Starring: KJ Apa, Max Casella, Kara Killmer, Jason Alexander, Jen Lilley
Grade: C-
It’s not often that a high profile film sets its world premiere in Indiana, but that was the case for Jimmy, a biopic of the late actor and military officer who inspired generations of audiences with his iconic performances. I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere screening, which was held at The Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, kicking off the 35th edition of the Heartland Film Festival. In attendance were KJ Apa (who plays the titular role), director Aaron Burns, and several other members of the cast and crew. Making the experience particularly special was the presence of Jimmy’s daughter Kelly (who has an Executive Producer credit on the film) and Karolyn Grimes, who played young Zuzu Bailey in 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life alongside Stewart, uttering the famous line “Everytime a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” While the spirit in the room was overwhelmingly celebratory, the film itself lacks the gravitas that would have been befitting of its larger than life subject.
Teenage boyhood can be tough, especially in a world where it’s easy to cultivate an online persona that is disconnected from the one you embody in person. Nuclear Boy tackles that formative phase of life through a coming of age story that feels all too relevant to our times. Themes of masculinity and connection have been threaded through great movies such as 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause and 2018’s mid90s, but this film carves out its own space by grappling with how the rise of online culture alters the chemistry of our brains in a way we can’t always grasp.
The film hinges on the performance of Guus Blanken as Aike, a largely ignored teenager fascinated by chemical detonations who feels more comfortable streaming content for his online followers than engaging with the physical world around him. Blanken excels in his first feature role, serving as a stand-in for a generation of young boys who have found themselves isolated, but also feeling unique in his character’s interests and personality. Director Joren Molter finds a very creative way to tell his story, personifying what could have been an invisible internet audience and playing with the way Aike’s online and IRL experiences blur together. It’s all underlined by a subtle but chilling radiation metaphor and an unsettling score from composer Rutger Reinders that at times toes the line of horror. For those seeking to understand the pressures young people face in finding themselves, this is a must watch.
Writer and director Ballard C. Boyd’s first feature film, Jackrabbit, follows New York City millennials George and Avery (played by Kuhoo Verma and Taylor Ortega, respectively) as they traverse the city searching for their mutual friend Trish (Soojeong Son), who has come up missing. The catch is that George and Avery only just met and have yet to hit it off, so they must learn to navigate each other as they race against the clock to solve the case. Fans of female-led comedy-mysteries such as 2013’s The Heat may find some enjoyment with this film, but it’s unlikely to leave much of an impact.
Things kick off splendidly as the film leans into the comedic back-and-forth banter between the two leads. Verma in particular (who audiences may know from her excellent leading turn in 2021’s teen pregnancy comedy Plan B) shines as a quirky and sharp-tongued transplant to the city who is trying to make a name for herself in the field of journalism. About halfway through, the comedy takes a backseat to the mystery of it all, and the film begins to take itself a bit too seriously. The story beats as the investigation plays out become tedious, and every new twist and turn feels like an attempt to trick the audience instead of building to a conclusion that pays off in a significant way. Had Ballard fully committed to what could have been a wacky ride, Jackrabbit may have stood out as a more effective comedy romp.
I can’t imagine audiences not falling in love with Isle Child, a thoughtful, tender, and beautifully shot exploration of identity through the eyes of a Korean American teenager who was adopted as a toddler. Si Miller, played by Ethan Hwang, grows up in Boston largely unaware of his background and heritage. That all changes one day when a letter arrives in the mail informing him of his birth mother’s ill health. Suddenly, Si finds himself looking at nearly every experience he has through a new lens, and must reckon with who he truly is.
Hwang carries the film with a performance that is quiet, yet always alive and piercing through the screen. Writer-director Thomas Percy Kim’s dialogue for him is somewhat limited for a protagonist, but he doesn’t need it; his processing of a life he didn’t know he had is prominent in every frame. One of the highlights of the film is Si’s dynamic with Yang (played by The Long Walk’s Ben Wang), a Chinese American student who joins his baseball team. Their interactions are a big part of Si’s identity exploration, and the commentary on differences between distinct Asian cultures was well handled. There are a few meandering plot points in the middle of Isle Child concerning Si’s other teammates and girlfriend that don’t serve his journey as well as they could have. Ultimately, though, the film course corrects in the final act as Si is able to take an important step in connecting with his roots. While the film focuses on a very particular experience, the universal theme of discovering who you are will resonate with anyone.
Man’s best friend is no stranger to the silver screen, and Heart of the Beast offers up the next worthy entry in a genre that has captured audiences for decades. The film introduces us to James Belmont (Brad Pitt), a recently retired Green Beret who spent thirty years of his life in brutal combat service. Close by his side is his loyal German Shepherd, Odin (played by newcomer Uber), who served as Belmont’s combat scouting dog and is himself adjusting to post-military life alongside his partner. What’s intended to be a therapeutic bonding trip in the heart of the mountains turns treacherous, as Belmont and Odin once again find themselves relying on each other for survival.
Starring: Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis, Roland Møller, Arnas Fedsravičius, Adrian Lester
Grade: C–
Jason Statham is back on the big screen in the action thriller Mutiny, which he produces and stars in as Cole Reed, an ex-police officer turned bodyguard who embarks on a vengeance mission after being framed for his boss’s cold-blooded murder. Cole’s operation veers in a new direction, however, when he discovers unscrupulous activity aboard the cargo ship he has infiltrated. From there, we go through a “play the hits” formula that will be expected for anyone familiar with Statham’s catalogue. There are a few successful elements, but overall the film sinks more than it sails.
Starring: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, King Princess, Ziwe, Ben Marshall, Molly Ringwald, Levar Burton
Grade: C
The United States Government has instituted a national ban on pre-marital sex, and New Yorkers are preparing for the only night of the year where the ban is temporarily lifted and they can fulfill their suppressed desires. While it’s unfortunately not crazy to envision this as a not-too-distant future headline in the real world, it’s actually the premise for One Night Only, Will Gluck’s new romcom starring Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner. The duo’s characters, Allie and Owen, meet on this fateful day and, as expected, shenanigans ensue. What follows is a good enough time at the theater, but nothing that adds anything special to the genre.
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Anyier Anei, Ella Rumpf, Louis Garrel
Grade: C+
Paris Fashion Week serves as the backdrop for writer/director Alice Winocour’s latest film, Couture. The story centers on three women navigating the complexities of life while focusing on their work in an industry not known for its empathy. Angelina Jolie produces and stars in what is her follow-up outing to 2024’s biopic Maria, which saw the cultural icon embodying late opera singer Maria Callas. Couture is a quieter project for the veteran actor, but still gives her the chance to flex her ability to fall effortlessly into any character she’s given. While there are bright spots to be found throughout, the film stumbles into uneven territory at times, never fully threading the needle.
Starring: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton
Grade: A+
If you’re at all dialed into cinematic pop culture, you probably remember the moment that was the press tour for Olivia Wilde’s last film, 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling. Critics and audiences were divided on the film’s merits, but it was the off-screen relationships and shenanigans surrounding the Hollywood release that truly captured the zeitgeist. Wilde’s latest directorial effort, The Invite, feels like a triumphant return to a focus on filmmaking with the director turning in the strongest entry of her career so far. The story centers on two neighboring couples, each with their own quirky eccentricities, who meet for a dinner party. What starts as a conventional evening quickly devolves into chaos as the couples are forced to deal with new perspectives that magnify hidden truths in their own relationships.
Starring: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Tovah Feldshuh, Lior Raz
Grade: A
If you’re a fan of propulsive crime thrillers like Uncut Gems or musically tinged dramas like Whiplash, you’re bound to have a lot of fun with Tuner, which offers shades of both while feeling fresh and unique on its own. The film follows a piano tuner as he discovers that his unique skill set leaves him well suited not only for adjusting instruments, but also for a potentially lucrative life of crime he never dreamed of. As he descends into a world he may not fully understand, he must grapple with questions of identity and what he’s willing to do for the people he loves.
Saccharine is the third feature from Writer/Director Natalie Erika James, following her pandemic-era breakthrough Relic and 2024’s Rosemary’s Baby prequel, Apartment 7A. The film follows Hana (Midori Francis), a medical student suffering from body dysmorphia who experiments with a new weight-loss pill that promises to slim her down in next to no time. With GLP-1 medications now commonplace in our society, this may feel like a familiar and timely premise. But of course, there’s more to it, as Hana finds that what seems like a simple solution to her struggles may come tied to sinister consequences.
A24’s latest horror flick undertone puts a new twist on screen-life horror: instead of playing out the story via windows on a computer screen, the terrors in the film unfurl through a series of podcast sessions. Evy and Justin (played by Nina Kiri and The White Lotus’s Adam DiMarco) cohost a podcast dissecting paranormal events. When they begin to dive into a series of ten audio files sent by a mystery contributor, things start to shift in the home Evy shares with her ill mother (Michèle Duquet). Unfortunately, the story that follows is messy and cliched, failing to live up to the inventive horror films A24 is often known for putting out.
