There’s a cool current trend within indie cinema that has seen a number of filmmakers seeking to recapture the throwback B-movie schlock that once frequented the screens of grindhouse theaters and the shelves of VHS rental stores. For those who may take that as an insult, it’s actually quite the compliment. I still love so many of those movies along with their often wild and storied histories. And over the years they and their filmmakers have earned their places on cinema’s rollercoaster timeline.

The latest indie to turn back the clock in this way is “Onslaught”. On paper, “Onslaught” doesn’t seem like a movie that has much in common with the low-budget exploitation films that clearly inspired it. It’s backed by the prestigious A24. It’s helmed by a blockbuster director. And it features a terrific cast of well-known names. But it doesn’t take long to recognize the film’s exploitation inspiration. And as a fan of that raw and gritty style, it’s easy to appreciate what director Adam Wingard is going for.

“Onslaught” clearly and proudly hearkens back to the work of several filmmakers, from grindhouse stalwarts like Roger Corman to the grittier low-budget genre films of John Carpenter. We catch the vibe early on and Wingard only ratchets it up as the story (written by his frequent collaborator Simon Barrett) unfolds. The finished product is an ultra-violent, sensationalistic, genre-warping delight that unapologetically immerses itself in the scuzzy grindhouse style. And I was hooked every step of the way.

Adria Arjona plays Celeste, a former Army sniper suffering from PTSD who now works as the on-site manager at a remote trailer park somewhere in the Desert Southwest. One day she’s surprised when her ex-husband (Jacob Scipio) unexpectedly drops off their daughter Daisy (Blake Kennedy) for the weekend. He also drops the news that he and his new wife are considering relocating across the country and plan on taking Daisy with them.

Not far way, in a hidden underground military research facility, a top-secret experiment is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Hans Kammler (Dan Stevens in full mad scientist mode). Funded by a mysterious shadow board, Kammler has taken a trio of violent combat veterans and bioengineered them into ruthless killing machines. He has stripped them of their humanity, muted their ability to feel pain, and genetically enhanced their abilities. Once unleashed, the three hulking juggernauts will not stop killing until they have no more targets to kill.

The impatient board sends out a representative named Baylor (Michael Biehn) to press Kammler for results. The doctor reluctantly agrees to a demonstration but it goes terribly and violently bad. The three super-soldiers, known by their code names The Butcher (Alex Pereira), The Cockroach (Dave Campbell), and The Crybaby (Tyler Hall), escape the facility and vanish into the night. After massacring everyone at a truck stop, they follow the road to the trailer park where Celeste dusts off her military training and fights for her and daughter’s lives.

It’s a fairly simple setup to an even more straightforward story. But Wingard’s kinetic direction and razor-sharp focus propels things forward at a feverish pace. There’s no wasted time or energy. And the genre blending adds to the fun. The three soldiers have the presence of terrifying slasher movie killers. The action is fierce, bloody, and brutal. The baked-in campiness adds flashes of black comedy. And it’s all driven by a go-for-the-jugular audacity that fuels the entire endeavor.

There are several other fun supporting characters who bring their own spark to the story. Reginald VelJohnson plays Josiah, an old Vietnam veteran and trailer park resident. Rebecca Hall is devilishly entertaining as Kammler’s mysterious wife Hanna. Drew Starkey gets some good moments as Cyrus, the board’s drugged-up fixer sent in to clean up and contain the situation. And Eric Wareheim adds some humor as an overstimulated sheriff’s deputy named Kovacks.

At its core, “Onslaught” is a vicious and visceral homage to the 1970s exploitation scene. And you don’t just see it in the pulpy tropes, blood-soaked violence, colorful characters, and socio-political cynicism. It’s also in the brash colors and high-energy synthesized score. There is an unflinching intentionality behind every decision director Adam Wingard’s makes. And it’s that intentionality that allows him to see his wild and gnarly vision through to the end.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

The new romantic comedy “One Night Only” is what you get when you combine two immensely talented young stars with an utterly ridiculous premise. You’re drawn in by the appeal of seeing two charming and charismatic performances. But once in you’re constantly being pushed away by the sheer absurdity of the story being told. That insurmountable clash is what makes “One Night Only” far more frustrating than romantic or funny.

Director Will Gluck of “Easy A” fame teams with screenwriter Travis Braun to tell a story set in a hokey pseudo-fascist America where a congressional mandate has made it illegal to have sex outside of marriage. For reasons that never make much sense, the government has designated one night of the year where singles are legally allowed to hook up. It’s when seemingly normal people turn into rabid horn-dogs for twelve hours just because this ridiculous premise needs them to.

The story kicks off as ‘singles night’ is about to begin. Callum Turner plays Owen, the owner of a Manhattan pizza shop who has big plans for the evening. He’s all set to propose to his girlfriend, Malika (Maya Hawke). But before he can, she randomly informs him that she’s going to sleep with someone else that night. She offers no meaningful explanation other than it being an “abnormal circumstance”. That leaves Owen on his own to find someone he can share the night with.

Elsewhere, Allie (Monica Barbaro) is an aspiring vocalist who has settled on singing jingles for medication advertisements. Her plans for the evening are shattered after her flaky best friend Jacinta (King Princess) ditches her at a bar for the first guy she meets. Suddenly Allie too is on her own which sets up the first of several meet-cutes with Owen. Things don’t go well at first, as the two deny their obvious mutual attraction and look to hook up elsewhere. But after each failed attempt, Allie and Owen bump into each other again. And as you can probably guess, each time they meet the romantic spark gets a little hotter.

The goofy premise alone immediately puts “One Night Only” behind the 8 ball. But the issues don’t stop there. The movie doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Much of it plays like a dime-a-dozen romcom that’s made watchable by two likable leads. But then you have the lazy attempts at being a raunchy sex comedy which is where the movie spectacularly falls on its face. Whether it’s the forced vulgarity-for-laughs from a 12-year-old kid or an embarrassingly bad scene for Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton – these off-putting and glaringly unfunny choices knock the movie completely off the rails.

It also doesn’t help that the “One Night Only” has nothing of value to say about anything. It’s only at the very end that we get something resembling a point. But by then I had already spent all of my goodwill and was ready for the credits to roll. It’s a shame because Barbaro and Turner give it their all and have some pretty decent chemistry. But they’re in desperate need of better material. And no matter how hard they try, there’s just too much for them to overcome.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Some may disagree with this statement, but I say it with unfettered confidence – Christopher Nolan has yet to make a bad movie. Obviously some of the thirteen feature films he has directed (twelve of which he also wrote) stand out more than others. But through his incredibly diverse catalog of movies, Nolan has firmly established himself as both a master craftsman and storyteller. Every one of his movies has impressed me, with a whopping seven of them being my favorite film from their year of release.

Nolan’s stellar track record certainly isn’t tarnished with his latest, “The Odyssey”. It’s the visionary filmmaker’s spectacular cinematic adaptation of Homer’s Greek literary classic. It may also be his boldest swing to date. Nolan skillfully retells the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who leads his battle-weary men on the perilous, decade-long journey home after fighting in the Trojan War. The film is an epic in every sense of the word, transporting us to a place equally defined by myth and humanity, and created through the bravura filmmaking of a director who is as daring as he is confident.

One thing from Nolan’s breathtaking masterwork that will immediately grab you is its massive scope and grand scale. This is a gargantuan production that painstakingly puts every penny of its enormous budget on the screen. Scene after incredible scene openly displays the kind of jaw-dropping movie magic that will have you asking yourself, “How on earth did they do that?” It’s rapturous movie-making that would almost feel old-fashioned if it wasn’t for the groundbreaking spectacle that is on a scale unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Yet even more amazing is Nolan’s ability to balance such grandeur with an emotionally grounded thematic richness. Some of the film’s core elements revolve around such heavy subject matter as war trauma and guilt. Nolan shrewdly explores the deep psychological toll war can take. He challenges the notion that a soldier can simply put aside the death and violence of the battlefield and return home the same as they were before. But Nolan also emphasizes the driving force that is love, and the life-sustaining hope that can spring from it.

Even more, in its own way, Nolan’s film celebrates humanity’s long history of telling stories. We learn much from the numerous stories shared to others by bards, soldiers, mystics, servants, the undead, and more. Nolan organically incorporates them throughout the film in ways that seamlessly fit within his compelling non-linear structure. And they’re visually relayed across immersive canvases, highlighted by stunning real locations, stellar production design, and practical effects work that grounds us in the peril.

In a career defining performance, Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the weary and burdened king of Ithaca who has spent ten years away from home fighting the Trojan War. Following the fall of Troy, Odysseus and his men finally begin the long trek back to Ithaca. But their journey is thwarted by a series of deadly mythical encounters that ultimately lead to them being lost at sea. Along the way many of his men are killed, leaving Odysseus bearing even more guilt for the mounting lives lost under his command.

Meanwhile in Ithaca, Odysseus’ wounded but resolute wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) still hold out hope that the king may return. But in his absence, dozens of self-serving suitors have gathered in hopes of courting Penelope in order to stake their claim on Odysseus’ throne. The most aggressive among them is the devious and scheming Antinous (Robert Pattinson), who will do anything necessary to be king. That includes killing Telemachus who is wise to Antinous’ twisted ambition.

While the events in Ithaca play out in the present tense, much of Odysseus’ story unfolds through flashbacks. Many of them come after he washes up on the shores of Ogygia. There he begins regaining his memory with the “help” of the mysterious nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron). Of course the past and “present” inevitably collide in a final act that brings this epic tale to a riveting and emotional satisfying conclusion. It’s a finish that does justice to both the spirit of Homer’s foundational work and Nolan’s original vision.

Damon’s full-bodied performance offers up a multifaceted Odysseus whose emotional journey is as crucial as his physical one. He’s a rugged warrior and a brilliant strategist who has earned the respect and loyalty of his men. But he’s also cocky to a fault, with a willingness to defy the gods no matter the consequences. But Odysseus’ facade slowly cracks under the weight of everything he has done and everyone he has lost. And Damon conveys it all with captivating precision, either as the legendary hero or a broken wanderer.

Several other stand-out performances help flesh out Nolan’s epic. Hathaway brings stoicism and resilience to Penelope while Holland’s boyish innocence hides Telemachus’ steadfast determination. Pattinson is fittingly slimy. Himesh Patel is terrific as Odysseus’ loyal lieutenant Eurylochus. Benny Safdie’s hulking Agamemnon is an intimidating presence to behold. John Leguizamo has never been better than as Odysseus’ blind swineherd Eumaeus. Samantha Morton enchants and terrifies as the sorceress Circe. And the gritty Jon Bernthal is a nice fit as Sparta’s King Menelaus.

But as with most Nolan movies, the conversation always seems to come back to the craftsmanship. “The Odyssey” sees him working in top form to deliver a landmark technical achievement that reminds us of why we still go to the theaters. Nolan’s virtuosic savvy is certainly key. But he also has the smarts to surround himself with geniuses. DP Hoyte van Hoytema’s exquisitely tactile realism roots the movie in reality while still capturing the mythological aura and sweeping scale. And composer Ludwig Göransson masterfully immerses us through his clever blending of traditional and experimental tunes.

Odyssey purists may gasp at Nolan’s willingness to peel away the prestigious veneer from Homer’s work for something more grounded and relatable. They might recoil at the modernized languages and reimagined ending. But Nolan never pretends to be making a by-the-letter adaptation. Much of Homer’s original vision is retained. But just like old tales often take new forms the more they’re shared over time, Nolan tells Homer’s story from an honoring yet fresh perspective. And when joined by his unmatched technical prowess, we end up with a testament to the resonating power of cinema. And I for one am grateful there is a filmmaker able to pull something like this off.

VERDICT – 5 STARS

“Office Romance” is the latest dime-a-dozen romantic comedy to come down the streaming pipeline. It’s also among the more inconsistent ones as director Ol Parker struggles to make something worthwhile out of its many romcom clichés and misguided swings. Jennifer Lopez puts in the work and ultimately makes the film tolerable. But she can only carry so much of the load. And she can’t make the movie’s numerous uninspired choices make sense.

Lopez plays Jackie Cruz, the hardened CEO of a major airline AirCruz. The business was founded by her father Jack (Edward James Olmos) who still pops up every so often. But it’s Jackie who turned the fledgling business into a massively successful company. It hasn’t been easy, especially with a constantly critical board breathing down her neck. For that reason, Jackie has created an intimidating and almost unapproachable presence at work, intensely focusing on the job rather than making any real human connections.

After her ruthless hotshot attorney Peter (Bradley Whitford) chokes on a burrito and is hospitalized, Jackie hands over the day-to-day operations of AirCruz’s legal department to the company’s number-two attorney, Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein). He’s sharp, savvy, and handsome (a romcom prerequisite) but a bit oafish once he meets Jackie for the first time. A mutual attraction is evident, but any sparks are instantly quenched by an embarrassingly dumb gag – one of many that plague this movie.

Despite her company’s strict “no fraternizing” policy, a forbidden romance blooms, putting both Jackie and Daniel in precarious professional positions. I won’t spoil where things go from there, but it isn’t too hard to figure out. That’s because “Office Romance” follows the very same blueprint that so many others do. (1) Two good-looking people unexpectedly fall in love. (2) An eventual conflict threatens it all. (3) They overcome it to have their ‘Happily Ever After” moment.

While the predictability is one issue, it’s the lack of romantic chemistry that is far more glaring. The script (co-written by Goldstein and Joe Kelly) doesn’t put the time into building anything resembling an authentic central relationship. Instead it wastes too much energy on humor that simply doesn’t land. The attempts at raunchy comedy are especially cringe-inducing and often feel as though they belong in an entirely different movie.

The supporting characters don’t fare well either. Olmos isn’t given enough to do. Betty Gilpin is trapped inside a one-dimensional and tiresome comic relief role. Jodie Whittaker is wasted as Daniel’s foulmouthed incarcerated sister. And there is a smattering of generic office workers who do little more than fill up space in certain scenes. That leaves it all up to Lopez and Goldstein who sadly don’t have nearly enough good material to make this romcom misfire worth a watch.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

After premiering nearly eight months ago at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, the well-received “Obsession” is now getting it official release. It’s the sophomore effort from 26-year-old filmmaker Curry Barker who was recently announced to be writing and directing a new reimagining of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” for A24. That came as a surprise to many of us. But after seeing what he does in “Obsession”, it makes sense.

In the film Michael Johnston plays Baron “Bear” Bailey, a timid and insecure twentysomething who has developed feelings for his childhood friend and record store co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Bear is trying to work up the courage to finally tell Nikki how he feels. He seeks advice from their mutual friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) while remaining oblivious to the obvious affections of their other mutual friend Sarah (Megan Lawless).

After failing once again to express his love to Nikki, Bear stops by a novelty shop to buy her a gift. There he finds and buys a cheap wooden trinket called the “One Wish Willow”. More out of frustration than expectation, Bear follows the instructions on the box and wishes that Nikki loved him more than anything else in the world. To his shock, his wish comes true and Nikki instantly falls in love with him.

Their new romantic relationship seemingly starts great despite the suspicions of Ian and Sarah. But over time, Nikki starts to crack. Her adoring love turns into an unhinged obsession marked by psychotic episodes, violent mood swings, and uncontrolled jealousy. And things only get worse from there as Barker offers a dark, twisted, and satisfyingly gory examination of autonomy and codependency.

“Obsession” has its shocking moments, with some being gruesome enough to nearly earn the film an NC-17 rating. But the real terror comes in Navarrette’s chilling performance and in Barker’s unnerving use of sound. Blood-curdling screams and loud bangs offer jolts that are more than simply jump-scares. They’re authentic within the story and keep us on edge. Meanwhile Navarrette nails an incredibly demanding role that asks her to run the gamut of emotional extremes, often changing on a dime. She’s genuinely and shrewdly unsettling.

Sadly not everything in “Obsession” hits its mark. While Nikki is as captivating as she is frightening, Bear ends up stuck in one gear. He stays in shocked mode for nearly the duration, only occasionally showing another side of himself. Also, practically nothing is told about what’s behind it all. We never know the true source (is it magic, is it supernatural, is it something else?) and the rules seem plucked out of thin air. Thematically it’s not a big deal as Barker is far more interested in ideas of agency, attachment, etc. But narratively it leaves holes that I wish had been filled.

Still, it’s not easy to find fresh and original premises in the well-traveled horror genre. We get one with “Obsession”. It marks the emergence of Curry Barker, an exciting new voice with a big future. And for many of us, it introduces Inde Navarrette, an impressive young actress who fully deserves the praise she has been getting. Both energize what is a wickedly clever cautionary chiller that may stumble in spots yet plows some exciting new ground in horror.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

“Quentin Tarantino Presents” is a tag that is certain to grab attention for a film. It’s stamped prominently in front of “One Spoon of Chocolate” – an ode to exploitation films written and directed by RZA. Tarantino serves as executive producer, and knowing the filmmaker’s deep reverence for grindhouse cinema, it’s pretty obvious why he chose to be involved. “One Spoon of Chocolate” is dripping in exploitation influence which RZA proudly uses to its fullest.

RZA’s film draws the bulk of its inspiration from 1970s blaxploitation, classic martial arts cinema, and early Tarantino films (even Red Apple cigarettes make a surprise appearance). His movie features an assortment of characters, many heightened to near comical levels, who work tensions into a lather, setting the table for the blood-splattered “revenge-a-matic” it becomes.

The film claims to be “inspired by real events”, yet it’s a fictional work that isn’t based on any specific true account. Rather it’s the filmmaker’s sociopolitically charged view of America, pieced together over the course of the script’s 13-year development. Knowing that makes it difficult to read how seriously we’re supposed to wrestle with its commentary, especially considering how over-the-top things get. It works better when its themes are considered more broadly and its genre elements are front and center.

The story follows Randy “Unique” Joneson (Shameik Moore), an Army veteran with anger management issues who we meet as he is being released from New York’s Upstate Correctional Facility. He served two years in prison for assault and battery after putting his abusive wife-beating neighbor in a coma. With the help of his sympathetic parole officer (Blair Underwood), Unique is transferred to Karensville, Ohio to be close to his lone family member, his cousin Ramsee (RJ Cyler).

But Unique learns the small town of Karensville is full of trouble after he and Ramsee have a run-in with a cartoonishly racist gang of white supremacists. Their argument turns violent, which puts Unique and Ramsee in the crosshairs of the gang’s hyper-racist and hedonistic leader, Jimmy (Harry Goodwins). And to make matters worse, Jimmy is the son of the corrupt and (you guessed it) equally racist Sheriff McLeoud (Michael Harney) whose nefarious dealings go well beyond just protecting his depraved son.

A handful of other characters play into the story, most notably Ramsee’s girlfriend Aretha (E’myri Crutchfield) and Aretha’s best fried Darla (Paris Jackson) who takes a liking to Unique. They join the others in this small town powder keg where conflicts escalate to the extent that Unique finally reaches his breaking point. This opens the door for RZA to unload in a revenge-fueled ultra-violent final act. Brutality meets silliness in a fitting climax that fully satisfies, right until its unfortunate choice for an ending. It’s frustratingly abrupt and not in a savvy way. Rather it shortchanges nearly everything that came before it.

“One Spoon of Chocolate” may generalize too much for its themes to register as profoundly as they could have. Still, it’s easy to appreciate what RZA is trying to say. But most satisfying is the go-for-broke grindhouse style which the filmmaker proves to have a firm grasp of. At least right up until his movie’s screeching stop of a finish, which ends up being much too clever for its own good. It’s borderline maddening, but thankfully it doesn’t erase everything RZA does well with the characters, the camera, and the carnage.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS