Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Drop” (2025)

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“Drop” is the latest from writer-director Christopher Landon, the filmmaker who helmed both “Happy Death Day” movies. He also penned the “Paranormal Activity” series and the slasher comedy “Heart Eyes” from earlier this year. His latest serving is a much different dish. “Drop” is an old-school Hitchcockian thriller that is firmly planted in our modern era of social media, memes, iPhones, and AirDrops.

Written by the duo of Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, “Drop” begins by introducing us to a widowed single mother named Violet Gates (Meghann Fahy). Since the traumatic death of her husband, Violet has poured all of herself into helping survivors of abuse and most importantly taking care of her young son Toby (Jacob Robinson).

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

At the urging of her supportive younger sister Jen (Violett Beane), Violet reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a hunky photographer named Henry Campbell (Brandon Sklenar). The two have never met in person but connected three months earlier on a dating app. They finally agree to meet up at the Palate, a swanky restaurant on the 38th floor of a downtown skyrise. The evening starts nicely as the two navigate their mutual nervous attraction. But it changes after Violet starts receiving a flood of anonymous messages on her phone.

The messages start as obnoxious pranks but quickly turn more sinister. They’re sent to her through Digidrop (the movies version of Apple’s AirDrop) which means the sender has to be somewhere within the restaurant. Henry tries to help Violet figure out who’s doing it but to no avail. Then she receives the most terrifying message at all – she’s ordered to kill her date.

Violet immediately refuses. But when the mysterious antagonist shares an image of a masked henchman inside her house, she’s caught between two horrific outcomes – agree and murder an innocent man who seems to genuinely care for her or disagree and risk the lives of her son and sister. From there “Drop” blends mystery will thrills as Violet tries to figure out the identity of her terrorizer while doing everything she can to outsmart him or her.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

There’s a really throwback quality to “Drop” that comes through in its straightforward entertainment value as well as its silliness. Not everything holds up to scrutiny, especially the holes in the plot’s logic and some slight pacing issues. But Landon leaves us with little down-time to overthink things. And he knows what he has in Fahy and Sklenar whose commitment and chemistry helps to elevate the sometimes shaky material.

“Drop” is an efficient and fun date-night thriller that doesn’t ask or expect too much from its audience. It’s pure, straight-shooting entertainment and I can’t help but appreciate it for knowing exactly what it is. Landon does a good job keeping everything on track while Fahy and Sklenar keep us involved enough to actually care about their characters. The movie may not have the staying power to stick with you long after the credits, but you’ll have enough fun watching it to make it well worth the price of a ticket.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Warfare” (2025)

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For decades war movies have come in all shapes and sizes. But only a handful of modern war movies have hit as hard as “Warfare” from Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza. A former U.S. Navy SEAL, Mendoza writes and directs alongside Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”, “Civil War”) to deliver a raw and no frills feature based on his own personal memories. The results are harrowing, sobering, and eye-opening. And it makes for one of the most gripping experiences of the year.

Already heralded for its stunning realism, “Warfare” thrusts us into the grip of combat where bravery and brotherhood are the only means of survival. Before filming began, the cast underwent an intensive three week bootcamp that included weapons training, communications etiquette, and tactical maneuvers. It pays off in some really big ways, adding a striking layer of authenticity that help Mendoza and Garland immerse us deeper into the true-to-life world they’re recreating.

Image Courtesy of A24

The story of “Warfare” is as straightforward as its title. There are no sweeping character arcs, no dense plot, no artificial drama. Set in 2006 during the Iraq War, the movie follows Navy SEAL team Alpha One also known as the Bushmasters. The team are ordered to take up a sniper position on the top floor of a home they commandeer in Ramadi. From there they are to monitor a market place just down the street that’s believed to be a gathering place for insurgents.

One the many effective elements in “Warfare” is in how it presents the moment by moment realities these soldiers face. We’re immediately shown that not every second of a mission is guns blazing. In fact, Mendoza and Garland use their early scenes to emphasize the lull of surveillance and intelligence gathering. Yet they ramp up the tension with subtle references to the danger these young men are in. And when a hand grenade is tossed into their building, the intensity quickly goes from a simmer to a boil.

Things only ratchet up from there as “Warfare” grounds us in the efforts of the platoon to evacuate amid a hail of small arms fire from the converging insurgents. With unflinching effort, Mendoza and Garland put us side by side with the soldiers, making us feel the ferocity of combat without sacrificing verisimilitude for sensationalism. They avoid the usual war movie tropes – no chest-pounding bravado, no “tell my wife I love her” moments, no big inspirational speeches. Every heart-stopping second feels rooted in reality.

Capturing the real-time events is aided by the film’s impressively stacked cast that includes Will Poulter, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Cosmo Jarvis, Michael Gandolfini, and Kit Connor among others. Each young actor clearly understands their assignment and fully commits to bringing their real-life characters to the screen as authentically as possible. They really shine in the second half as the mission falls apart and the “war is hell” adage takes full form.

Image Courtesy of A24

Equally impressive and just as vital is the technical craft, from the stunning cinematography to the concussive sound design. Both contribute to the overall visceral reaction the movie evokes, at times hitting like a sensory assault but in the most fitting way. Take the scene where an IED is suddenly detonated. The sound of the blast rattled my theater and the disorientation of the aftereffects underscores the chaos. Both leave such an impact.

Those who tend to view war movies through the prism of politics may be discouraged to find that “Warfare” isn’t interested in sermonizing or editorialization. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty that we can conclude from the moral murkiness that unfolds onscreen. But the movie’s focus remains on the men in uniform, and for 93 minutes we follow them through the trenches of warfare where we’re inspired by acts of heroism yet grieved at the human cost. It’s the latter that makes “Warfare” such a gut punch.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Movie Poster Spotlight: “Sinners”

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Among the most intriguing films of the still early movie year is “Sinners”, the latest collaboration between writer-director Ryan Coogler and his favorite star Michael B. Jordan. Coogler and Warner Bros. have done a terrific job promoting this period action horror feature starting with their ferocious trailers. Now the studio has dropped yet another new poster which once again fits right in with everything they’ve shown us so far.

DIRECTOR – Ryan Coogler

WRITERS – Ryan Coogler

STARRING – Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, Yao, Lola Kirk, Helena Hu

RELEASE – April 18, 2025

Check out the sizzling new poster below and let me know what you think.

REVIEW: “Gunslingers” (2025)

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It may not be the most audacious of titles, but in the case of “Gunslingers” the shoe fits. Brian Skiba directs, writes, produces, and edits this fairly action-packed Western that’s built upon the kind of premise you might see in a Corbucci or Leone feature. There is no shortage of Old West blood and carnage, and it features arguably the wackiest Nicholas Cage performance to date.

When read together, those sound like ingredients for a winning recipe. Unfortunately “Gunslingers” never quite reaches the heights of its genre potential. Nagging issues repeatedly drag the movie down, often just as it’s winning us over. Among those issues are a handful of shaky performances often for underdeveloped characters. But more frustrating, almost nothing about the movie feels the slightest bit authentic – not the characters, the relationships, or even the one-horse town where most of the story takes place.

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

Opening in 1903, Stephen Dorff plays Thomas Keller, a New York hoodlum who is forced to flee the city after killing a crooked and powerful mogul named Jess Rockefeller. During the fracas, his brother Robert (Jeremy Kent Jackson) is also killed – or so Thomas thinks. From there we jump ahead four years with Thomas in Kentucky laying low and dodging the occasional bounty hunters who are all out to collect the massive blunter put on his head by the Rockefellers.

After one particularly violent encounter leaves his horse dead, Thomas makes his way to the tiny town of Redemption, a community of outcasts and lawbreakers who have found absolution under the guidance of their leader, Jericho (Costas Mandylor). Thomas believes he has found a new home and is baptized into the ranks of the townsfolk. But his peace is short-lived following the arrival of a woman named Valerie (Heather Graham) and her young daughter Gracie (Ava Monroe Tadross).

We learn Valerie has a connection to Thomas – a connection that becomes a lot clearer when his brother Robert shows up along with a 100-man posse. It turns out Robert (obviously) survived and cut a deal with the Rockefellers to bring Thomas back. And while he’s there, he might as well grab the bounties on the other citizens of Redemption. It all eventually leads to a showdown, with the townsfolk holed up in the saloon and Robert and his men surrounding them.

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

While there are plenty of bloody shootouts, much of the film focuses on Thomas fitting in with the people of Redemption. There’s Jericho’s daughter, Bella (Scarlet Rose Stallone), the enigmatic Lin (Tzi Ma), the hunky Levi (Cooper Barnes), and so on. But to no surprise the most notable is Nicholas Cage’s Ben, the Bible-reading town photographer who refuses to even touch a gun. It’s such a weird performance with Cage bopping around with a crazed sway, funky glasses, and a wheezy voice. His acting straddles the line between sly dark comedy and just plain bad.

