.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “Violent Ends” (2025)

October 28, 2025 by Keith Garlington

Writer-director John-Michael Powell has conceived and crafted one of the best rural crime thrillers in recent years with “Violent Ends”. Shot in Northwest Arkansas with the Ozark Mountains as its backdrop, the film offers a markedly clear-eyed perspective on cycles of violence and the devastating consequences to families caught within them. And though his film is a work of fiction, Powell grounds his story in a rich and visceral authenticity.

“Violent Ends” is an independent film through and through. In addition to its financing and production, this gripping indie tells a uniquely compelling story that’s pulled from a very specific region. It’s a movie more interested in layered storytelling than splashy spectacle. And it remains focused on grounded characters whose lives are molded by the complexity of their circumstances. At the same time, Powell shows an affection for genre which significantly enriches this Southern Gothic revenge thriller.

The film opens with a quote from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. It reads “These violent delights have violent ends“, a reference to the tragic fate of the play’s doomed lovers. The story itself kicks off in the hills of Northwest Arkansas. It takes place in 1992 as rural communities are still recovering from a crippling farming crisis. Seeing an opportunity, the Frost family grew into a powerful crime organization by trafficking cocaine and meth up the Arkansas river, preying on the desperate and despondent.

The Frost family’s operation is ran by three brothers. Ray and Donny oversee the cocaine business while Walt is in charge of the meth trade. The opening scene introduces us to Lucas Frost (Billy Magnusson) as he’s entering the state penitentiary to visit his incarcerated father Ray (Matt Riedy). Lucas shares news that he is about to marry his girlfriend Emma (Alexandria Shipp) and he’s leaving the family business. The news enrages Ray, but Lucas finds support in his mother Darlene (Kate Burton), a sheriff’s deputy caught between caring for her family and covering for them.

Meanwhile, just getting out of prison is Walt’s son, Sid. He’s played by the underrated James Badge Dale who gets a savory villain role he can really sink his teeth into. Sid is a cold menacing presence with a bad haircut and out-of-control ambitions that soon ignite a civil war within the Frost family. It begins with Sid and his brothers robbing a scrapyard as Emma happens to be delivering some checks. In the chaos, Sid’s antsy little brother Eli (Jared Bankens) shoots and kills Emma. It’s a mistake that has a violent ripple effect across the entire family.

Powell uses Emma’s murder to jumpstart his story’s revenge angle as a devastated Lucas sets out to discover who killed his fiancé. And once he follows the trail to Eli, it leads to an explosive chain of events that sees Lucas reeled back into the very life he wanted to escape. As the story careens down its inevitable path to violence, Powell subtly underscores the individual and family tragedies, both of which fuel his film’s powerful thematic core. And by the time we’re done with his tension-soaked final act, the brutal cost of violence has been made painfully clear.

From beginning to end, Powell emerges us in his assiduously defined Southern setting. He and cinematographer Elijah Guess vividly capture rural Arkansas through their carefully chosen locations and keen attention to some of the smallest details. Equally important are the richly textured and lived-in performances from Magnusson, Burton, and Dale, along with strong turns from Nick Stahl and the always great Ray McKinnon.

“Violent Ends” is an inspired sophomore feature from an exciting filmmaker with his finger firmly on the pulse of the story he’s telling. John-Michael Powell’s fresh voice and sharp perspective helps to energize his storytelling while the evocative themes he explores unfold with unsettling clarity and a deep emotional resonance. An intensely focused narrative, great performances, and a splash of genre grit – it all gives “Violent Ends” the kind of kick that will stick with you well after the end credits roll. “Violent Ends” opens in theaters on October 31st.