If you’re familiar with director Josephine Decker’s past work, you might have a hard time believing she’s at the helm of the Sundance comedy “Chasing Summer”. It’s such a dramatic turn from what she’s done previously. And while it’s always commendable to see a filmmaker extending themselves in new directions, the messy misfire that is “Chasing Summer” proves that good results are never guaranteed.

While Decker’s struggles are noticeable, just as much (if not more) of the blame goes to the script, written by the film’s charismatic star, Iliza Shlesinger. Decker never seems to have a firm grasp on the material which starts off strong, but quickly begins to lose its way. It eventually craters thanks to a ludicrous late twist that leaves a plot hole the size of the Grand Canyon. It completely cuts the already wobbly legs out from under the story and its premise.

As mentioned, the film starts out strong by introducing us to Jamie (Shlesinger), a forty-something relief worker who is providing aide to tornado victims in Mississippi. While there, she’s informed by her boyfriend and co-worker that he’s breaking up with her after five years together. Forced to move out and with nowhere else to go, Jamie returns to her small hometown in Texas to stay with her parents over the summer.

The problem is Jamie doesn’t have the fondest memories of her hometown. She hasn’t been back in twenty years, which is when she left after an ugly breakup with her old boyfriend Chase (Tom Welling) led to vicious rumors that ruined her reputation all across their town. But now she’s back and forced to reconnect with her former life which includes old family, old friends, and her old fling.

The movie’s central theme of confronting your former life and re-evaluating your current one plays out in Jamie’s awkward reunions with the people from her past. The best of the lot are her parents, Layanne (Megan Mullally) and Randall (Jeff Perry) who perfectly fit the small town mold while delivering some great laughs. There’s also Jamie’s crass older sister Marissa (Cassidy Freeman) who owns a local roller skating rink. And her three gossipy classmates (Aimee Garcia, Lauren Aboulafia, Lindsey Moore), all married with children. And of course the hunky Chase who is still beloved around town.

But what begins as a screwball comedy throwback turns into something messy, generic, and in some cases utterly baffling. The kink in the storytelling comes when Jamie starts a steamy romance with a local named Colby (Garrett Wareing). He’s some twenty years younger and fresh out of high school, but that doesn’t stop them hooking up and making no real effort to hide it. Age-gap romances are nothing new. But here it’s handled like a clunky teen comedy. Even worse is the preposterous plot twist it leads to which gashes any chance of taking things seriously.

“Chasing Summer” is a head-scratching misfire that consistently seems at odds with itself. It’s a movie marked by early highs, late lows, and a flop of a finish that ends up being its death knell. Decker and Shlesinger’s collaboration begins as the kind of zany comedy anchored enough in the real world to resonate. It ends up being an indistinct and forgettable letdown that seems custom made for streaming. And it’s not the kind of reinvention you hope to see from a filmmaker like Decker.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Horror and comedy collide with somewhat mixed results in director Colin Minihan’s “Coyotes”. This often silly and rarely scary feature kicks off with a lot of promise. But it’s not long until the whole endeavor turns into one big missed opportunity. It’s a movie that has its moments, mostly from its cheeky swings at humor. But it’s hampered by a lack of thrills and a reheated family story that we’ve seen time and time again.

The film stars real-life couple Justin Long and Kate Bosworth. They play Scott and Liv, a well-to-do couple living comfortably in their affluent Hollywood Hills neighborhood with their moody teenage daughter Chloe (Mila Harris). Local newscasts report that surrounding wildfires have pushed ravenous coyotes deeper into Los Angeles resulting in several attacks. But that barely registers with this privileged family who feel perfectly safe in their swanky house on a hill.

But that changes when an overnight Santa Ana windstorm blows down a tree that crushes their car and cuts a power line, leaving them without electricity or phone service. It’s obviously very inconvenient for the family but it’s very convenient for the story which needs them trapped and isolated for the coyote carnage that’s to come. And that carnage comes in a hurry.

Before long the snarling menaces are terrorizing Scott, Liv and Chloe. But not in a way that feels remotely harrowing (as intended). Instead, their encounters with the beasts routinely come across as cartoonish rather than actually frightening. Contributing to that is the often obvious CGI which not only makes the coyotes look digitally rendered but act like it too. In many ways they’re smarter than the humans, which is humorous in itself. But it’s hard to be too scared when they look this computer generated.

As for the family drama, it’s nothing especially new. A workaholic father reconnecting with his neglected family and reprioritizing his life in the face of imminent danger – we’ve seen it before. Meanwhile we get a colorful assortment of side characters including a spacey call girl, Julie (Brittany Allen), their weirdo next-door neighbor, Trip (Norbert Leo Butz), Scott’s beer-swigging buddy, Tony (Kevin Glynn), and the overly dramatic pest control guy, Devon (Keir O’Donnell). They’re mainly around for comic relief and most exist solely to be coyote fodder.

There may not be much tension and its story may not be the most original, but “Coyotes” does land several good laughs. Minihan knows his premise is preposterous, and he (smartly) never takes things too seriously. He also lets loose with a handful of gleefully gory death scenes that will entertain those who appreciate a good on-screen kill. But the gags and guts can only carry the movie so far. And latching onto anything beyond that is a lot harder than it should be. “Coyotes” is in select theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

In terms of style and substance, Darren Aronofsky movies tend to have many similarities. Most offer dark examinations of the human experience, often focusing on such themes as self-destructive obsessions, psychological trauma and the like. But his latest is something quite different. “Caught Stealing” is a loud and messy attempt at mixing black comedy with a crime thriller. It has its moments of pop appeal, but not enough of them.

Aronofsky directs from a screenplay written by Charlie Huston. It’s a screenplay based on Huston’s own 2004 novel of the same name. For me, the film’s biggest draw is rising star Austin Butler. With an Academy Award nomination already under his belt, the 34-year-old Butler has certainly made a name for himself, having worked with such names as Tarantino, Villeneuve, Nichols, Aster, and now Aronofsky.

Set in 1998, Butler plays Hank Thompson, an alcoholic in denial who works as a bartender in New York City’s Lower East Side. Hank was a high school baseball phenom who was expected to be the top pick in the Major League Baseball draft. But his future was derailed after a drunk driving accident kills his friend and severely injures his knee. Now he’s left regretting his past and wondering what might have been. To get by he relies on a lot of booze and his overly patient girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz).

One afternoon Hank and Yvonne arrive at his apartment where they’re greeted by his neighbor, an obnoxious punk rock hellion named Russ (Matt Smith). Russ informs Hank that he’s returning to London to see his dying father and he needs someone to look after his cat. Hank reluctantly agrees. But things get crazy when Hank is visited by two Russian mobsters, Aleksei (Yuri Kolokolnikov) and Pavel (Nikita Kukushkin) who are looking for Russ. Hank gets beaten to pulp and threatened with more if he doesn’t find Russ and the money he stole before skipping the country.

From there Aronofsky’s loud, brash, and violent crime romp moves at breakneck speed. As it does, more characters enter the chaos, most notably Regina King as a dogged police detective, Elise Roman. And I can’t forget Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio as Hasidic brothers Lipa and Shmully Drucker, two notorious gangsters with connections to Russ and the missing money. Like every other character, they’re each given standout moments. And like every other character, they’re sometimes lost in the mayhem.

For most of its running time, “Caught Stealing” bops along as a comically violent, gleefully profane, and inherently silly mishmash. Yet there are a handful of what should be emotionally crucial moments that are impossible to take seriously amid the zany genre hopscotch. At the same time, the glimpses we get of Aronofsky’s usual deep-thinking interests remain hazy due to the film’s frustrating identity crisis. And even a terrific ensemble led by the effortlessly charismatic Butler can’t make this uneven exercise crackle the way it should.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

With 2013’s “The Conjuring”, director James Wan kicked off what would unexpectedly become one of my personal favorite horror film franchises. While the spin-off films have been somewhat hit-or-miss, the three proper Conjuring films have succeeded in creating an authentically creepy world built around two compelling and surprisingly endearing lead characters, both wonderfully played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.

Based on the case files of real-life paranormal investigators and demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, the Conjuring films tell of their efforts to help tormented families from supernatural forces of evil. That brings us to “Last Rites”, the fourth installment that has been advertised as “the case that ended it all”, It certainly feels like a conclusion and if so, the series ends with yet another solid entry.

Following a prologue highlighting the birth and childhood of their daughter Judy, “Last Rites” settles in 1986 as Ed and Lorraine (Wilson and Farmiga) have stopped taking cases, in large part due to his worsening heart condition. Instead, they spend their spare time giving lectures to small groups on college campuses. At home, a grown-up Judy (Mia Tomlinson) struggles with similar premonitions as her mother. On a lighter note, she’s head-over-heels for her boyfriend Tony (Ben Hardy) who is secretly preparing to propose to her.

Meanwhile in the industrial suburb of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, the Smurl family have found themselves the target of something sinister and supernatural. Husband and wife Jack and Janet Smurl (Elliot Cowan and Rebecca Calder) live in a bustling two-story townhouse with their four daughters and Jack’s parents. The strange occurrences begin after one of the daughters is gifted an antique mirror for her confirmation. But the encounters quickly and violently intensify, leaving the terrified family desperate for help.

Of course the Warrens eventually get involved but not without hesitation. I won’t spoil what leads to their involvement, but director Michael Chaves, working with the screenwriting trio of Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, is patient in building up the Warrens’ story, right up to where it intersects with the Smurls. Interestingly, that patience has always been strength of the Conjuring movies. It’s the willingness to spend time on the characters and their relationships. It’s a trait that can make the films feel like slow burns. But I’ve always found it impactful, and it’s no different here.

As it has since the very beginning, it all revolves around Ed and Lorraine. Over the years, watching Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga flesh out these two fabulous characters has created an emotional attachment for the audience that makes their journey together the real centerpiece of the series. Their loving and devoted union has always played a crucial part in these stories and it’s no difference in “Last Rites”. And it’s Wilson and Farmiga’s remarkable chemistry that makes this central relationship resonate so strongly.

But of course this is a horror movie, and as with its predecessors, “Last Rites” sticks to its almost old-fashioned approach to scaring its audience. It’s at times simple and almost always effective. Chaves keeps jump scares at a minimum, instead relying on deliberate camera movements, clever lighting, and eerie sound design. While there are some genuinely squirm-inducing uses of blood, the movie’s chills are found most in the moody atmosphere and supernatural tension-building.

It must be said that not everything in the story comes together as it should, specifically in the final 30 minutes or so. That’s where the details of the hauntings are mostly explained, but not all of them get the on-screen attention they need. Aside from that, “Last Rites” delivers a fitting and immensely satisfying conclusion (if indeed this is the conclusion) to a series of movies that have managed to stand out within the crowded horror genre. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

With his new film “The Cut”, director Sean Ellis takes what could have been yet another prototypical boxing movie and turns it into a searing psychological drama. To be sure, this is no underdog story about a determined boxer returning to his former glory by winning the big fight in the end. Instead, Ellis is more interested in the underbelly of the boxing world and the disturbing lengths some go to get their shot in the ring.

While Ellis’ (mostly) crisp direction does wonders with screenwriter Justin Bull’s story, it’s Orlando Bloom’s intensely transformative lead turn that makes the movie hum. Actors undergoing dramatic physical changes for a unique role is nothing new. But Bloom’s performance goes beyond his mere appearance. He pours himself into depicting not only the physical, but the psychological torment his character endures. It’s some of the best work of his career.

On another wavelength but equally terrific is Caitríona Balfe, playing in her first big screen role since being criminally snubbed for “Belfast”. In many ways her character serves as the film’s conscience, and Balfe channels it through an emotionally textured performance that’s full of grit, compassion, and conflict. Then there is the always compelling John Turturro, delivering one of the year’s vilest villains. The trio take us on a merciless journey to some unexpected depths.

Bloom’s character goes unnamed and is referred to as “the Boxer”. He had a good professional career before a crushing loss drove him to retire. But that was 10 years ago. Now he runs a gym in Ireland with his long-time trainer and girlfriend Caitlin (Balfe). Neither fully reached their vastly different yet equally passionate individual boxing dreams. But together they’ve found their happy niche. At least so Caitlin believes.

Things take their first turn after the boxer is approached by a rather ruthless promoter named Donny (Gary Beadle). He has a high profile championship title fight set up in Las Vegas. But his challenger died after a celebrity match/publicity stunt with a popular YouTuber. Donny needs a replacement fast so he reaches out to the boxer who accepts despite no longer being a competitive fighter. The boxer’s one condition – Caitlin comes along as his trainer. She agrees against her better judgement.

All of that is setup for the story’s darker turn. The boxer and Caitlin are flown out to Vegas where he is told he has to lose 26 pounds in six days in order to make the official super welterweight weigh-in. It will require a grueling weight loss regimen. But when he fails to see the results he needs, Donny brings in Boz (Turturro), a cold and pitiless trainer who only cares about his reputation and the money he makes

The conflicts grow intense between Caitlin and Boz, with one looking after the man she loves and the other only seeing a piece of meat that will make him money. Soon the boxer is caught between Caitlin’s heartfelt support and Boz’s ruthless exploitation. But an even nastier conflict boils within the boxer himself, whose self-destructive obsession not only threatens his relationships with those he loves, but puts him on the brink of physical and emotional collapse.

Again, don’t go into “The Cut” anticipating that big celebratory moment of triumph where the winner is hoisted up in the center of the ring as the crowd roars and the music swells. Ellis avoids all of that, keeping his focus firmly on his characters and their interpersonal journeys. Not everything gels as intended. There are some well-meaning flashbacks that never quite click and dark visual touches in the final act that don’t have the desired impact. But the film’s gripping intensity and vicious psychological edge combined with its fierce pitting of humanity vs. inhumanity makes this dark and harrowing character study/cautionary tale stick with you.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

As its title so openly reveals, “Clown in a Cornfield” features two things that have held prominent spots in horror movies for decades – clowns and cornfields. The film comes from director Eli Craig who first made a splash with his hilarious 2010 horror-comedy “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”. While it’s certainly absurd, his latest isn’t nearly as self-aware or as bonkers as his debut. And that’s a big reason “Clown in a Cornfield” frustratingly falls short.

“Clown in a Cornfield” is based on Adam Cesare’s 2020 young adult novel of the same name. After a rather meaningless prologue, the story (written for the screen by Craig and Carter Blanchard) introduces us to 17-year-old Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her father, Glenn (Aaron Abrams). The two have just moved to the small country town of Kettle Springs, Missouri looking for a new start following a family tragedy.

Quinn’s relationship with her father follows a blueprint that we often see in modern movies. Of course there is a disconnect between them which Craig does a good job tempering. But she’s often portrayed as brighter, more sensitive, and the one most in touch with their reality. To no surprise all of that goes out the window once she falls in with a group of pampered upperclassmen from her high school. None of the five teens stand out with the slight exception of Cole (Carson MacCormac) who immediately catches Quinn’s eye.

Most of the adults around town see Quinn’s new friends as troublemakers. And Cole certainly doesn’t leave the best first impression with her father. But Quinn enjoys hanging out with them and learns a lot about the town’s history in the process. She learns that Kettle Springs was once prosperous thanks to the thriving Baypen corn syrup factory. But the factory was forced to shut down after a fire that many believe was started by the partying teens.

Adding to their friction with the townsfolk, the group runs around the county filming slasher vignettes for their YouTube channel, often using the old factory and its mascot, Friendo the clown. But as you can probably guess, their horror movie fiction turns to reality when an actual killer in a Friendo costume begins disposing of the young fodder in a variety of gruesomely violent ways. The kills are among the film’s strengths. They’re impressively creative and wonderfully realized through mostly practical effects.

Unfortunately the characters and some of the story choices aren’t as effective. While her friends and most of the people around town leave little impression, Quinn herself is a frustrating character. At times she seems noticeably smarter and more complex than most slasher movie protagonists. But she routinely undermines that notion with her boneheaded decisions and hare-brained actions. As a result, we go from rooting for her to not even caring.

The further you get into its story the more you pick up on the countless small town stereotypes. In fact, the film is almost snooty in its use of rural America cliches. It all feeds into a clunky final act where the movie tries to present something resembling a theme. It ends up being a messy mix of intentional and unintentional laughs, where neither the town’s small-minded adults or its (supposedly) more enlightened youth are believable enough for its message to hit home.

VERDICT – 2 STARS