The pointedly titled “Flora and Son” couldn’t be more straightforward. This confounding musical dramedy is every bit about a single mother named Flora and her rebellious 14-year-old son Max. Or is it? Set and filmed in Dublin, the story follows the pair’s strained relationship and shows how music unexpectedly ends up being the balm that heals their deep emotional wounds. It sounds sweet. But there are moments when the movie is anything but.

“Flora and Son” is the latest from writer-director John Carney. It’s his long awaited follow-up to the terrific “Sing Street”. The film builds itself around a heartfelt premise and it’s driven by a brilliant performance from Eve Hewson. It’s a movie that certainly has its funny exchanges and touching moments. But no matter how hard Carney tries, his latest effort is never as emotionally satisfying or infectiously charming as his 2016 gem.

Interestingly, it’s almost like “Flora and Son” is ashamed of what it actually is. You can see it working hard to not be viewed as a feel-good crowdpleaser by tossing in loads of salty language and by creating characters who teeter between sympathetic and insufferable. On the surface that might sound like a petty gripe. But it’s a problem that goes beyond mere movie optics. It impacts how we respond to the story and even the characters themselves.

Take Flora, played by an effortlessly great Hewson. It’s clear she’s intended to be a sympathetic and funny character. But too often Carney goes for cheap laughs by writing her as needlessly crude as possible. And while her son Max (played by a somewhat monotone Orén Kinlan) is ungrateful and disrespectful, Flora is routinely hateful and verbally abusive. Although I’m not sure that’s how the movie wants us to see her – it’s hard to tell.

As for the story, it’s about music mending the toxic relationship between a mother and son. After Max has yet another run-in with the law, the police encourage Flora to find her son a hobby – something to keep him from blowing his last chance to stay out of juvie. While walking home Flora finds an old beat-up acoustic guitar which she gives to Max. But after he shows no interest, she picks it up. And with the help of online guitar sessions from a washed-up musician from Los Angeles named Jeff (a terrific Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora finds unexpected joy in making music with her hunky new teacher.

Flora’s newfound interest in music opens her eyes to Max’s desire to be a rapper and DJ. The inevitable come-together moment that follows is a little too tidy and Carney passes on some emotional complexities that would have given him the chance to explore some interesting ground. Still Hewson earns our investment, especially in her scenes with Gordon-Levitt. I just wish the rest of the movie worked as well as their scenes do.

Perhaps it’s unfair to keep bringing up “Sing Street”, but one of its biggest strengths was the original music from Carney and Gary Clark. The two collaborate again although none of these original songs leave much of an impression. Hewson and Gordon-Levitt have a good musical moment together yet it’s nothing as catchy as some of the tunes Carney and Clark have created in the past.

Perhaps most frustrating is how the mother-son relationship (which should be the heart of the movie) often gets back-burnered for Flora’s cutesy online coquetry with Jeff. They end up feeling like two competing storylines rather than combining into something more organic and cohesive. That’s a shame. Overall, “Flora and Son” left me longing for the movie it almost was. “Flora and Son” is streaming now on Apple TV+.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

If there was ever a movie that epitomized fan service it would have to be 2003’s “Freddy vs. Jason”. This giddily straightforward celebration of the 1980s slasher genre exists on a plane of existence where criticism seems superfluous. It’s glaringly pointed about what it wants to be and all you have to do is look at its title to know exactly what you’re in for. Unfortunately for it, simply knowing what you are doesn’t make for a good movie.

As its title teases, “Freddy vs. Jason” locks the seemingly invincible Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees in immortal combat. Both hacked and slashed their ways to fame during the 80s with each starring in their own franchises that were harder to kill than their superhero killers themselves. Freddy was a child killer who terrorized and murdered kids in their dreams throughout the “A Nightmare of Elm Street” movies. Jason carved, impaled, decapitated, burned, etc., etc., etc. camp counselors in the “Friday the 13th” franchise.

Directed by Ronny Yu, “Freddy vs. Jason” is a blood-drenched celebration of sorts that brings the two titular characters together through a storyline so nonsensical and cliché-riddled that it’s tempting to consider it as little more than a parody. Along the way the two killers feast on a never-ending buffet of brainless teenage fodder who are only there to serve the appetites of the audience. As is often the case in 80s slashers, none of the characters leave much of an impact and none of them earn our sympathy. Most all are simply written to be slaughtered.

Yet anyone who grew up watching (and loving) old-school slasher flicks won’t find any of this surprising. Most of these things are woven into the very fabric of the horror sub-genre and are what die-hard fans fully expect. So how do you come down too hard on a movie that is so intent on recreating what fans loved about a bygone era?

Screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift patch together what is mostly a Freddy story. Played for the final time by Robert Englund, Freddy has been trapped in Hell following his last defeat. He’s no longer able to enter the dreams of the children of Springwood, Ohio after the town’s parents took some rather extreme steps to erase Freddy from their kids’ memories. By forgetting him they strip him of his power (not sure how that works but okay).

So Freddy hatches a plan. He uses what remains of his “powers” to resurrect Jason Vorhees (Ken Kirzinger), the terror of Camp Crystal Lake (again, I have no idea how that works). Freddy dupes Jason into going to Springwood to hack up some teens in hopes of tricking the townsfolk into fearing he was back. Of course they are your garden variety teens: the pothead, the nerd, the jerk, and of course the final girl.

But it all builds towards the big confrontation between Freddy and Jason – a throwdown that leaves blood splattered from Elm Street to Crystal Lake. While little leading up to it makes much sense, their final fight should give hungry fans what they want. Is it enough to quantify this as a good movie? Hardly. That’s because it leans too heavily on the worst elements of 80s slashers. But it’ll be filling enough for those it’s catering to. And it offers all that some folks will be looking for.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

It’s hard to believe that it has been twelve years since French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius won his Best Director Academy Award for the Best Picture winning “The Artist”. While it has become somewhat fashionable in some circles to dismiss that brilliant 2011 film as unworthy, I still hold it in incredibly high regard as a delightful ode to a bygone cinematic era.

Hazanavicius’ latest film couldn’t be more different. “Final Cut” is a meta zombie comedy that is an open-armed tribute to cinema, a love letter to genre filmmaking, a celebration of creative collaboration, and just an all-around wacky piece of work. It’s a faithful remake of Shin’ichirô Ueda’s 2017 cult hit “One Cut of the Dead” but with its own French twist. It’s a consistently clever and routinely funny concoction that sees Hazanavicius and his all-in cast having the time of their lives.

Describing “Final Cut” to those who haven’t seen “One Cut of the Dead” is a bit of a challenge because the less you know going in the better. The film’s unorthodox structure plays a big part in making it such a fun experience. It’s a case of a filmmaker showing you one thing and then adding an entirely different perspective later on. I know that’s vague, but suffice it to say Hazanavicius has a field day playing with his audience’s expectations.

The spoiler-free gist of the story goes something like this. Romain Duris plays Rémi Bouillon, a frustrated filmmaker who signs on to direct a low-budget zombie short film for an upstart streaming platform that specializes in B-movies. But there’s a catch. The 30-minute single-take film is to be shot and streamed LIVE! It’s an unheard of undertaking but one the platform’s ownership has already pulled off in their home country of Japan. Now they want to do it in France.

Rémi is hesitant to take the job at first, seeing it as a doomed-to-fail project. But with the encouragement of his wife Nadia (Bérénice Bejo) and with hopes it will rekindle his relationship with his aspiring filmmaker daughter Romy (Simone Hazanavicius) he agrees.

Soon he’s on location dealing with a smug high-maintenance lead actor (Finnegan Oldfield), his inexperienced lead actress Ava (Matilda Lutz), a supporting actor who can’t stay off the bottle (Grégory Gadebois), and the demands of domineering producers who don’t prescribe to the notion of a director’s creative freedom.

As “Final Cut” shifts to the show’s production phase things get crazy and we gain an entirely new perspective on everything we’ve seen up to that point. Hazanavicius drenches his audience in blood, gore, and countless zombie horror tropes which is a big part of the fun. That said, it’s never the slightest bit tense or scary but neither does it try to be. It’s much more of a comedy, full of running gags, fun characters, an infectious B-movie charm, and a surprising level of warmth that I never expected.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

This is hardly breaking news, but when it comes to watching “The Flash” Ezra Miller poses the biggest challenge. The crimes and overall bizarre conduct of the film’s troubled star soaked up entertainment headlines and understandably has left bad tastes in the mouths of many moviegoers. Therefore it’s equally understandable if people find themselves struggling with the old ‘art over the artist’ dilemma. I tend to look past it mainly by considering all the other talented people who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into making their movie.

Still it’s a realistic predicament Warner Bros. and DC Studios are facing. And it’s a shame because Miller is actually quite good playing two versions of the same character from different timelines. While not everything in the dueling performances land, particularly with the younger Barry we encounter (more on that in a second), Miller captures and conveys elements of both characters that highlight their similarities and differences. It’s a challenging task but Miller pulls it off.

“The Flash” is the 13th installment in the DC Extended Universe and a film that (kinda) sets up the transition to James Gunn’s rebooted DCU. Personally I’ve really enjoyed the DCEU model and it’s sad to see it going away (it wraps up later this year with “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”). With both its hits and misses, the DCEU produced a cool variety of films that could be crazy and audacious, that could take some wild swings, that wasn’t afraid to feature darker tones, and that gave us truly larger-than-life heroes and villains.

With “The Flash” director Andy Muschietti and screenwriter Christina Hodson have made a movie that not only celebrates the DCEU, but also the screen history of several characters that many of us truly love. The film is full of terrific fan moments and the cameos alone will bring smiles to many faces. I promise, there are things packed in it that you’ll never see coming. I ate it up.

But there’s also a genuinely heartfelt and tragic story at its center – a story of grief and loss and one awkward and lonely young man’s struggle to cope. This is where the movie’s biggest surprises lie. Among the waves of superhero action, big set pieces, and often dazzling special effects, Muschietti and Hodson center their film on a tender and deeply human story that resonated far more than I ever expected it to.

When not answering calls to duty as a member of the Justice League, Barry Allen (Miller) works as a low-rung forensic scientist in Central City. Life has been hard for the lonely and anxious Barry. His mother, Nora (Maribel Verdú) was murdered and his father, Henry (Ron Livingston) is in prison after being falsely accused of killing her. “I lost my mom to a tragedy and lost my dad to the criminal justice system.”

During a moment of overwhelming sorrow Barry runs with such fury that he accidentally travels back in time. Barry returns to his present day where he poses to himself a question: what if he could go back in time and prevent his mother’s death? After helping Batman thwart a heist gone wrong (in a rousing, fun, and funny early action sequence), Barry tells Bruce (Ben Affleck) about his discovery. Bruce promptly warns him of the dangers of tinkering with time.

But Barry, driven by the sincerest of emotions, disregards his mentor’s warnings and travels back to the day his mother is killed. As non-invasively as possible Barry saves his mother and heads back to his time. But on the way he’s knocked out of the SpeedForce and into and alternate 2013 where he encounters his naive and immature 18-year-old self. Barry discovers that he has arrived on the very day that his 18-year-old self is to first get his powers. It’s also the day that the evil General Zod (Michael Shannon) arrives to invade Earth.

Understanding the death and destruction Zod brings, elder Barry sets out to form the Justice League with 2013 Barry following along. But he quickly learns this is a much different Earth – one with no Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or Cyborg. He does find an old hermit Batman, retired and holed up in what remains of Wayne Manor. But it’s not his caped crusader. This Bruce Wayne is none other than Michael Keaton, reprising the role he played in the 1989 and 1992 Batman films. He also meets a Kryptonian named Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl (Sasha Calle) who he must convince to join their fight against Zod and his legion.

There’s so much else that’s better left unsaid including numerous nods to the past and (possibly) a few hints about the future. Fellow fans of DC, its history, and its characters will love some of the places the movie goes. And while we’re currently experiencing an over-saturation of multiverse movies in the superhero space, this one manages to feel surprisingly intimate and self-contained (at least to a degree).

There’s plenty more I could say. I appreciated its self-referential style, the well-timed laughs, the good pacing, the open-armed embrace of nostalgia, the way it left a big smile on my face. Seeing Keaton back in the cape and the cowl was an absolute delight and Calle makes for a great Supergirl. And I won’t mention the other faces that pop up at the most unexpected times. All of it makes the movie’s handful of hiccups and annoyances easy to look past. It turns out to be another entry that reminds me of why I already miss the DCEU. “The Flash” is out now in theaters.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

While none of us can make sense of their hilariously arbitrary titles (“Fast Five”, “Fast & Furious 6”, “Furious 7”, “The Fate of the Furious”, “F9”, etc.), one thing is for sure – the Fast and Furious movies have fully embraced what has made the franchise such a hit. Since taking a dramatic turn in 2011 with its fifth installment, the series has grown into one of the most expense and most profitable popcorn franchises in big screen history.

The latest chapter is “Fast X” and it’s being advertised as the first film in a possible trilogy that will bring the adrenaline-fueled saga to an end (it even sports the tagline “the end of the road begins“). Vin Diesel returns as the series centerpiece Dominic Toretto. Pretty much everyone else is back as well for this $340 million last ride.

“Fast X” doesn’t do anything to break the mold. So if you like the previous movies this one will deliver the same over-the-top, fuel-injected action spectacle you’ll be looking for. The reverse is also true. If you didn’t care for the other films in the franchise there’s nothing new in “Fast X” that will suddenly win you over. Well maybe Jason Momoa who plays the story’s giddily diabolical antagonist. He’s a blast and goes for broke in delivering a villain like none other we’ve seen in the franchise.

“F9” was a little wobbly with several nagging issues keeping it from living up to expectations. Still it had the crazy set pieces and most (not all) of the characters we have grown to love. As you might guess, “Fast X” amps up nearly everything. It’s not as distractingly absurd as “F9”, but it still features the franchise’s signature reality-defying action and it miraculously finds time to give everyone some meaningful moments. It’s pure fan food, made from start to finish with fans in mind.

One thing is for sure, “Fast X” is far from a standalone movie. In fact you’re guaranteed to have more questions after the movie than you did at the start of it. Director Louis Leterrier, working from a screenplay by Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin, puts a lot of things in motion and their cliffhanger ending leaves several loose story threads dangling. But that’s okay for a tale of the size and scope.

Diesel gives one of his better performances of the series, portraying Dom as both tough-as-nails yet vulnerable. He loves his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his young son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) more than anything else and he has worked so hard to keep them and his extended family safe. But the constant worry is clearly taking an emotional toll on him.

But once again the past comes back to haunt Dom. This time its in the form of the flamboyant and maniacal Dante Reyes (a hysterical and unnerving Momoa). He’s the son of Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), a violent drug kingpin who was killed during 2011’s “Fast Five”. Dante is intent on paying back the man he holds responsible for killing his father and stealing their family fortune – Dominic Toretto. And what better way than by taking away what’s dearest to Dom – his family.

Of course in the Fast & Furious movies family isn’t just blood kin. It also includes loyal friends like Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), Han (Sung Kang), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). Dom’s sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster) and his little brother, Jakob (John Cena) also find themselves in the mix. That’s a lot of people to protect and the sadistic Dante knows it. So he hatches a meticulously crafted plan aimed at separating Dom’s loved ones and luring them all across the globe. Not even Dom can be five places at once. So the danger ratchets up and the personal stakes get higher and higher.

As the story takes shape Leterrier ushers us around the globe, making stops in London, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Portugal, and Antarctica among others. At each stop we meet old friends like Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and some old enemies like Cipher (Charlize Theron). And there are plenty of new faces as well played by the likes of Brie Larson, Daniela Melchior, and Alan Ritchson. Yes, it’s a massive cast.

By the end it feels like this final story is only getting started. We’re left shocked by certain outcomes, wondering about certain fates, and curious for what lies ahead. And what can I say – I enjoyed the ride. Even more, Diesel and company did their job of leaving me genuinely looking forward to the next film. As with all the FF movies you have to endure a rather large amount of silliness, and buying into some of the plot machinations can be a challenge. Those are baked-in issues that have been around for years.

But the franchise freed itself from the restraints of reality a long time ago. “Fast X” is openly self-aware yet it has an undeniably big heart. And Momoa brings a blithely psychotic energy that you can’t turn away from. It’s hard to get a good read on the film since so much is left for later. But the movie sets the table well, all while delivering just the kind of big budget popcorn entertainment it advertises. In the end, it’s hard to knock it too much for being exactly what its fans want it to be. “Fast X” is now showing exclusively in theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

We get a refreshingly ‘indie’ take on the zombie sub-genre with Adam William Cahill’s infectious (bad pun intended) Irish horror comedy “Follow the Dead”. This fun, kooky, at times gleefully irreverent romp bops along on the strengths of Cahill’s keen direction, his even better screenplay, and a fine cast who bring a playful energy to their colorful collection of characters. At the same time, there is some unexpected thematic heft and a surprising amount of heart that help this to be more than come copy-and-paste zombie flick.

At times the film’s modest budget is hard to miss. But like other good filmmakers, Cahill (serving as director, screenwriter, editor, and co-producer) doesn’t let that sink his ship which says a lot. In fact, some of the best showcases of good filmmaking is watching a confident and skilled writer-director overcome any constraints by the sheer quality of their craft. We certainly see that in “Follow the Dead”.

Robbie (Luke Corcoran) is your garden variety milquetoast. He’s a bit timid, lacks self-confidence, and doesn’t seem to know what he wants out of life. He recently moved back to his small Irish hometown where he lives with his sister, an aspiring YouTuber named Liv (Marybeth Herron) and his two cousins, the conspiracy theorist Jay (Luke Collins) and the lazy deadbeat Chi (Tadhg Devery). They’re an offbeat group and most of our time is spent in their company.

When a video of some sort of attack in Dublin goes viral, finding the truth among the wild theories and fake news proves difficult. The authorities are calling it a terrorist attack. Others call it a revolution. And then some are quick to usher in the zombie apocalypse. Robbie and his crew certainly have their ideas. But when the violence begins to spread – even making its way to their small town – the group comes face-to-face with the truth. And not just about the attacks, but about themselves.

Cahill maneuvers through his story well, leaning heavier on the comedy than the horror, but also bringing a sensibility that I wasn’t really expecting. It’s clear he cares about his characters, and some of their exchanges can be as heartfelt as they are hilarious. There are several perfectly delivered zingers, and a couple of running gags that landed every time. Yet there are also tender moments between Robbie and his eccentric family. Then you have his attempts at reconnecting with an old flame named Kate (Christina Ryan), an interesting character who I wish had been given more attention.

The movie is a little slow getting out of the gate, but once it does (particularly in the second half) most things begin to click into place. But there are a few noticeable holes in the story and the “rules” of this particular world remained a little murky. Also, there were a couple of moments where the shaky transitions to and from flashbacks weren’t quite as clear as they needed to be.

But overall “Follow the Dead” is an entertaining and big-hearted zom-com that embraces some of the genre’s many tropes, pokes fun at others, and has enough of its own flavor to stand out in the crowd. There are some genuinely good laughs and it has an emotional center which resonated with me more than I anticipated. As for Cahill, he does a really good job juggling the shifting tones, and he shrewdly works around the film’s budget restraints in ways befitting a seasoned director. It’s a rock-solid first feature and it’ll be fun seeing what he does next. “Follow the Dead” is currently streaming on Tubi.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS