Luther: The Fallen Sun

“Luther: The Fallen Sun” is a 2023 Netflix original crime/drama/thriller currently sitting at number one on Netflix. It stars Idris Elba (Beast), Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and Dermot Crowley (Luther).

Luther is on the case of young man who was murdered, the killer feels Luther is getting close and brings some of Luther’s tactics to light sending Luther to prison. Now with more murders coming to light, Luther must escape prison and stop the killer before it’s too late.

Fans of the show “Luther” can rejoice. Everyone’s favorite detective is back. Great thing about this movie is that it’s also a great standalone film as well. If you haven’t seen the show, no problem, it’s the same characters but it doesn’t tie directly into the show. So, you’ll love it if you haven’t seen the show and you’ll love it if you have. I’m personally a fan of the show and was pumped when this movie was first released. It’s fast paced, action packed, and can only deliver the way Luther can. It also teases there may be a sequel, only time will tell. If you are a fan of the show, Alice unfortunately doesn’t make an appearance in this one, maybe the next one. I give it an 8/10.

Cocaine Bear

“Cocaine Bear” is a 2023 horror/dark comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks starring Kerri Russell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), O’ Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), and Margo Martindale (Sneaky Pete).

“Cocaine Bear” is based on the true story about a sky diver who in the 80’s was found dead in a driveway in Knoxville, TN with a duffel bag full of cocaine. Before his plane went down, he dumped several bags of cocaine out of the plane across the Chattahoochee National Forest. A mother trying to find her daughter and friend, a cop trying to track down the cocaine, a group of teenage thugs, a park ranger, and two men who the cocaine belongs to are all in the woods for different reasons. Unbeknownst to them so is a big black bear who ingested a lot of the cocaine. Now high on cocaine the big black bear goes on a murderous rampage.

I had a special interest in this movie just because I live near the location the story takes place. It’s cool to see a place you live as a main setting in a major movie. It is a true story that has been highly embellished. A bear did ingest a lot of the cocaine in real life, but instead of going on a murderous rampage it died. However, that wouldn’t make for much of a movie.

“Cocaine Bear” is a wild ride that doesn’t slowdown from start to finish. I figured it would be just a rampage style movie where the bear runs around killing people the entire time. However, it has the perfect amount of gore mixed in with humor. There are several laugh out loud moments throughout the movie. I’m also a fan of unique death scenes in movies, that make your eyes pop, and grab onto the edge of your seat, they mix a few of these in here as well. Also, it’s bittersweet being Ray Liotta’s final film. I highly recommend checking this one out. I give it an 8/10.

Emily the Criminal

This is the first review of the 2023 for me. I’m going to start it off with a 2022 drama/ thriller titled “Emily the Criminal” starring Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy), and Megalyn Echikunwoke (Night School).

A recent ex con (Plaza) is struggling to make ends meet. Bills are piling up, especially her student loans, and her job at a catering company isn’t enough. No other jobs will look past her felony conviction. Without any other choice, she gets caught up in a credit card scheme in order to make some fast cash. It soon proves to be a slippery slope.

I hadn’t heard anything about this movie, but it sounded good, and I like Aubrey Plaza. She always plays a goofy quirky roll that just seems to be her, so it was nice to see her in a more serious role. She’s paired alongside Theo Rossi in this gritty drama. Both play their roles really well, and Plaza proves she can do more than just comedy. There’s enough suspense and action to keep the adrenaline pumping, and keep you wondering what is going to happen next. It’s a great, fast paced watch. You can catch it on Netflix. I give it an 8/10.

Vengeance

“Vengeance” is a 2022 Drama/Comedy starring B.J. Novak (The Office), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Ashton Kutcher (The Butterfly Effect), Issa Rae (The Lovebirds), Louanne Stephens (Longmire), and Zach Villa (American Horror Story).

A playboy from NY City, who jumps from woman to woman, is trying to make it in the podcast scene. He receives a phone call from a woman’s brother, who he hooked up with a few times, telling him his girlfriend is dead. The woman’s family thinks he is her boyfriend and wants him to attend her funeral in Texas. When he’s down there the brother convinces him, she was murdered, and he agrees to help find the killer thinking he has found a subject for the perfect podcast.

I was surprised how good this movie was. It’s really well written, and you find yourself wrapped up in the story as B.J. Novak tries to find out what happened to the girl. It’s a little predictable as you know he’s going to go from self-absorbed dick to caring about more than just himself as he gets wrapped up with her slightly dysfunctional family. It doesn’t matter though because even though you know it’s going to happen it’s written well, and brings a good balance of being heart felt, comedy, and drama. This is also B.J. Novak’s directorial debut for a film, and it’s a great debut. The only qualm I have with the movie is the ending, I felt it a little anticlimactic and lacking, still it’s a great movie and worth watching. You can currently catch it in some theaters, and on Peacock. I give it an 8/10.

The Munsters (2022)

“The Munsters” is a 2022 Rob Zombie reboot comedy of the classic 60’s sitcom with the same name. The movie stars Sheri Moon Zombie (The Devil’s Rejects), Jeff Daniel Phillips (3 from Hell), Daniel Roebuck (3 from Hell), Richard Brake (31), Jorge Garcia (Lost), and Thomas Boykin (3 from Hell).

This is a prequel to the Sitcom. It shows life before Lily and Herman, how they got together, and how Herman came into existence. It also follows their move from Transylvania to America.

I was excited for this one ever since it was first announced, I have loved The Munsters since I was a kid. It was before my time, but as a kid I would watch classics like The Munsters, Leave it to Beaver, Green Acres, Twilight Zone, Andy Griffith, and The Beverly Hillbillies. Rob Zombie is notorious for using the same actors and actresses in every movie especially with his wife Sheri Moon. This one isn’t any different as he uses Phillips, Roebuck, Brake, and Boykin who have all been in previous movies of his. So how did the reboot stack up, and how did his repeat actors do?

Simple, if you loved The Munsters like I do, you’re going to love this film. Zombie does a great job of capturing the essence of the 60’s and The Munsters. Not to mention the actors Phillips and Roebuck do a great job playing Herman and the Count, but the real star is Moon Zombie. She does such a great job as Lily, she even has her mannerisms down to a t. It’s perfect. Now if you haven’t seen the sitcom or not really a fan of it, you’re not going to like this movie. You’ll think it’s dumb, silly, and campy, which it kind of is, but that’s how the sitcom is too, and Zombie does such an amazing job of capturing that. Another cool little tidbit, Pat Priest and Butch Patrick have small roles in this film. They played Marilyn and Eddie in the original show. For me, as a fan it’s a must watch and I give it an 8/10. You can catch it on Netflix.

Magic

Going to go old school with this one. “Magic” is a 1978 horror/drama starring Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Ann-Margret (Grumpy Old Men), Burgess Meredith (Rocky), and Ed Lauter (Not Another Teen Movie).

A ventriloquist (Hopkins) who’s on the fast track to stardom goes into hiding when he’s required to take a medical test for a big contract. He’s afraid the doctors will find out he’s crazy and can’t control his ventriloquist dummy. While in hiding he rekindles a spark with an old crush who happens to be married. Things start to snowball downhill very fast while there.

I wouldn’t necessarily classify this one as a horror, maybe a thriller. It’s a horror in the same sense of the movie “Psycho” is. It’s a slow burn, it doesn’t have the jump scenes, mass killings, or gore. It’s also really similar to “Psycho” in the aspect of the schizophrenia angle with a good twist ending. Hopkins could be Norman Bates brother in this. It boasts a legendary cast with Hopkins, Margret, and Meredith. I always get excited when I see Burgess Meredith in a different role, I didn’t know he was in. This is a great watch if you haven’t seen it and in perfect time for Halloween. You can catch it on Tubi. I give it an 8/10.

I Came By

“I Came By” is a 2022 original Netflix thriller/mystery starring George Mackay (1917), Kelly Macdonald (Brave), Hugh Bonneville (Paddington), and Percelle Ascott (The Innocents).

A young graffiti artist breaks into elite and rich people’s houses and tags their walls as a way of sticking it to the man. He breaks into a retired judge’s house and finds more than he bargained for.

This is a great thriller, it has its lulls but overall, it’s pretty fast paced and keeps your heart racing. The casting is good especially with Hugh Bonneville. He plays a great predator, to the point you hate the guy and are just hoping he gets caught. I give it an 8/10.

John Carpenter’s Vampires

“Jon Carpenter’s Vampires” is a 1998 Action/Horror movie based off the book “Vampires” by John Steakley. It stars James Woods (Family Guy), Daniel Baldwin (Cold Case), Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks), Thomas Ian Griffith (One Tree Hill), and Tim Guinee (Hell on Wheels).

Jack Crow (Woods) is a vampire hunter, and when his crew is attacked and killed by a master vampire, he seeks revenge. He is aided by a priest, his right-hand man, and a prostitute who was bitten by the master vampire. He must hunt down and kill the master vampire before he obtains a relic that allows vampires to walk in sunlight.

This movie hasn’t received a whole lot of love, and it’s fairly unknown. John Carpenter is a great horror director as he is the one who directs the “Halloween” series. I came across this on Netflix and decided to give it a try. First off it is cheesy, it stars B list celebrities, and they are hunting vampires with giant pistols and machine guns. Not to mention James Woods the entire movie is wearing dark sunglasses and a black leather jacket, even though they’re in the desert. So, yes, it’s cheesy. Sounds awful, right? Strangely, it’s the total opposite, it’s awesome. Watching vampires get pumped full of lead by B list celebrities and cheesy dialogue is one of the most 90 things I can think of. It’s fun, exciting, and I enjoyed it so much I ordered the book to read. This is a hidden vampire movie gem. I give it an 8/10.

The Outsider

“The Outsider” is a 2018 Netflix original crime drama/ thriller starring Jared Leto (Morbius), Tadanobu Asano (Battleship), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2), and Min Tanaka (47 Ronin).

An American soldier is in a Japanese prison following WWII. He saves a fellow inmates life, and in return the inmate helps him get out of prison and welcomes him into his gang, the Yakuza.

The Yakuza are a Japanese gang who are ruthless and blood thirsty. This movie does a good job portraying that. I’m typically not a big fan of Jared Leto, I find him weird, and bad at portraying emotion. Most of his movies fall flat because of it. However, his character is trying to survive as an outsider in the Yakuza. So, he needs to be cold hearted, his non emotional self, works out for this role. It’s perfect for him. The movie is dark, gritty and full of drama. If you like gangster style movies, it’s definitely worth checking out. I give it an 8/10.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie

“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” is a 2022 animation comedy movie from the show “Bob’s Burgers”. It brings in its main cast including H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz, John Roberts, Eugene Mirman, Kevin Kline, Zach Galifianakis, and Larry Murphy while also giving David Wain a new character.

This is the biggest Belcher’s adventure yet. It’s summertime the kids are out of school and looking forward to a great summer. When a sink hole opens up in front of the restaurant it may end up closing the restaurant for good. Even worse skeletal remains are found in the sink hole and their landlord is arrested for the crime. The Belcher kids are determined to prove his innocence and save the family restaurant.

If you’re fan of the show, you’ll love the movie, simple as that. It’s pretty much just an extended episode of Bob’s Burgers with a few musical numbers thrown in. It’s funny, entertaining and just an overall fun watch. I give it an 8/10.