Sadly the movie’s treatment of the characters never gets beyond skin-deep. Few if any of the locals feel at home in Redemption, and the town lacks a lived-in feel. It makes buying into the drama more difficult than it should be. The action spices things up a bit with Skiba showing his affection for the genre. Meanwhile Dorff and Graham do what they can with the material. But “Gunslingers” relies too much on tired Western tropes and not enough on good old-fashioned character work and world-building.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Hell of a Summer” (2025)

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Independent distributors Neon and A24 have a long history of releasing prestigious indies that are hits with critics and awards voters alike. At the same time, neither have been afraid to delve into genre, especially the diverse and blood-soaked world of horror. The latest example is Neon’s “Hell of a Summer”, a horror-comedy homage of sorts from co-directors, co-writers, co-producers, and co-stars Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk.

To the young filmmakers’ credit, Bryk and Wolfhard show off a genuine appreciation for the slasher genre. But outside of a few funny lines and some well-executed gags, they aren’t able to bring along anything fresh or unexpected. And they aren’t able to put their own stamp on what is well-worn material. Even more, they never quite commit to either the horror or the satire. So the movie ends up stuck somewhere in the middle, excelling in neither but not really floundering either.

Image Courtesy of NEON

“Hell of a Summer” embraces nearly every summer camp slasher trope, putting a playful spin on some of them and leaning a bit too heavily on others. The film’s biggest strength is found in the goofy but endearing Fred Hechinger. He plays Jason Hochberg, a 24 year-old whose low-bar dream is to one day become a camp leader. In fact he’s so determined that he chose his seventh straight summer at Camp Pineway over an internship at a law firm, much to the chagrin of his frustrated mother (Susan Coyne).

Jason arrives at Pineaway Camp to work another summer for the owners, John (Adam Pally) and Kathy (Rosebud Baker). What he doesn’t know is that the couple have been mercilessly murdered by an unseen killer in the film’s prologue. Jason takes it upon himself to take charge until John and Kathy arrive. But that’s easier said than done, especially on Counselor Weekend where his fellow camp counselors would rather party than do any of Jason’s planned activities.

Outside of Jason, the counselors are a collection of slasher movie archetypes whose purpose should come as no surprise. There’s the image-obsessed Bobby (Bryk), the lovestruck Chris (Wolfhard) and the girl he’s crushing on, Shannon (Krista Nazaire), the tough guy, Mike (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), the TikTok pretty girl, Demi (Pardis Saremi), the kindly outcast, Claire (Abby Quinn), the theater brat, Ezra (Matthew Finlan), the weird girl who loves the occult, Noelle (Julia Lalonde), the moody kid with a peanut allergy, Ari (Daniel Gravelle), and the raging vegan, Miley (Julia Doyle).

Image Courtesy of NEON

In fairness, nearly everyone has at least one funny line to deliver which turns out to be one of the movie’s saving graces. But in reality they’re just fodder for the masked killer who pops back up and starts murdering the counselors in often underwhelming ways. The mystery of the killer’s identity immediately becomes a central part of the story. Unfortunately the reveal is a shallow, uninspired letdown which leaves a ton of questions and ends things on a yawn-worthy note.

Outside of several funny lines and a really good Fred Hechinger performance, “Hell of a Summer” has a hard time standing out in a memorable way. It can’t quite muster the same appeal as the blood-soaked genre movies it clearly admires. And it doesn’t have enough of its own flavor to come across as something original. But Bryk and Wolfhard show impressive flashes as young filmmakers, especially when it comes to snappy humor. And while they still have a ways to go in some areas, the pair show an energy and commitment that will only help them going forward.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Remembering Val Kilmer (1959 – 2025)

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Last week Hollywood lost the great Val Kilmer, a fascinating and immensely talented actor whose career spanned 40 years. Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles, California and passed away on April 1st at the age of 65. Kilmer’s lengthy battle with health issues dates back to his 2015 throat cancer diagnosis. He would undergo numerous procedures, rounds of chemotherapy, and two tracheotomies. Many of his successes and struggles are documented in his extraordinary 2021 documentary “Val”.

Kilmer’s movie career began with the raucous 1984 comedy “Top Secret!”. But he would take off two years later after appearing in one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, “Top Gun”. Kilmer would star in several other box office hits, but he also took on a number of challenging independent roles. His career hit a speed bump in the 2000s but he continued to work, making his final big screen appearance in the blockbuster hit “Top Gun: Maverick”.

Val Kilmer’s memory lives on through a number of movies loved by many. Whether he was playing Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Doc Holliday, Bruce Wayne, or Jim Morrison, Val Kilmer brought a bit of himself to every role he played. And that made his characters and his movies better.