There is a genuinely fun concept waiting to be realized somewhere inside of the Canadian supernatural horror thriller “Son of Sara”. It’s a concept that would find the balance between being uncomfortably chilling and darkly funny. But the movie we get never fully settles on what it wants to be. At least not in a way that is coherently conveyed on the screen. It’s a shame because we see a handful of exciting glimpses of what this film could have been.

As a purely independent film, “Son of Sara” is an admirable accomplishment. It’s written, produced, directed, and edited by Houston Bone who does some interesting thing with an obviously modest budget. It’s a competently made feature that especially impresses in the practical effects department. But the movie is let down by the pieced-together story which toys with several familiar ideas without doing anything interesting with them.

Chloe Van Landschoot plays Sara, a young woman who is very pregnant – the result of a tryst with the icky Troy (Garrett Hnatiuk), who took off after their fling and hasn’t returned her calls since. Now Sara lives with her doting girlfriend Carol (Tymika Tafari), sharing a surface-level relationship that feels more performative for the camera than authentic to the story. Sara is way past her due date, so getting around has become a chore. But far more concerning is her insatiable appetite for raw ground beef, upchucking long plugs of hair, and terrifying visions that repeatedly haunt her.

But the movie takes a goofy turn when Sara unexpectedly bumps into Troy who is surprised to learn she is pregnant. She invites the jerk to her apartment while Carol is away and the two somewhat reconcile in record time. Even wackier, Troy invites Sara to his family’s farmhouse “just outside of the city” to have dinner with his mother Agnes (Jane Moffat). Of course it’s clearly a terrible idea. But in one of several mind-boggling choices, she accepts his offer.

So not only does Sara immediately let this glaringly obvious slug back into her life, but she waltzes off with him to the middle of nowhere. And as I’m sure you also expect, things go terribly wrong for her. To the tune of occult rituals, a demonic entity, and a shocking claim about her baby that shakes her to her core. The lone question – is her baby a demon child from Hell or are Troy and Agnes cult crazies who will do anything to please their malevolent master?

Sadly that question never carries much weight. That’s because it’s hard to invest in things when the entire premise is undermined by such a head-scratching setup. So much is left untold, especially regarding Troy and Agnes. Instead time is wasted on baffling inclusions, such as a random second-half sequence of meaningless nudity that distracts more than informs. Even the story’s potential thematic treatment is ultimately stripped of its voice.

Not all is bad in “Son of Sara”. There are a few slashes of black comedy that made me laugh out loud. And the film features some startling body horror that is brought to life through impressively creative practical effects work. But these things aren’t nearly enough to keep us onboard. And that’s sad to say considering the movie leaves the impression that Bone wants to continue Sara’s story in another film. I wish there was enough here to bring me back for more.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

For many of us, seeing the keys to DC Studios handed to James Gunn was more than a little concerning. Yet I remained optimistic, hoping he would do justice to this huge universe that I have long loved. Unfortunately the first film from the rebooted DCU was a souring disappointment. “Superman” was a scattershot mess that was far more interested in being a James Gunn movie than a noteworthy new chapter for one of DC’s most iconic characters.

That brings us to movie #2 in Gunn’s fledgling DCU and sadly the results aren’t much better. “Supergirl” may not be written or directed by James Gunn, but his fingerprints are everywhere. It’s a room temperature superhero movie that is shackled to Gunn’s narrow, self-gratifying style, where more attention is given to irreverent humor and needle drops than meaningful character depth and good storytelling. Even the action fails to energize the experience in any meaningful way.

Many of the problems can be traced directly to the script, which was written by relative newcomer Ana Nogueira (who Gunn has also hired to write the upcoming Wonder Woman and Teen Titans films). Here she tells a fairly generic story that is driven by Supergirl’s rather generic story arc that sees her hunting down one of the most generic superhero villains to date. I wish that were just my vain attempt at clever writing. But honestly, the word “generic” fits this film in so many regards.

Milly Alcock reprises her role as the overtly rebellious Kara Zor-El. If you remember, she was first seen in a cringy cameo at the end “Superman”, when she drops into Kal/Clark’s Fortress of Solitude to retrieve her dog Krypto. “Supergirl” picks up from there, with Kara and her pup leaving Earth to celebrate her 23rd birthday. And what better way than by drinking herself into a stupor on various red sun planets across the universe?

Much of the story leans heavily into Kara’s angst and attitude. It doesn’t take long to get old, but director Craig Gillespie squeezes everything he can from it. There is an attempt at making it a coping mechanism for her deeper trauma. This comes out via a series of mediocre flashbacks that continues Gunn’s ridiculous rewrite of Kal’s parents as villains. Meanwhile Kara’s folks are shown to be empathetic souls who send their daughter away to be a hero to those in need.

Kara’s slosh-fest is interrupted when she crosses paths with a young girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley). Ruthye is dead-set on avenging the death of her family at the hands of Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts). He’s the ringleader of a band of space pirates called the Brigands. Ruthye tries to recruit Kara to help on her quest for revenge but Kara declines. That is until the film uses Gunn’s favorite (and laziest) trick for cheap emotional investment – animal suffering.

After Krem shoots the digitally rendered Krypto with a deadly toxin, Kara agrees to join Ruthye’s hunt. But she only has three days to find Krem and return with the antidote (which he conveniently wears around his neck because why not?). From there it strangely turns into a ‘down with the patriarchy’ story as Kara finds herself fighting a crew of meatheaded marauders who kidnap young “brides” to grow their vision of a male-only society. It’s a twist that adds nothing to the overall movie.

Jason Momoa occasionally pops up playing Lobo, an immortal alien bounty hunter who just happens to be around the same time as Kara. He mostly grunts and growls while bashing in a few heads, ultimately offering little more than fan service. It’s a shame because the menacing Momoa certainly looks the part. But it’s almost as if Nogueira doesn’t know what to do with him, but she throws him into her script regardless.

“Supergirl” is far from the follow-up to “Superman” that the DCU needed, especially for those who were left unfulfilled by the franchise’s kick-off. There’s absolutely nothing original or even memorable about what we’re given here. Even worse, it does nothing to leave us excited for what’s to come. Instead it feels like an assembly line product made in the factory of James Gunn. That may be enough for some. But others will be wondering why they even bothered.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

It has been seven years since a new Star Wars film has hit the big screen. For fans of the franchise, it has been a long and agonizing wait (please pardon the drama). Yet there has been no shortage of new canonical Star Wars content for us to consume via streaming. Since the franchise’s last feature film hit theaters, there has been ten live-action seasons and nearly as many animated offerings on the Disney+ platform. Still, there’s nothing quite like Star Wars on the big screen.

For this decades-long Star Wars fan, Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian” remains among the best of the live-action streaming series. Spanning 24 episodes over three seasons, the show plays like a space western set during a turbulent time on the Star Wars timeline. The first season was a terrific table-setter and the second season was an equally impressive follow-up. And while the third season dove more into Mandalorian lore than some wanted, it was still a worthwhile continuation.

The show’s story began five years after the events of “Return of the Jedi” and followed a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) who becomes the protector and father-figure to a Force-sensitive child named Grogu (aka “Baby Yoda”). The series was firmly planted in the Star Wars galaxy, yet it’s the relationship that Din and Grogu forged that formed the heart of its story. And now their journey continues on the big screen with the simply titled “The Mandalorian and Grogu”.

Favreau directs from a script he co-wrote with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. Together they have created a pulpy throwback space adventure that entertains with its bigger, grander spectacle yet flows naturally from the intimacy of its small screen predecessor. Even more, while it’s nicely rooted in Star Wars canon, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn’t require a degree in Star Wars-ology to know what’s going on. Obviously it will speak more to seasoned fans. But anyone can watch, catch on, and enjoy.

Predictably, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” has already faced negativity from many of the usual naysayers. But for those able to toss aside unreasonable expectations and trendy disillusionment, Favreau and company have delivered a rip-roaring Star Wars adventure reminiscent of the old space serials that inspired George Lucas nearly 50 years ago. It tells an incredibly fun and mostly self-contained story that really gets to the heart of what so many of us love about the eponymous duo.

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, a remnant of loyalists threaten the stability of the galaxy. A shadow council made up of ex-Imperial warlords operate in the lawless Outer Rim, secretly plotting to rebuild the Empire. To quell their efforts, the fledgling New Republic enlist Din (a returning Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu to hunt them down one by one. It’s dangerous work, but it’s something Din knows and does well.

After taking out a target in an exhilarating action-filled opening, Din returns to base where he is approached by Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), a top pilot during the Rebellion now serving as a commanding officer for the New Republic. She tasks him with a new mission – apprehend Imperial warlord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne). But in order to find his location, Din will have to do a job for the Hutt twins, the leaders of the crime syndicate once ran by the late Jabba the Hutt.

The twins want Din to rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), the only surviving heir of Jabba who is being held captive on the planet Shakari. But Din and Grogu learn the hard way that there is more to their mission than meets the eye. And when things get “messy”, our heroes find themselves at odds with the Hutt twins who have their own shady self-interests and ulterior movies in play.

From its opening moments, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” makes its intentions very clear. It’s every bit of a Star Wars movie, with its threatening worlds, its array of cool creatures, and a plethora of details that fans will recognize throughout. At the same time, the story is more about the personal stakes rather than galaxy-wide peril. Much like the show, it keeps Din and Grogu’s relationship front and center which adds plenty of heart to the pulse-pounding action.

As far as visuals, Favreau weaves an eye-popping tapestry of practical sets, digital effects, and amazing puppetry in bringing his adventure to life. It’s especially impressive on the big screen, whether it’s massive Imperial walkers, ferocious arena fights, or the scene-stealing Anzellan droidsmiths. And it’s all accompanied by the lavishly scored music of Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson. He turns out to be one of the film’s biggest standouts.

Again, throw aside the absurd expectations, the exaggerated doomsdaying, and the ‘hate for clicks’ online noise and you’ll find a movie that’s not as far removed from George Lucas’ original vision as you may think. Some have harshly judged the film as “inconsequential”. But Favreau is clearly aiming for something more intimate, with situations that are never “inconsequential” for the characters. And Star Wars has already shown that not every story needs to be on a galactic scale. It’s true that your mileage may vary depending on your affection for the two lead characters. But again, anyone can jump in, buckle up, and enjoy this equally exciting and charming old-school space adventure.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Over the years Lucasfilm Animation has found numerous ways to innovate while remaining faithful to its very distinct artistic style. The studio defined itself early on with the painterly computer-generated look of the long-running fan-favorite “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. “Star Wars Rebels” was uniquely minimalistic while “The Bad Batch” added richer textures and sharper detail to the Clone Wars aesthetic.

The animators at Lucasfilm have once again upped their game with the studio’s latest Disney+ production, “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord”. The 10-episode streaming series offers another visual evolution, embracing the foundational look of “The Clone Wars” while adding its own stunning painterly style, striking color palette, dynamic lighting, and moody shadows to reflect the show’s darker and grittier tone. It’s an absolute stunner to look at. But there’s more to love about “Maul” than just its looks.

“Maul – Shadow Lord” adds another chapter to the revenge-driven story of the Sith Lord, Darth Maul. Despite barely appearing in only two Star Wars films, the Maul character has grown through canonical arcs from other shows, comics, etc.. His compelling journey has been one of pain, rage, and torment, beginning with his time as the former apprentice of Darth Sidious, to being reunited with his brother after he was left for dead on a junkyard planet, to becoming the most powerful crime syndicate leader in the galaxy.

“Shadow Lord” fills in some significant gaps in Maul’s story while making several exciting connections that fans of the character and the franchise are sure to enjoy. The series takes place one year after “Revenge of the Sith” and the conclusion of “The Clone Wars” as the Galaxy falls under the shadow of the new Empire. Most of the Jedi have been killed with the rest being hunted by Darth Vader and his inquisitors. Meanwhile major syndicates fight for power in the intensifying galactic underworld.

On the planet Janix, Maul (voiced by a returning Sam Witwer) has arrived with a small crew consisting of two fellow Zabraks, a handful of Mandalorian mercenaries, and a stealthy spy droid. He sets up a hideout deep in the abandoned underbelly of the city where he begins orchestrating his strategy to pay back two local crime bosses who double-crossed him. But in truth, Maul’s interests in Janix run much, much deeper.

Maul’s force senses have led him to Janix to find a young Twi’lek Jedi named Devon (Gideon Adlon) who is in hiding there with her Master, Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert). Maul sees Devon as the ideal apprentice and the ultimate weapon he can use against his true nemesis, Darth Sidious. Once again Witwer’s voice work is phenomenal and he fully embraces the opportunity to step back into a role he helped make great.

But “Shadow Lord” does more than follow Maul around as he carries out his carefully crafted plans. Showrunner Dave Filoni and his extraordinary team of writers incorporate other perspectives, including that of a new character, Detective Brander Lawson (voiced by recent Oscar nominee Wagner Moura). As Maul doles out his violent retribution on the local syndicates, Lawson leads the police department’s investigation. And what he discovers has significant consequences for Janix.

Lawson has a fascinating arc that grounds the story in some surprising ways. It often plays like a police procedural, mixing elements from television shows like “CSI” with crime films like “Heat”. And Moura’s Lawson is a terrific fit. He’s smart and driven, yet worn down by what his job has cost him. After the violence erupts, Lawson knows protocol is to inform the Empire. But he insists on keeping it a local matter, fearing the Empire will lock down Janix and never leave once they get a foothold.

Then there is Devon and Eeko-Dio-Daki, who live incognito on the streets of Janix while keeping a low profile following the horrors of Order 66. Their master-apprentice relationship is well-developed, and over time it takes on a moving father-daughter dynamic. But as Daki seeks to protect his beloved pupil, Devon grows frustrated with suppressing their powers and hiding in the shadows. And those are feelings her master fears could make her susceptible to the influence of someone like Maul.

To no surprise, the stories of the three key parties soon intersect which fuels the drama and paves the way for some thrilling action sequences. But also there are a number of surprise twists that energize both the story and Star Wars lore as we know it. And the epic final two episodes will have you craving more. The creatives hit us with several familiar sights that will get the pulse of Star Wars die-hards racing. But “Shadow Lord” also has its own distinct identity that allows it to stand out on its own. You would be wrong to dismiss this as just “more Maul”.

“Maul: Shadow Lord” once again shows why animation remains a favorite storytelling outlet for Star Wars fans of all ages. Dave Filoni and his teams of writers, animators, and voice actors haven gifted fans with an enthralling lost chapter from the life of a franchise favorite. It’s riveting entertainment, filled with eye-popping visuals, cinematic set pieces, great character work, gripping tension, and epic lightsaber showdowns. It connects several key dots on the Star Wars timeline while exciting us for what may lie ahead. And with Filoni already announcing a second season, we may not have to wait long.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

The very concept of “Slanted” put the film in a precarious position from the very start. It’s a deeply personal message movie that doubles as a bonkers social satire and triples as body horror chiller. It’s certainly an ambitious undertaking for writer-director Amy Wang who draws inspiration from her own life experiences and finds catharsis in exploring genres. Unfortunately she struggles to find the right balance, leaving “Slanted” to only go skin deep.

With “Slanted”, Wang has several interesting themes on her mind including identity, culture, and assimilation. More intimately, her film examines insecurity, self-worth, and validation. While nothing feels as thought out as it could be, there are times when Wang hits her marks. But it’s her broader critiques that fall apart, specifically in her observations on whiteness and Americanism. They’re too absurd to be seriously considered and too broad to be insightful.

A key strength of the film is Shirley Chen. She plays Joan Huang, a Chinese-American teen who has grown up on the outside of the popular (and glaringly white) social circles that she desperately wants to be a part of. Joan moved to the United States from China ten years earlier with her father Roger (Fang Du) and her mother Sofia (Vivian Wu). Wang drops them into a caricature of America where city streets are lined with stores like AR-15 Foods, ‘Merica Liquor, Yee-Haw Boots, and Freedom Beans. And where simply being white means you live in some kind of utopian bliss.

Now in her teen years, Joan attends the whitest high school imaginable where she emulates everything she sees from the popular crowd – their language, their style choices, their obscene self-absorption. She’s especially smitten with the reigning prom queen and social media maven, the insufferable Olivia (Amelie Zilber). At home, her bedroom wall is plastered with pictures of pretty white models plucked from magazines. She pinches her nose with a clothes pin to make it smaller. And she constantly uses cosmetic filters on her selfies to make her look ‘whiter’.

Joan’s obsession with fitting in at school puts a strain on her relationship with her parents. It’s especially difficult with her mother who tries to share their rich cultural traditions but is met with her daughter’s angst-driven indifference. And despite have a very close relationship with her father, Joan does a poor job hiding her embarrassment over his work as a janitor. The inner and outer conflicts provide moments when “Slanted” is at its best. The growing chasm between a daughter and her parents is heartbreaking to watch.

But Joan’s life takes a sudden turn after she gets wind of a mysterious company called Ethnos. They pitch themselves as “a place where we help you reach your true potential”. Joan decides to check out their office where she meets Dr. Willie Singer (R. Keith Harris). He tells her of a groundbreaking new ethnic modification surgery – a two hour procedure that permanently changes the patient’s pigmentation, facial and body features, and even their voice. It other words, it turns them white. “If you can’t beat them, be them,” the smarmy doctor says with a smile.

Of course Joan has the surgery and comes out pretty, blonde, and most importantly white. Now played by Mckenna Grace, Joan sets out to live the white life she’s always wanted. But there are speed bumps along the way, namely her parents and her best friend Brindha (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) who may be the only other person of color left at school. Yet Joan gains the popularity she wanted and is even accepted into Olivia’s clique. But eventually it’s all threatened by some unexpected and disturbing consequences.

As Grace takes the baton from Chen, she adds several new layers to their character. Both give great performances that allow us to fully grasp Joan’s emotional journey. Du and Wu are equally good and in many ways are just as crucial to capturing the human element. Yet none of them can make the overall story crackle the way it needs to. They simply have too much working against them. The script’s shallow treatment of key themes waters things down. The storytelling is all over the map. And even the body horror (once it finally comes) is too tame to register.

“Slanted” does have some respectable creative flourishes, such as the clever shift from a 4:3 aspect ration to widescreen showing Joan’s feelings of confinement to freedom. But neither them, the strong performances, or Wang’s admirable personal investment can overcome the film’s inability to balance its message with either satire or horror. Somewhere in “Slanted” is a really good movie about cultural identity – one willing to go deeper than a cartoonish parody of whiteness and a shallow view of American values.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Frequent readers of this site have probably heard me talk about growing up on the genre-blending adventure movies of the 1980s. Whether it was science-fiction fantasy or classic sword-and-sorcery, if it was on the television I was watching it. And while some haven’t aged as well as others, I still hold those movies in high regard. Perhaps that’s why I get a little giddy whenever I see modern filmmakers tipping their hats to those nearly forgotten genre gems.

That’s exactly what co-producers, co-writers, and co-directors Domagoj Mazuran and Zoran Lisinac do with their new dystopian sci-fi film, “Storm Rider: Legend of Hammerhead”. Together they build an entirely new world that pulls inspiration from several places yet tells a story very much its own. Even better, Mazuran and Lisinac create a uniquely original mythology that is deep and detailed while maintaining a tight focus. It’s the storytelling itself that’s a little shaky. More on that in a second.

An opening monologue sets things up nicely. The tale is set some 300 years after a catastrophic flood left the earth with nothing but a few scattered islands in an unending ocean. The “old world” with all of its cities, cultures, and knowledge now lays lost at the bottom of the waters. Surrounding what remains is a vast, perpetual, and impenetrable electrical storm that forms an ominous and deadly horizon.

From the ruins, the massive city of Argos was built and ruled by a mysterious group of immortals called the Founders. As sprigs of human civilization sprang from the various islands, Argos became the hub of power and prominence. But with their power came the urge to control. It led the Founders to introduce a perilous annual speedboat race where chosen pilots from each island called storm riders would compete. The victor wins his island’s entry into Argos. But finish last and your island is stripped of its resources and its people cast out.

On Fig Island, two young storm riders have dreamed of competing in the race since their childhood. Neb (Marco Ilsø) and Ana (Ivana Dudić) grew up hearing the legend of Hammerhead – an outlaw storm rider who dared to defy the Founders by piloting his boat into the storm to see what secrets may lie beyond. Driven by the same spirit (and some personal motivation), Neb and Ana plan to use their opportunity as riders to pierce the storm in hopes of finding freedom for their people. But the villainous head Founder, Lord Tarus (Gilles Geary) is willing to stop them, no matter the cost.

Several other key characters help fill out the world including Neb’s wise yet nebulous grandfather, Dida (James Cosmo) and Tarus’ top lieutenant, known only as the Baroness (Caroline Goodall). Both clearly know more than they let on, and the secrets they hide play significant roles in the unfolding story. Yet they, like most of the movie’s central players, too often feel like archetypes rather than fully formed human characters.

But the film’s biggest issue is found in its overuse of lengthy exposition, monologues, and narration. Without question, there is some interesting world-building to mine from the MANY explanations we get. But it’s not long before they start zapping the movie of its energy. It doesn’t kill the sheer imagination and craftsmanship at the heart of “Storm Rider”. But there are times when it slows the movie’s momentum to a crawl.

Despite that, Mazuran and Lisinac deserve a lot of credit for this ambitious undertaking. “Storm Rider: Legend of Hammerhead” is a notably fresh and imaginative slice of dystopian sci-fi manages to transport us to a fascinating new world without breaking the proverbial bank. The visuals frequently impress through their combination of real-life locations, imaginative production design, and fusion of practical and digital effects. And while its a bit like “Death Race 2000” meets “Waterworld”, the film dares to take itself seriously, telling a story without winking at the camera every step of the way. That alone is something I can appreciate. In theaters March 13th.

VERDICT – 3 STARS