Director, writer, and producer Steve McQueen brings his incisive real-world filmmaking back to his home city of London in “Blitz”, an impeccably well-made historical drama set in the early days of World War II during what many called “The Blitz”. Named after Germany’s Blitzkrieg, The Blitz was an eight-month period when Hitler’s Air Force unleashed a major bombing campaign over British cities. During that time over 1.2 million people were evacuated from ravaged British targets with more than half being children.

That bit of history sets the table for McQueen’s heart-rending story. After a truly harrowing four-minute opening that features firefighters battling raging infernos caused by German bombs, we’re introduced to the film’s two main characters, a devoted mother named Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her good-hearted 9-year-old biracial son, George (Elliott Heffernan). Their unshakable bond is the emotional linchpin that secures McQueen’s story.

McQueen drops us into September of 1940. It’s only one year into World War II, but the impact of Hitler’s aggression is being felt all across England. Rita and George live in a London flat with her piano-playing father, Gerald (Paul Weller) who has a strong attachment to his dear grandson. But outside of their small but loving home is a much harsher and troubled world.

As the Nazi bombings intensify, Rita is convinced to send George to the countryside on a train full of other kids being evacuated. The two don’t part on the best of terms as the frustrated George shuts out his heartbroken mother. But as the train nears its destination, a remorseful George jumps off and heads off on an ill-advised adventure back to London in hopes of reconciling with his mother.

The majority of the story follows George’s dangerous journey which opens his young eyes to the terrible realities of his world. He meets an assortment of people along the way, some vile and opportunistic while others show much needed compassion. McQueen shows us both sides through George’s naive and innocent eyes which offers a raw and forthright perspective. Young Heffernan (making his feature film debut) is terrific, quietly conveying everything we need to understand what George is feeling. It’s a potent first performance.

As George tries to find his way home, Rita goes to work in a factory making bombs for the war effort. She also volunteers at a shelter for displaced locals. But once she gets word that George didn’t arrive with the other children, she sets out on her own mission to find her son. Ronan has always possessed a near effortless grace. Here she combines it with a fraught motherly intensity resulting in a warm yet steely performance that’s crucial to McQueen’s vision.

As “Blitz” moves forward, flashbacks offer some needed context and depth especially involving George’s father, Marcus (CJ Beckford). They’re well done and informative though not particularly original in where they go. And as McQueen is known to do, his film takes moments to examine racial prejudice. Some of the scenes are powerful while others feel framed for the audience rather than organic to the story. They can be a little too on-the-nose and even clumsy at times, lacking the storytelling finesse we’ve come to expect from the filmmaker.

But those are such small quibbles for a movie this stirring, heartfelt, and well crafted. Steve McQueen remains a fascinating filmmaker. With “Blitz” he embraces an old-fashioned classicism yet isn’t afraid to add his own creative flavor. His film is very much a lavish wartime drama, illuminated through the period-piece lensing of DP Yorick Le Saux. But as with most of McQueen’s projects, it’s a human drama at its core. There are moments of inspiration but even more that shatter us. And then McQueen hits us with something like the film’s Café de Paris nightclub sequence – the kind of technically brilliant and emotionally sobering scene that makes his movies must-see experiences.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

In the biographical drama “Bonhoeffer”, writer-director Todd Komarnicki attempts to tell the fascinating true story of German pastor, theologian, and vocal anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Jonas Dassler is given the weighty task of portraying the titular lead character whose significant life was marked by courage, resilience, persecution, and eventually martyrdom.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born February 4, 1906 in Breslau, Germany (now Poland) and grew up in a large and loving family. By age 21 he was completing his Doctor of Theology degree and at age 25 he was ordained to ministry. But the course of his life changed with Adolph Hitler’s rise to power and the spread of Naziism across his country. Not only was Bonhoeffer instrumental in defending the sanctity of the church from the Third Reich’s influence, but he stepped beyond the pulpit to aid oppressed Jews and even helped in devising a plan to assassinate the Führer.

Anyone attempting to chronicle the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer automatically has a lot of ground to cover. And if “Bonhoeffer” has one noticeable flaw, it’s its use of elements from conventional biopic formulas to help cover as much ground as possible. But while Komarnicki may borrow from other biopic blueprints, he doesn’t rely on them. He incorporates many of his own ideas both narratively and structurally. And ultimately it’s the power of Bonhoeffer’s rich and inspirational true story that Komarnicki leans on most. The results are gripping, provocative, and deeply affecting.

Komarnicki takes a non-linear approach to telling Bonhoeffer’s story, beginning in 1914 at his childhood family home in rural Germany before quickly shifting to 1945 Bavaria where he is imprisoned for his Nazi opposition and more directly his involvement in the plot to kill Hitler. As he awaits his fate, he begins reflecting on his tremendous life.

From there Komarnicki transports us back to key points in Bonhoeffer’s journey. We witness how 12-year-old Dietrich’s life was impacted by the death of his big brother in World War I. Years later we follow him to Union Seminary in New York where he attends as Berlin’s star theological pupil. There he befriends a Black man named Frank Fisher (David Jonsson, “Alien: Romulus”) who introduces him to a new kind of spirituality, jazz music, and an eye-opening bigotry and hatred that Dietrich never knew existed.

But reality truly sets in after Dietrich returns home and learns of Hitler’s ascension. Among the many troubling aspects of the Führer’s systematic power-grab is the Nazi influence on the church. It included the removal of the Jewish Bible and all imagery, as well as the promotion of pastors who were sympathetic to the Nazi cause. It doesn’t take long for Deitrich’s blind optimism and naïveté to give way to a principle-driven boldness to speak out, not only against the current trend of the church, but against Hitler himself.

Dietrich’s unwavering courage immediately puts a target on his back. Yet he continues to fight, pushing for the church to stand on the truth and to reject the false doctrines of the German Reich Church. Among those inspired by Dietrich’s conviction is his friend and fellow pastor Martin Niemöller (played by August Diehl – brilliant in 2019’s “A Hidden Life”). Together they’re instrumental in creating underground seminaries and helping to found the Confessing Church.

Komarnicki goes even further, showing Deitrich’s efforts to smuggle Jews out of the country with his brother-in-law Hans (Flula Borg) and his work in Sussex, England, secretly encouraging pastors to share the truth of what’s happening in Germany to the outside world. And then there’s his part in the plot to assassinate Hitler and the moral dilemma he faces as a pastor and a pacifist. Some of these endeavors could have benefited from more attention, but they all help give us a better grasp of Bonhoeffer’s extraordinary life.

As history informs us, Deitrich Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9, 1945 at the age of 39, mere weeks before Germany surrendered to the Allies. While the finer details surrounding his death have been debated, “Bonhoeffer” chooses a more sanitized yet no less powerful approach to his final moments that stresses the impact of his enormous sacrifice. It’s a stirring punctuation mark on a true story that emphasizes the refusal to keep silent in the face of unspeakable evil.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

I personally enjoy Christmas movies. Old ones, new ones, serious ones, silly ones – there is a wide variety that my family and I watch each year. But they only really resonate with me during the Christmas season. For me that starts in earnest on the day after Thanksgiving. So watching and reviewing a new Christmas movie outside of those silly self-imposed parameters is a risky prospect.

But a big tip of the toboggan to “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, a genuinely funny and uplifting holiday dramedy from director Dallas Jenkins. Written for the screen by the trio of Ryan Swanson, Platte Clark, and Darin McDaniel, this big-hearted family-friendly feature is an adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s beloved 1972 children’s novel of the same name. And what can I say – it has all the makings of a new perennial Christmastime favorite.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” uses a similar framework as the beloved yuletide classic “A Christmas Story”. It features a narrator sharing a meaningful story from their childhood. But instead of the bespectacled Ralphie, here it’s young Beth Bradley (Molly Belle Wright) who lives with her mother Grace (a terrific Judy Greer), her dad Bob (Pete Holmes), and her kid brother Charlie (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez) in the cozy little town of Emmanuel.

Emmanuel is perhaps best known for two things: their annual Christmas pageant which is about to celebrate its 75th anniversary, and the Herdman kids – unruly terrors from the proverbial other side of the tracks who are known to lie, fight, bully, cuss, steal, and occasionally set a fire or two around town. Needless to say, everybody in Emmanuel knows the six rowdy Herdmans – Ralph, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, Gladys, and their tough-as-leather leader Imogene.

Everyone is anticipating this year’s pageant to be the biggest one ever. But things take a turn after its long-time organizer and director, the stern Mrs. Armstrong (Mariam Bernstein) takes a spill and breaks both her legs. With no one stepping up to take the reins, Grace volunteers to head this year’s pageant. It’s a noble undertaking that proves to be more challenging than she ever expected.

As Grace holds her first casting meeting at the local church, she’s shocked by the sudden appearance of the Herdmans who stake their claims on the Nativity’s biggest roles while daring any of the other kids to try out. The rough and gruff Imogene is expressly intent on playing Mary which raises the ire of several other parents. So Grace finds herself in a pickle. Does she let the unchurched Herdmans participate and risk ruining the biggest Christmas pageant in its 75-year history? Or does she take the safe route and replace them, losing the true meaning of the season in the process?

It’s not too hard to figure out where things go, especially considering movies like this tend to follow similar paths. And you’ll spot several well-worn Christmas tropes scattered around. Yet “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” maintains an irresistible charm and a heartfelt sincerity that never turns saccharine. It’s also consistently funny and surprisingly self-aware. And while it clearly has something to say, it doesn’t beat anyone over the head. Instead, its message flows naturally throughout the story, from its playful opening to its affecting finish.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” turns out to be a bona fide delight that’s sure to warm the heart of the jolliest elf or the most hardened Grinch. A perfectly tuned Judy Greer is a treat while Beatrice Schneider as Imogene is a revelation. They’re joined by a fun and festive ensemble who help make this holiday feature one of the most joyous surprises of 2024. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

After the commercial success of Tim Burton’s 1988 dark fantasy horror comedy “Beetlejuice”, Warner Bros. Pictures was thinking about a follow-up as early as 1990. Several scripts were written and considered, with some of the ideas sounding much better than others (believe it or not, “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” was actually pitched). But numerous delays and distractions pretty much buried any hopes of a sequel. That is until now.

Here we are 36 years later with Burton reteaming with Warner Bros. for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, the second installment in this oddball (dare I say it ) franchise. I enjoyed the original “Beetlejuice”, but I wasn’t the kind of fan who was hungry for more. Perhaps that’s why I’m so surprised by how much enjoyed this sequel. Is it because it’s a nostalgic blast? Or is it just great seeing Tim Burton let loose with his morbid sense of humor? I think it’s a lot of both.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” welcomes back the familiar faces of Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and of course the indelible Michael Keaton while introducing several well-tuned new faces including Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe. Tonally, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is perfectly in-sync with its predecessor. It’s full of wacky effects, cool animatronics, and a slew of macabre gags, all of which generate the kind of horror-inspired zaniness that energized the ‘88 film.

In the 36 years since the events of the first film, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) has went from the eccentric goth girl who was nearly married off to a loony demon named Betelgeuse (aka Beetlejuice) to an anxious psychic mediator with her own television show called “Ghost House”. She has a daughter, Astrid (Ortega) who is away at border school, but their relationship has been strained since the tragic death of her husband and Astrid’s father, Richard (Santiago Cabrera).

Lydia gets a phone call from her stepmother Delia (O’Hara) informing her that her father, Charles died while on a bird watching expedition in the South Pacific. So they both return to the little town of Winter River, Connecticut to plan the funeral, picking up Astrid on the way. Once there, Astrid is introduced to Rory (a hilarious Theroux), her mother’s boyfriend who has a knack for always saying the wrong things. Astrid also meets a local boy named Jeremy (Arthur Conti) and the two hit it off.

But things take a bonkers turn after Astrid is lured into the afterlife where she hopes to reconnect with her father. But she finds herself trapped in the hereafter with a hilariously gonzo assortment of Burton-conceived grotesqueries. Desperate to rescue her daughter, Lydia calls on her old nemesis Betelgeuse for help. For those who may have forgotten, Betelgeuse is a rambunctious spirit from the afterlife who desperately wants back in the land of the living. And he still thinks marrying Lydia is his ticket to get there.

So Lydia says his name three times, summoning Betelgeuse. They then make a pact – he helps her retrieve Astrid and she agrees to marry him. But Betelgeuse has some problems of his own, namely his furious ex-wife Delores LaVerge (Bellucci). It turns out Delores was a member of a soul-sucking death cult who Betelgeuse hacked to pieces after discovering she had poisoned him. Now she wants revenge. Tracking it all is Wolf Jackson, a character who doesn’t make much sense but who is still a lot of fun thanks to an all-in Willem Dafoe. Wolf was a B-movie action star when living and now works as a semi-hard-boiled afterlife detective.

There are countless callbacks to the 1988 film including the Deetz’s creepy hilltop house overlooking the town, a brief rendition of Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song”), even the returns of the stop-motion sand worm and everyone’s favorite Shrinker, Bob. The movie also keeps it’s gleefully irreverent and politically incorrect tenor which fuels several of the funniest moments. And then there is the cast who are all fully committed yet clearly having an absolute blast with everything they’re asked to do.

On the negative side, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” packs a little too much into its story which leaves some characters and their arcs noticeably underdeveloped (Bellucci’s Delores being a prime example). But it’s hard not to be drawn to the movie’s distinct sense of humor and black heart charm. And who wouldn’t want to watch the great Michael Keaton hop back into one the wackiest roles of his storied career? “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Zoë Kravitz makes her feature film directorial debut with “Blink Twice”, a movie built upon a few interesting ideas but without enough original ones of its own. What is intended to be a firm statement of gender dynamics and empowerment ends up being a hollow and borderline exploitative exercise that’s nowhere near the clever and insightful social satire it aims to be. That’s a shame because Kravitz clearly knows how to handle a camera.

“Blink Twice” stars Kravitz’s fiancée Channing Tatum. He plays a disgraced billionaire tech mogul named Slater King who just recently stepped down as CEO of his company King-Tech following some unspecified inappropriate conduct. Since then, Slater has made numerous public apologies, sought therapy, and bought his own island where he can retreat and reflect. Yea, right.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) is a designer nail artist and part-time waitress who happens to be working tables at a charity event sponsored by Slater King. She and her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) smuggle in two cocktail dresses and sneak into the gala as guests. While there, Frida bumps into to the hunky Slater and the two hit it off. It prompts Slater to invite Frida and Jess to join him and his privileged friends on a getaway to his private island. Of course they agree and soon are whisked away on a King-Tech private jet.

One scene later and we’re at Slater’s palatial island estate where Frida and Jess are joined by his pals Vic (Christian Slater), Cody (Simon Rex), Tom (Haley Joel Osment) and Lucas (Levon Hawke) along with three other female guests, Sarah (Adria Arjona), Camilla (Liz Caribel), and Heather (Trew Mullen). It’s a dream vacation, but we realize it’s too good to be true (something that should have been obvious to our protagonists the second Geena Davis pops up to collect everyone’s cell phones).

From there, measuring time is impossible as Kravitz moves us through one day of alcohol and drug-driven revelry after another. Meanwhile her story (which she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum) has a hard time nailing down its tone. The movie seems to have as much fun filming the hard-partying scenes as the characters do partaking. There are sudden bursts of comedy and we get several head-bobbing needle drops. But it also wants us to feel uneasy, especially once Frida starts noticing strange things that she can’t quite figure out.

But the movie comes completely unglued in its third act, losing every shred of nuance and devolving into an uber-bloody girl-boss phantasmagoria. That may sound like a fun, go-for-the-jugular finish and it could have been if not for the heavy-handed messaging, some laughably on-the-nose dialogue, and the simple fact that none of the film’s shallow one-dimensional characters earn our investment. Not to mention it adds yet another shift in tone that further distracts from the movie’s thematic intentions.

“Blink Twice” sets itself up nicely, teasing us with a story that mixes Hitchcockian suspense with a little Shyamalan wackiness. But as is often the case, the issues are in the execution. The suspense never reaches a simmer and the wackiness almost feels unintentional. To Kravitz’s credit the film looks great which testifies to her sharp instincts with the camera. But so much remains underdeveloped that the message loses its power, no matter how hard we’re hit over the head with it. “Blink Twice” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

“The Beast Within” opens with a line from an old proverb, “There are two wolves inside all of us … they are always at war.” The Two Wolves legend has often been attributed to a Cherokee elder speaking to his grandson. It’s essentially a metaphor for the inner conflict where the two wolves represent doing good and doing evil. When asked which wolf would win, the elder responded, “The one you feed.”

That proverb emphasizes a compelling struggle that “The Beast Within” attempts to explore through the guise of an old-fashioned werewolf movie. But at its heart, this patient and measured horror thriller has human interests that stretch well beyond genre. Father-daughter relationships, loss of innocence, and generational trauma are just some of the thematic through-lines that become easier to spot as the story unfolds.

Director Alexander J. Farrell, who wrote the script alongside Greer Ellison, seems to do a lot with a little. I’m guessing some choices were made with budget constraints in mind. Other choices simply show good instincts. The small cast and fairly limited setting certainly help with cost. But they’re also fitting for this particular story. And we don’t see much in terms of creature effects because Farrell keeps his lycan offscreen for the vast majority of the movie. It may seem like a shortcut, but it effectively works in the story’s best interest.

Set mostly in and around a remote country manor, the bulk of the story is told through the perspective of a young girl named Willow (played by the talented Caoilinn Springall – also great in this year’s “Stopmotion”). Willow has an unexplained respiratory disorder that forces her to use oxygen whenever she gets anxious. And that’s often in their troubled household. Her mother, Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) tries her best to shield her daughter from a dark family secret. But the more the curious and observant Willow secretly probes, the closer she gets to a painful truth.

While Willow has a close bond with her mother and grandfather Waylon (James Cosmo), her relationship with her father Noah (Kit Harington) is more complicated. She both adores and fears him – conflicting feelings stemming from Noah’s unpredictable manner which vacillates between loving and seething. But no one wants to talk about the real issue, preferring to keep Willow in the dark despite her father’s growing volatility, especially during a full moon.

Noah lingers on the periphery for much of the film, adding an uneasy presence that Farrell takes advantage of on multiple occasions. It allows us to hone in on the characters and the intricacies of their relationships which is ultimately what the movie is most interested in. But it also adds a thick layer of tension than only intensifies as the inevitable revelations come to light. Harington ably embodies each of the “two wolves” while young Springall does a good job earning our empathy.

By the end, the story’s allegory may be a bit on-the-nose, but it’s plenty impactful. Farrell adds some subtle twists and the mystery is made more effective by his ability to plant questions in our minds. Meanwhile cinematographer Daniel Katz cements the tone with his clever framing, moody interiors, and beautiful yet ominous drone shots of the countryside. It’s crucial to connecting us to this slow-paced yet savvy family story that both demands and rewards our patience. “The Beast Within” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS