Writer-director Phil Blattenberger’s “Laws of Man” is a pulpy throwback genre feature – the kind that’s sure to scratch the nostalgic itch of anyone (like me) who has an affection for movies of its kind. It has a colorful company of characters, deliciously heightened drama, a terrific period-rich setting, and one gloriously gonzo ending that I never saw coming (but probably should have).

Set in 1963 at the Dawn of the Cold War, “Laws of Man” follows two U.S. Marshals stationed out of Carson City who are sent to rural Nevada to serve two warrants. Frank Fenton (Jacob Keohane) is strait-laced and uptight, fully operating by-the-book while concealing his lingering PTSD from World War II. Tommy Morton (Jackson Rathbone) is young and cocky, more prone to bending the rules and not afraid to go into any scenario guns blazing. Together in their black suits, black ties, and black Cadillac, they fit the lawman look to the letter.

Their first warrant is for a backwoods gang leader named Crash Mooncalf (played by the always great Richard Brake). It goes quickly and violently. But it’s their second warrant that proves to be more complicated. They are to arrest Benjamin Bonney (Dermot Mulroney), a psychopathic rancher who along with his three halfwit sons are accused of murdering local landowners whose property Bonney believes is rightfully his.

After driving all day, Frank and Tommy check in to the appropriately named Last Chance Motel to get a night’s rest before approaching the Bonney’s. While there, they meet a number of interesting locals including a friendly barmaid (Kelly Lynn Reiter), the cantankerous sheriff (Graham Greene), and a traveling preacher (Harvey Keitel). But none of these lively characters can prepare the lawmen for what lies ahead.

Frank and Tommy’s bullet-riddled first encounter with the Bonneys evolves into a complicated chess match littered with surprise visits from the FBI, missing evidence, and other unexpected revelations that take the story in a wonderfully bonkers direction. As it plays out Blattenberger has a blast dipping his toes into a number of genres, wrangling them all together into one entertaining and self-aware mash-up. The performances are mostly solid with everyone seemingly in tune with the kind of movie they’re making. And there are loads of great period details from Frank’s love for 7-Up to the government’s Communist anxieties.

While the story is a blast from start to finish, it has some holes that will have you scratching your head if you think about them long enough. And certain characters seem to vanish without a trace whenever the script is done with them. But those feel like quibbles considering how much fun I had with “Laws of Man”. The sure-handed Blattenberger has put together an energetic and flavorful 98 minutes that flew by and left a ridiculous smile plastered across my face. “Laws of Man” releases January 10th in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

“Lonely Planet” (the movie, not the popular travel guidebook publisher) is the sophomore directing effort from Susannah Grant which comes 18 years after her debut, 2006’s “Catch and Release”. Grant is perhaps best known as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter for 2000’s “Erin Brockovich”. She both writes and directs “Lonely Planet”, a serviceable but surprisingly sparkless romantic drama set in scenic Morocco.

Laura Dern stars as Katherine Loewe, a successful writer who’s having a hard time finishing her latest novel. We learn that her dissolving marriage has contributed to a bad case of writer’s block. With her deadline fast approaching and her publisher breathing down her neck, Katherine flies to Morocco and checks in to a luxury countryside resort owned by an old friend, Fatema (Rachida Brakni).

All Katherine wants is enough peace and quiet to write. But that proves difficult as the resort is also hosting an International Writers Retreat. Among the esteemed attendees is Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers) and her boyfriend Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth). Lily is riding high after the success of her first novel. Despite never publishing anything, she became an overnight best-selling author which earned her an invite to the retreat. Owen has come along for moral support.

The nervous but ambitious Lily immediately clicks with the other writers while Owen spends much of his time on the phone trying to land his first big financing deal. But as she spends more time with her literary contemporaries he quickly begins to feel like an outsider. As the story progresses, the equally frustrated Katherine and Owen repeatedly cross paths. And after a rather cold first encounter, the two begin connecting in ways neither expected.

It’s not hard to figure out where things are going. The story leans on several well-worn tropes in moving us towards the inevitable romance, the conflict that threatens it all, and the predictable happy ending. The individual performances from Dern and Hemsworth are solid and they bring what they can to their age-gap love story. But it’s such a low-temperature romance with their characters better suited as drinking buddies than new-found lovers.

Fitting for a movie with its title, “Lonely Planet” treats us to lots of eye-catching scenery while (sometimes awkwardly) dipping our toes in local Moroccan culture. But pretty people in pretty places can only carry it so far. It has its charms but it lacks spark and there’s hardly any passion. That’s because so much time is spent getting to the romance that we hardly have any time with the romance. It leaves us barely interested and even less invested in their relationship or in what the future might hold for them. “Lonely Planet” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Renowned American photographer, photojournalist, and war correspondent Lee Miller has left an impression on the 2024 movie year. First she was an inspiration for Kirsten Dunst’s character in Alex Garland’s “Civil War”. Now she’s the centerpiece of director Ellen Kuras’ “Lee”, a biographical drama based on the book “The Lives of Lee Miller” which was written by her son, Antony Penrose.

Kate Winslet offers a riveting portrayal of the film’s titular lead. Her passion for Lee Miller’s story is evident throughout her performance and led her to also serve as producer. Winslet and Kuras previously worked together on 2004’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. With “Lee”, the two set out to tackle a much different project – one that has been eight years in the making. Their labors were not in vain. “Lee” is an absorbing, well acted, and handsomely shot feature that captures the essence of this captivating figure.

The story, penned by the screenwriting trio of Liz Hannah, John Collee, and Marion Hume, includes a broad range of characters, most of whom are based on real people from Miller’s life. In addition to Winslet, the film features a sparkling cast that includes Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård, Josh O’Connor, Andy Samberg, and Noémie Merlant. All help to invigorate different areas of Miller’s remarkable life.

The movie is framed through a 1977 interview an older Lee Miller (Winslet) has with an idealistic journalist (O’Connor). It’s a storytelling device the movie doesn’t need yet it has its poignant moments. Through the interview we’re introduced to younger Lee, a former model turned pugnacious party girl who enjoys hanging out with her rowdy friends in 1938 France. That’s where she meets and falls in love with Roland Penrose (Skarsgård), a British artist and curator.

Roland convinces Lee to follow him to London where the two settle down. Lee gets a job as a photographer with British Vogue magazine working under editor Audrey Withers (Riseborough). But as with so many others, Lee’s life changes as the Second World War intensifies. She gets word that her friends back in France are forced to flee underground as the Nazi’s occupy Paris. And soon after, the German’s begin bombing London. That leads Roland, a conscientious objector, to enlist as an air raid warden and camoufleur.

While the men went off to war, the women were expected to stay behind. But not Lee. She was inspired to be a war photographer but was immediately met with resistance from her magazine and even the British government. But she pushed back, eventually finding her way to the war zone. There she befriends and partners with Life magazine correspondent David Scherman (Samberg, giving a career-best performance). Together they travel across war-torn Europe, shooting field hospitals, combat in Saint-Malo, the liberation of Paris, suicide pacts in Leipzig, and the horrors of the Dachau concentration camp.

Winslet and Kuras paint a fascinating portrait of Lee Miller. They reveal her to be ambitious and determined but also abrasive and impulsive. She’s seen as a straight-shooter to a fault, often dismissing any opinion or suggestion that doesn’t line up with her own. At the same time, it’s that very grit that strengthened her to push through countless barriers placed in front of her. Most importantly, Winslet accentuates Lee’s humanity by injecting humor, vulnerability, and pathos into her performance.

Among the many compelling aspects of “Lee” is watching Kuras build entire scenes around some of Miller’s most iconic images, from lounging with her friends in Mougins, France to bathing in Hitler’s bathtub. Other scenes are so affecting that we can only watch in unsettled silence. But all of them help to give us a well-rounded grasp of who Lee Miller was. And Winslet’s awards-worthy performance is icing on the proverbial cake. “Lee” opens in theaters on September 27th.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the cinematic waters, along comes another shark movie. “The Last Breath”, from director Joachim Hedén, taps into what has become a popular and well-traveled horror sub-genre. It seems like each year we get multiple shark movies of all makes and models. 2024 has been no different. But to Hedén’s credit, he gives his film its own unique spin while still delivering the thrills and kills people look for in shark flicks of its kind.

Written for the screen by Nick Saltrese who works from a story by Andrew Prendergast, “The Last Breath” is a surprisingly exciting and suspenseful thriller set mostly underwater. Historically, shooting underwater has been a challenge for filmmakers with the cinematography often being dark and murky. Not so with “The Last Breath”. The brilliant photography from Hedén and DP Eric Börjeson is clear and sharp, using various sources of light as well as deep shadows to create a forbidding and immersive setting.

As far as the story goes, in 1944 a German submarine sank the USS Charlotte battleship near the British Virgin Islands. Fast forward 80 years where a treasure hunter named Levi (Julian Sands) and his deckhand Noah (Jack Parr) discover the wreckage of the Charlotte buried deep in the sand on the ocean floor. Levi has spent several years and practically all of his money in search of the Charlotte. Knowing his boss’s financial strain, a well-meaning Noah convinces Levi to do something that proves to have deadly consequences.

A group of Noah’s old college friends reunite for a few days of partying and reminiscing. Among them is Sam (Kim Spearman), a nurse from New York and Noah’s ex; the rich and pompous Brett (Alexander Arnold); the pothead, Logan (Arlo Carter); and the easy-going Riley (Erin Mullen). Noah lets it slip that he and Levi have found the Charlotte leading Brett to offer an absurd amount of money for Levi to take the group on a dive to explore the sunken battleship. A desperate Levi reluctantly agrees. He delays reporting his find to authorities and takes the friends to the site. Bad idea.

Noah and his friends are all certified divers, but that doesn’t prepare them for lies below. As they descend deep into the belly of the ship they lose communication with the surface. But that’s nothing compared to the biggest threat – ferocious and extremely territorial man-eating sharks. And that sets up Hedén’s central tension. Who (if anyone) will make it out of the wreckage and back to the surface without being turned into chum? Disorientation, depleted oxygen, fear turning to panic – it all factors into this tense and claustrophobic experience.

Though it tries, the movie doesn’t offer much depth with its characters. And with the exception of Levi, you could make a case that they’re closer to character types than fully-formed people. But you could also brush that off as needless knit-picking, especially for a movie that has such a good grasp of what it wants to be. Its main focus is on building suspense (which it handles well) and submerging us in its impressively realized deep-water environment. And it does it all while incorporating some gnarly shark kills that should delight any genre fan. “The Last Breath” hits select theaters and VOD on July 26th.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

For director Julio Quintana, there’s a level of familiarity that his film “The Long Game” can’t escape. Anyone who has watched a sports related underdog movie or two will probably recognize numerous story beats in Quintana’s latest inspirational feature. But when it’s based on such an inherently good and uplifting true story, its conventions become easier to look past. Such is the case with “The Long Game”…. for the most part.

“The Long Game” is an adaptation of Humberto G. Garcia’s 2010 novel “Mustang Miracle”. It follows the real-life story of five Mexican-American youths from the border town of Del Rio, Texas who in 1956 overcame numerous racial barriers to compete in golf for the Texas high school state championship. Their story is one of overcoming incredible odds while enduring inexplicable prejudice along the way. Quintana relays the various sides of their story with little in terms of surprises but with lots of heart.

Our anchor is JB Peña (Jay Hernandez), a World War II veteran and golf enthusiast who moves to Del Rio in 1956 to be the new administrator at the predominantly Mexican-American San Felipe High School. He and his wife Lucy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) enthusiastically settle into their new town, but for JB the biggest draw is the chance to join the renowned Del Rio Country Club. He’s not really interested in the hobnobbing or social status. Rather he’s excited to play at their pristine course which is considered one of the best in the state.

JB’s hopes are quickly dashed when he is declined for membership – a move spearheaded by the almost comically unsavory Judge Milton Cox (Brett Cullen). It turns out the powerful Cox and the all-white membership isn’t ready to have a Mexican-American among their elitist ranks. Even the endorsement of JB’s old war buddy and well-respected golf instructor Frank Mitchell (Dennis Quaid) can’t get the club’s executives to put aside their bigotry and change their minds.

One afternoon JB encounters five students from his school in a field working on a their own one-hole golf course. The boys, Joe (Julian Works), Felipe (Miguel Angel Garcia), Mario (Christian Gallegos), Gene (Gregory Diaz IV) and Lupe (José Julián) work for pocket change as caddies at the country club but aren’t allowed to play there. Inspired by their determination, JB convinces them to join him in forming the first ever San Felipe High School golf team. He even brings Frank aboard to help coach. Soon they have their eyes set on the state championship. In order to qualify they’ll have to earn invites to various tournaments. But that requires navigating an appalling amount of disrespect and intolerance which puts these young men to the test.

Written for the screen by Quintana, Jennifer C. Stetson and Paco Farias, “The Long Game” has a predictable ending that comes clearly into view within the first 30 minutes. But it’s the journey to that inevitable finish that wins you over. Hernandez has a strong yet necessarily low-key presence while Quaid brings the kind of grizzled humanity that conveys everything you need to know about his character. As for the boys, Joe is the only full-formed role from the group. His story is a compelling one, made even better by an endearing performance from Works.

Other supporting performances help invigorate the story. Ortiz is a scene-stealer and gets several great moments as JB’s supportive wife. We also get a very good Jimmy Gonzalez as Joe’s cynical and disapproving father. Paulina Chávez is a delight playing Joe’s sweet yet spirited love interest Daniela. And Cheech Marin is a pleasant addition as a sage-like groundskeeper who pops up mostly when the script needs him to.

Adding to the movie’s allure is the exceptional look of the film thanks to DP Alex Quintana (the director’s brother) and production designer Carlos Osorio. The vivid and picturesque cinematography along with the rich period detail create an authentic and absorbing sense of setting. It’s yet another ingredient that helps the film overcome its shortcomings. The steady diet of clichés and glaring sports movie conventions are impossible to miss. But the resonating human spirit at the center of the story ultimately makes it a hard one to resist. “The Long Game” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

The promotional lead-up to the release of “Longlegs” has been pretty terrific. The creepy and cryptic first teasers, the equally mysterious full trailers, a series of unnerving movie posters, the slow and controlled hints at plot details – it has all worked together perfectly to build some real anticipation. Add in NEON’s stellar pedigree in the world of independent filmmaking and you have one of the most intriguing feature films of the year.

Now here’s the really good news – “Longlegs” absolutely delivers in nearly every way imaginable – as a horror movie, as a deep character study, and as a dark and disturbing crime procedural. It’s written and directed by Osgood Perkins, the son of the late actor and “Psycho” star Anthony Perkins. With “Longlegs” he has made a truly unnerving and visceral experience – one that sustains a chilling atmosphere and a steady sense of dread.

Perkins frames his story in three parts, each transporting us deeper into his bleak, nightmarish world. His approach is very measured and calculated. And while the subject matter is grim and some of the images are gruesome, there’s a level of restraint that leaves just enough to our imaginations. It’s an effective approach that sees Perkins burrowing into our subconsciouses and planting fears that linger for the film’s duration. He doesn’t feed the impulse to show us everything which may frustrate some mainstream audiences. But for those who don’t need to be spoon-fed every detail, “Longlegs” offers one of the most purely unsettling experiences to hit the screen in years.

Set in Oregon during the mid-1990s, a superb Maika Monroe plays Lee Harker, a rookie FBI agent who is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case involving a psychopath known as Longlegs (played by Nicolas Cage at his most demented and unhinged). Lee has an almost psychic intuition which prompted her boss, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) to bring her onboard. Lee is meek and awkward but surprisingly capable and with good instincts. Think of her as Clarice Starling in demeanor and dress but minus the ambition.

As Lee begins digging deeper into the murders, she makes a number of discoveries involving information such as the dates of the killings and the birthdays of the victims. But they only scratch the surface of something far more insidious. Much like the messages Longlegs leaves at his crime scenes, the film itself plays like a code needing to be cracked. But just know, even when we finally do, not every question is given an answer which only adds to the movie’s sinister essence.

Nicolas Cage (who also serves as a producer) makes brilliant use of his limited screen time, manifesting the kind of terrifying madman that can turn your dreams into nightmares. At times you have to look close just to see Cage underneath the facial prosthetics, pasty white skin, and long stringy gray hair. But he’s there, and his maniacal transformation gets under your skin and makes you squirm. It may not go down as his best performance, but it’s as weird and gonzo as anything Cage has done to date.

As you watch “Longlegs” it’s easy to see the fingerprints of other movies that inspired it. “Zodiac”, “Se7en”, and “The Silence of the Lambs” are just some of the influences that stand out. Still, Perkins has made a movie that is distinctly his own – one that shows off the impeccable talents and confidence of its creator both as a storyteller and a visual artist. From his masterful use of framing, blocking, and aspect ratios to his keen instincts regarding tone, tension-building, and pacing, Perkins has crafted an eerie and riveting chiller that’s also one the best movies of the year. “Longlegs” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS