Believe it or not, “The Exorcism” isn’t connected to last year’s “The Pope’s Exorcist”. Without question there are some striking similarities. Both are supernatural horror movies about demon possession and both star Oscar winner Russell Crowe. But it doesn’t take long watching “The Exorcism” to recognize it is doing some dramatically different things. And while I had a blast with “The Pope’s Exorcist”, this film takes a slightly different approach to the demonic possession subgenre. The results are mixed at best.

Crowe plays Tony Miller, a once revered movie star whose self-destructive behavior derailed his career and his life. After his wife was diagnosed with cancer, Tony spiraled into a world of drugs and alcohol. It ruined his relationship with his family, especially his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins). But now one year out of rehab, Tony is looking to put his life back together, starting by healing his fragile relationship with Lee, who just moved back home after being suspended from school.

Tony’s luck seems to take a turn after he’s invited to audition for the lead role in an upcoming Exorcist-esque remake following the mysterious death of the previously cast actor. He gets the part mainly because the film’s pitiless director (a satisfyingly despicable Adam Goldberg) sees Tony’s real-life struggles as inspiration for the character. He’s able to get Lee on an associate producer and the father and daughter begin to bond.

But only a few days into filming, the cast and crew start noticing disturbing changes in Tony’s behavior. Lee begins to wonder if the role is affecting her father too deeply and causing old personal demons to resurface. Or is there something more sinister and malevolent at work? Anyone who has watched a horror movie or two will instantly know the answer. You’ll recognize all the marks and see all of the signs.

And that gets to the main weakness of the film. None of the horror elements generate any real scares. Some are a little eerie and Crowe does all he can to creep us out. But most of its tricks we’ve seen before – demonic voices, unnatural body contortions, unexplained cuts and gashes, and so on. It’s all there. To its credit, the movie set setting does offer a slightly new perspective, incorporating a lot of fun behind-the-scenes looks at filmmaking into its story. But the meat of the movie tastes pretty familiar.

“The Exorcism” ultimately comes to a lackluster final act that does nothing with the initially promising premise. The use of possession as a metaphor for addiction is interesting and early on you get the feeling that the filmmakers have something unexpected up their sleeves. But the conventional and glaringly unremarkable finish is deflating. Meanwhile the lightly breaded characters languish in a surprisingly low-stakes affair that could have been so much more. “The Exorcism” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Director Tony Goldwyn thoughtfully weaves together a touching story of love and acceptance in “Ezra”, an earnest and personal dramedy written by Tony Spiridakis who was inspired by his own experience raising an autistic son. After years of pouring his heart into his script, Spiridakis shared a final draft with Goldwyn who asked to direct. Soon after, the two close friends were premiering “Ezra” at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. And now it’s getting a full theater release.

Anchored by a superb cast, “Ezra” sees Bobby Cannavale playing Max Brandel, an impulsive stand-up comic struggling to raise his autistic son, Ezra (newcomer William A. Fitzgerald) with his overprotective ex-wife, Jenna (Rose Byrne). Both love their son dearly, but each have different ideas about what’s best for him. Making matters worse, Ezra has been kicked out of three different public schools, and his current school is threatening to expel him following another outburst.

The tensions between Max and Jenna intensify after it’s recommended that Ezra be sent to a special needs school and put on the antipsychotic drug Risperdal. The loving yet exasperated Jenna is open to the idea while Max wants no part of it. Following some unfortunate circumstances, Ezra is sent to the school leading Max to make a rash decision that he believes is in the best interest of his son. He loads up Ezra and heads across country without telling Jenna.

As you can probably tell from that brief synopsis, the story is as much (if not more) about the people around Ezra than it is Ezra himself. That may frustrate some viewers, but Goldwyn maintains a good balance and is careful that Ezra never becomes just another plot device. The casting of 15-year-old Fitzgerald was a key move. On the Autism Spectrum himself, Fitzgerald adds an authenticity and a vibrancy that the film desperately needs.

The performances are top-to-bottom terrific especially from Cannavale and Byrne. Both play very different roles, but complement each other nicely. Then you have the supporting cast starting with Robert De Niro as Max’s critical and unsupportive father. Whoopi Goldberg plays Max’s manager who’s always looking out for him. Goldwyn himself is really good playing Jenna’s new husband Bruce who tries to stay neutral in a difficult situation. Rainn Wilson pops up as a fellow comedian while the always great Vera Farmiga plays Max’s old friend Grace.

“Ezra” strays a little too far in the final act, losing a bit of the above-mentioned authenticity through a handful of plot contrivances and some swings at levity that don’t quite connect. But Spiridakis’ personal experiences can be felt through his movie’s sincerity. And I appreciate his willingness to buck what many would say a movie about the neurodiversity “should be”. Those on the Spectrum, as well as the people around them, have a broad array of experiences that help define who they are. Neither Spiridakis or Goldwyn handcuff their characters to expectations or formulas. They respect them and their experiences, treating them with an emotional openness and honesty that makes it easy to look past the film’s shortcomings. “Ezra” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Director William Oldroyd’s “Eileen” is an equally captivating and frustrating psychological thriller based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2015 novel of the same name. It features the spellbinding duo of Thomason McKenzie and Ann Hathaway. It’s accented by the brilliant visual work from cinematographer Ari Wegner. And it features an alluring premise that mixes in an array of genres.

Unfortunately “Eileen” is held down by a sometimes clumsy and opaque screenplay. Adapted for the screen by Moshfegh and her husband Luke Goebel, the story starts a little messy but quickly evolves into something delightfully enigmatic and beguiling. Yet the script can’t deliver a satisfying payoff. The final act is riddled with holes in its logic. And there’s a good chance that anyone who has seen an episode of two of “Law and Order” will be picking the ending apart.

Set in the 1960s, McKenzie plays Eileen Dunlop, a mousy young secretary who works at a Massachusetts prison for boys. From the very start it’s obvious there’s something slightly “off” with her. But beyond that, she’s also a victim of her circumstances. She’s lonely and with no friends to speak of. She lives with her drunk and sickly ex-cop father (Shea Whigham) whose passive-aggressive cruelty is enough to mess with anyone’s mind. And she’s stuck in a go-nowhere job with no signs of opportunity.

But things change after the prison hires Dr. Rebecca St. John (Hathaway) to be their new psychologist. Rebecca is confident, beautiful, and vivacious and Eileen is instantly captivated. The more Eileen observes Rebecca the more infatuated she becomes. Soon she’s mimicking her new coworker – taking up smoking and coffee, dressing up as elegant as she can with nothing but her late mother’s clothes. And as a rather thinly sketched friendship forms between them, Eileen’s interest turns into full-on obsession.

At its best, “Eileen” is a sly and devious thriller with dashes of dark humor and even a tinge of Hitchcock. The off-kilter chemistry between McKenzie and Hathaway keeps us wondering what Oldroyd is going for. It makes for a good mystery, but he keeps the characters at an arm’s length. We never feel close enough to them to get a good sense of their feelings or (more importantly for a movie like this) their motivations.

The bigger issue comes in the final 30 minutes. The story takes a dramatic turn that’s meant to be both a surprising reveal and (I think) a shocking twist. Unfortunately it doesn’t make much sense. Our two main characters make several head-scratching decisions and their actions defy good sense. The ending is cloaked in ambiguity but not necessarily the good kind. Instead it leaves the movie in a far-fetched place. Oldroyd definitely goes for the jolt. What he delivers is more of a nudge.

“Eileen” has its strengths starting with the dazzling performances from McKenzie and Hathaway. The story itself is full of intriguing parts waiting to be pieced together. And the film is exquisitely shot, routinely impressing with its clever framing and evocative use of lighting and shadows. But in the end “Eileen” doesn’t seem sure of what it wants to be. Or maybe it wants to be several things. Either way, this diverting yet messy feature has a hard time sticking its landing. “Eileen” hits theaters December 8th.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Esteemed Academy Award nominated actor Michael Shannon makes his directorial debut with the new film “Eric Larue”. This fascinating and even complicated feature had its world premiere at Tribeca in June and just recently screened in Little Rock at Filmland 2023, the annual curated “celebration of cinema” hosted by the Arkansas Cinema Society.

Shannon has chosen some heavy subject matter for his debut. Based on Brett Neveu’s 2002 play of the same name, “Eric LaRue” deals with the sensitive topic of school shootings. It takes a compelling approach, putting its entire focus on the aftermath. More specifically, the movie looks at how a local community deals with such horror. And much of it is examined through the eyes of the young killer’s mother who’s played by the brilliant and too often underappreciated Judy Greer.

But as the movie progresses it’s almost as if the school shooting takes a backseat to the film’s more curious interest – religion, particularly American evangelicalism, or at least the movie’s perception of it. The story (adapted for the screen by Neveu) spends much of its time exploring various facets of modern day religiosity. It’s far from the most balanced representation and it’s clear that the filmmakers have their opinions. What’s surprising is how much time they commit to expressing them.

Just as unexpected is the movie’s tone. You would never anticipate it, but “Eric LaRue” is full of humor. So much that you could almost (and I stress ‘almost’) consider it a black comedy. To its credit, the film delivers some pretty big laughs often with the subtlest of touches. Still the challenge of tone management is something the movie battles throughout.

It should be emphasized that the film is never flippant or insensitive towards school shootings, gun violence, or the various personal traumas that stem from them. In fact the film’s best moments see Shannon dialing back the humor and taking more introspective and incisive looks at the emotional toll taken on those trying to understand and cope. Instead the humor is almost always reserved for the religious – something that grows more and more obvious as the story progresses.

Greer gives the movie its emotional center in playing Janice LaRue. Months earlier Janice’s 17-year-old son Eric (Nation Sage Henrikson) walked into his high school and shot and killed three of his classmates. Understandably devastated, Janice now tries to piece her life back together and move forward. But navigating through her pain proves to be difficult. As does navigating through her local community, where reactions to her range from uncomfortable to downright cruel.

We learn it has been three months since Eric was sent to jail and Janice has yet to pay him a visit. This has concerned her Presbyterian pastor Steve (Paul Sparks) who is pushing her to go see her son. He’s also persistent in trying to convince Janice to meet with the mothers of the murdered students. He’s certain that such a meeting is crucial to the healing process.

Janice’s husband Ron (a nearly unrecognizable Alexander Skarsgård) isn’t much help. He too is grieving but has found some semblance of comfort at the more charismatic Redeemer Church across town. Encouraged by his co-worker and Redeemer parishioner Lisa (Alison Pill), Ron begins attending Bible studies and worship services led by the church’s pastor Bill Verne (Tracy Letts).

And that sets the table for the majority of the story which follows Janice as she’s pulled, prodded, and pressured into doing what other people think is best for her. That alone makes for an evocative premise. But staying emotionally attached can be tough, especially with the movie’s preoccupation with religion and its frequent use of humor to make some of its points.

Overall “Eric LaRue” is a challenging film that I’m convinced can’t be fully grasped in just one viewing. And despite some curious choices, it’s a testament to Shannon’s convictions. Rather than picking something safe for his first venture behind the camera, he has made something important to him. And his vehemence can be sensed all throughout it.

Unfortunately “Eric LaRue” has yet to be picked up for distribution which isn’t entirely surprising. Perhaps studios are hesitant to take on such a heavy subject (although the acclaim of 2021’s “Mass” might suggest otherwise). Or maybe it’s the humor that makes them uneasy. Whatever the reason, the movie deserves an audience. And hopefully it will get its chance to earn one soon.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

I’m not sure how big of a demand there was for another Expendables movie. Yet here we are. To their credit, the first two films were quite fun, especially for those of us who relished in the glory days of the over-the-top action flicks from the 80s and early 90s. Unfortunately the third movie milked the formula dry while softening to a PG-13 rating in hopes of appealing to a wider audience. It didn’t work.

Now after nearly ten years Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and an ensemble of their old and new friends are giving it another whirl with “Expendables 4” (or “Expend4bles” for cooler (?) cosmetic reasons). Director Scott Waugh and the screenwriting trio of Spenser Cohen, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams set out to make another throwback action movie more in line with the franchise’s first two installments (it even glibly advertises its R rating just so fans will know they’re not going easy).

What we end up with is a hefty serving of unabashed fan food. It’s a movie meal custom-cooked for fans and it should satisfy the appetites of those hungry for more goofy banter and gleefully violent action. At the same time, “Expend4bles” is all but certain to turn off those who tend to look down on these kinds of films or who have no affinity or attachment to their genre roots. Personally I like that it never pretends to be anything other than what it is. It ends up being pretty much what I signed up for. But that doesn’t mean it’s not without its flaws.

While Stallone’s aged mercenary Barney Ross has always been the heart and soul of the series, it’s Statham’s perpetually grumpy Lee Christmas who takes the lead in this new bullet-riddled adventure. Series stalwarts Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture return (but sadly no Terry Crews or Jet Li) while Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia add some fresh albeit less interesting blood to the team.

Laying out the story seems rather pointless considering everything is mainly there to setup the action. What story we do get is pretty silly and safe. Barney’s Expendables are sent on a mission to stop a former British national turned arms dealer (Iko Uwais) from nabbing some nuclear detonators and starting World War III. The mission goes bad and the team gets shaken up. But soon the good guys are back on the trail of the big bad guy, this time with a little personal vengeance as a motivation.

And that’s the story in a nutshell. There is a whole subplot involving some mysterious evil antagonist who goes by Ocelot. But it’s so woefully underdeveloped that it never registers as remotely interesting or important. It’s the same for the new team members. Jackson is a solid enough fit and Fox (when not serving as glaringly obvious eye candy) gels surprisingly well with her mostly male counterparts. But they all feel thrown in rather than developed. And the performances overall are a mixed bag, and not just from the newbies.

Yet the movie delivers where it counts – in the action. A few scenes of laughably evident green screen aside, Waugh gives his audience exactly what anyone going to an Expendables movie should expect – playful macho banter, corny one-liners, and tons of bullets, blades, and bodies. Statham gets the most room to shine and Tony Jaa pops up and is let loose in the second half. They can’t cover all the blemishes (and there are several), but they help to remind us of what makes these cockamamie creations click. “Expend4bles” hits theaters today.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

One thing about 2014’s “The Equalizer” and it’s 2018 sequel – you knew exactly what you were going to get. Both were action thrillers built upon a fairly simple and straightforward premise. But they had a secret ingredient that made them stand out from the countless other movies of their kind – Denzel Washington. The charismatic and infinity talented Oscar-winning actor brings a certain prestige and gravitas to every movie he appears in. The “Equalizer” films are no different.

That includes Washington’s latest, “The Equalizer 3”, the final film in director Antoine Fuqua’s hitman trilogy. To no surprise Washington is great in reprising his role of Robert McCall, an aged yet still quite lethal hitman looking to put his violent past behind him. Robert is a fascinating contradiction. On one hand he’s an efficient and effective killer who has plowed his trade with brutal precision. On the other hand there’s a nobility to Robert that you might think clashes with his profession. There’s a righteousness in the sympathy and compassion he has for the persecuted and downtrodden.

In both facets of his character Washington is as convincing as ever, showing a fierce (and often frightening) intensity in the action scenes and a genuine warmth and humanity in others. As a movie “The Equalizer 3” features that same kind of duality. It’s as much of a patient character study as it is a hardcore action movie which may throw some people off. But for me, that was one of its strengths.

But don’t worry, it still has the gritty, brutal violence fans of the previous film’s expect and it wastes no time tossing some our way. The film opens with Washington’s Robert McCall carrying out a job in Italy. He eliminates (in his own special way) a notorious mobster who has been distributing synthetic amphetamines out of his Sicilian vinyard. The drugs has been used to fund terrorist activities all across the globe. But Robert is seriously wounded and eventually passes out while driving away from the scene.

He’s found and rescued by a benevolent local doctor named Enzo (Remo Girone). Robert wakes up in the small coastal town of Altamonte where he begins his recovery under Enzo’s care. Over time Robert finds himself falling for the quiet village and the friendly locals who call it home. But when the people he’s grown to love are targeted by a powerful mob boss from Naples named Vincent Quaranta (Andrea Scarduzio), Robert is forced to dust off the skills from his past in order to stand up for the townsfolk and their home.

As Fuqua and screenwriter Richard Wenk patiently let things play out, there’s a side story of sorts involving a young and ambitious CIA agent Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning, reteaming with Washington for the first time since 2004’s “Man on Fire”). At first Robert’s interactions with her seem superfluous, but they end up leading to a satisfying conclusion.

Despite its predictable framework, “The Equalizer 3” works thanks to Washington’s commitment to his character and the journey he takes, both physical and emotional. Washington never overplays a scene and he makes you believe in every interesting layer he peels back. Meanwhile Fuqua’s direction is spot-on and he wisely leans on the talents of his lead actor. Yet he’s crafty in how he approaches the action, shooting Washington in a way that hides any limitations the 68-year-old actor may have. Fuqua also makes great use of the scenic Amalfi Coast, sprinkling in some gorgeous shots and giving the area (especially Altamonte) some real personality.

Everything combines to make for a entertaining final chapter in the Equalizer series. It can’t quite shake the feeling of predictability and much of the story plays out exactly as we expect it to. But the strength of Denzel Washington’s screen presence can’t be overstated. He offers his character a worthwhile send-off while giving fans of the previous films the satisfying farewell they’ll be looking for. “The Equalizer 3” opens today exclusively in theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS