843 Contributions by: Renee Cuisia (Page 56)

Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She’s also seen You’ve Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it’s one of the greatest films out there.

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826. Five Blind Dates, 2024

	
Five Blind Dates is a squeaky clean, hopelessly boring film pretending to be a raunchy romcom. Despite Lia (Shuang Hu) going on five (or four, really) dates, she doesn’t find real chemistry with any one of them. There’s no heat, no passion, no inane fun to be had, or reckless experimentation. It’s clear that what she’s after isn’t really love but a partner who accepts her traditional whims, which I guess counts as a happy ending if this were airing on Hallmark or any other wholesome TV channel. But it isn’t, and instead of embracing its true form—that is, family drama—it instead postures as a modern and exciting romcom, even though it contains zero spice.

To be fair, the film has its funny moments, and I do think the first date’s premise, while played for laughs, has the potential to spark an interesting discussion about our generation’s willingness to sacrifice intimacy for financial security. But the film doesn’t really go there, nor anywhere, and remains as stale and safe as can be.Genre: Comedy, Romance
Actor: Belinda Jombwe, Desmond Chiam, Gabrielle Chan, Ilai Swindells, Jon Prasida, Joshua McElroy, Melanie Jarnson, Renee Lim, Rob Collins, Sara West, Scott Lee, Shuang Hu, Tzi Ma, Yoson An
Director: Shawn Seet

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827. Encounters, 2023

Despite a wealth of first-hand accounts, it’s hard to be on board Encounters’ premise. It lacks the hard evidence, credible sources, and science-backed data to be taken seriously. The closest we get to a fact-checker is Sara, a local newspaper editor who refuses to buy into the story in episode one. It’s full-on speculation presented as fact, making it seem more silly than smart. To be fair, the testimonies seem sincere, if a bit misguided, and there’s something to be said about their commitment to their truth. The docuseries is also sleekly made, which gives it an appearance of authority. Ultimately, however, the show’s scant facts and unsubstantial proof do those high points a disservice.

Genre: Documentary

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828. Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, 2024

It’s hard not to compare Dirty Pop with Quiet on the Set, a documentary that also recently exposed the dirty machinations that went into creating teen stars. But where Quiet on the Set was compelling and revelatory, Dirty Pop is just frustrating. It stretches its story so that you’re not really sure, up until the final half of the pilot, what the documentary is trying to point fingers at. And it takes until the last episode to truly care about the real victims of Pearlman’s scams. The interviews don’t feel fresh, either, and you get the sense that a lot of what’s said can simply be read online. But maybe the most disappointing part of the documentary is that it uses AI to bring Pearlman, who passed in 2016, to life. It’s exploitative and unnecessary, especially since the documentary doesn’t even have anything new to say.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Director: David Terry Fine

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829. Atlas, 2024

	
Atlas is bad on every conceivable level. The writing is hackneyed, the cinematography is soulless, and the acting (save for a few) is one-dimensional. Only Jennifer Lopez and Sterling K. Brown are turning in serious performances, but somehow that makes the film worse, not better, because of how mismatched the energy is. If the acting wasn’t so serious, then Atlas could probably pass as camp—so bad and corny that it actually becomes fun to watch. If that’s the kind of film you’re looking for, then by all means, put on this Netflix film. But if you’re looking for genuine sci-fi fare, films with something meaningful and enlightening to say about the scary future of AI, then I suggest you look elsewhere.Genre: Action, Science Fiction
Actor: Abraham Popoola, Amy Sturdivant, Briella Guiza, Dawayne Jordan, Gloria Cole, Gregory James Cohan, Howland Wilson, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Walker White, Lana Parrilla, Lesley Fera, Logan Hunt, Mark Strong, Mel Powell, Michelangelo Hyeon, Nicholas Walker, Paul Ganus, Samantha Hanratty, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Vaughn Johseph, Zoe Boyle
Director: Brad Peyton
Rating: PG-13

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830. A Man in Full, 2024

On paper, A Man in Full looks like it could be the next Succession or, at the very least, Yellowstone. It gives us a look into Atlanta’s ultra-wealthy, primarily through the eyes of the tycoon Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels). The show is headlined by stars like Diane Lane and Lucy Liu, helmed by acclaimed director Regina King (One Night in Miami), and based on a novel by bestselling author Tom Wolfe. So, by all accounts, A Man in Full should work. But it doesn’t. The show is hard to watch, not because it forces us to confront relevant truths, but simply because it’s badly made. Apart from the mentioned actors, everyone else is weirdly stiff and wooden, as if cast in a network show they know is doomed to fail. The writing is heavy-handed and lacks the humor and intelligence to match the show’s ambitious story. And the editing doesn’t do the show any favors—in a vital scene involving snakes and sex, the two separate shots were so clumsily intercut that instead of feeling thrilled, you just end up laughing at what just happened. Perhaps it gets better by the end, but you’ll need a lot of patience to get past just the first episode.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Aml Ameen, Chanté Adams, Diane Lane, Jeff Daniels, Jon Michael Hill, Lucy Liu, Sarah Jones, Tom Pelphrey, William Jackson Harper

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831. Cocoa, 2023

You should know from the get-go that Cocoa is a wild farce that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should you. The mafia, a wild scientist, and a giant clumsy dog somehow weave themselves into what initially seems to be just a story of two sisters selling pastries and bonding along the way. It goes in for multiple twists and turns, which on paper, sounds like a fun ride, but shoddy production value can only get you so far. After a few chuckles, the poor direction, elementary acting, and stilted editing all catch up on you, and Cocoa soon becomes the kind of movie you have to sit through and endure rather than breeze through. It’s great to put on if you have undiscerning kids around, but otherwise, this TV movie just doesn’t cut it.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Cedric Gegel, Jody Mortara, Megan McGarvey, Siena D'Addario, Tony Cucci

Director: Jody Mortara, Joe Gawalis

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832. Space Cadet, 2024

	
Like posters and stills of Space Cadet suggest, the film is cute and, occasionally, fun. Emma Roberts is bubbly and funny enough to carry the feature-length movie on her back, and the visuals, which are shock of Lisa Frank glittery pink, elevate an otherwise bland landscape. But the film doesn’t reach far enough into the sky to be the truly weird and out-there film it could be. Instead, it relies on implausible plot lines and go-girl messages to become yet another flatly inspiring film about how anyone can be anything if they just believed in themselves. Space Cadet proves that Legally Blone meets Apollo 11 has potential, but it’s not the film meant to land the idea home.Genre: Comedy, Romance
Actor: Dave Foley, Desi Lydic, Drew Powell, Emma Roberts, Gabrielle Union, Joshua Harto, Kevin Downes, Kuhoo Verma, Max Jenkins, Poppy Liu, Sam Robards, Sebastián Yatra, Tom Hopper, Troy Iwata, Yasha Jackson
Director:  Liz W. Garcia
Rating: PG-13

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833. Sight, 2024

	
Sight is based on the extraordinary life of Dr. Ming Wang, a Chinese immigrant who fled Communist China and revolutionized his field of ophthalmology in the West. Because of his hardships, he’s sympathetic to the needy and often takes pro-bono cases. In the movie, he even helps partially restore a little girl’s sight, which was cruelly taken from her by an abusive stepmom. Obviously, Wang’s story is rife with intrigue, inspiration, and drama, but this film by Director Andrew Hyatt does him no justice. There is no conflict nor tension to be found here, no exciting twists or turns—just a perfectly bland story whose ending anyone could guess. The performances could’ve elevated it, but Terry Chen, who plays Wang, never compels. To be fair, he doesn’t seem to have a lot to work with; he’s just an all-around good guy who doesn’t find the need to grow past anything. But even in the simplest scenes, his delivery seems wooden, almost like he, too, is unconvinced by the strength of his lines. Looking equally bored is a squandered Greg Kinnear, whose presence makes me wonder whether he has some debts he needs to settle. But even if Chen and Kinnear gave it their all, it’s hard to imagine Sight as anything more than a lazy attempt to retell an inspiring true story.Genre: Drama, History
Actor: Aaron Paul Stewart, Ben Wang, Danni Wang, Donald Heng, Fionnula Flanagan, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Juniper Angeli, Ken Godmere, Mia SwamiNathan, Natalie Skye, Raymond Ma, Sky Kao, Terry Chen, Wai Ching Ho
Director: Andrew Hyatt
Rating: PG-13

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834. Robots, 2023

What a waste of a premise, and what a waste of Woodley’s talents. Based on the short story “The Robot Who Looked Like Me” by Robert Sheckley, Robots has some clever things to say about the state of advanced tech and its role in society, but its clumsy, heavyhanded approach fumbles the execution. There’s an awkward and unfinished feel to Robots that doesn’t make anything about it believable—not the technology, not the convoluted story, and certainly not the romance. And except for Woodley, none of the characters seem likable. The male-dominated cast makes constant jokes about fatness and femininity, presumably for the sake of satire, but they end up participating in the very things they’re supposedly calling out. It’s not nearly as smart nor as charming as it thinks it is, and if you’re looking for an alternative, I would recommend the far superior German film I’m Your Man, which accomplishes everything Robots tries to be and more.

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Actor: Barney Burman, Case Matthews, Casey Messer, Charles Grisham, Chelsea Edmundson, Dani Payne, David Grant Wright, Emanuela Postacchini, Hank Rogerson, Jack Whitehall, Jackamoe Buzzell, Keith Campbell, Kevin Foster, Kristin K. Berg, Leslie Fleming-Mitchell, Nick Rutherford, Paul Jurewicz, Paul Rust, Rebekah Patton, Richard Lippert, Samantha Ashley, Samantha Gonzalez, Shailene Woodley, Tiffany Adams

Director: Anthony Hines, Casper Christensen

Rating: R

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835. Ricky Stanicky, 2024

Ricky Stanicky has all the ingredients of a zany romp: an insane premise, a cast of well-oiled comedians, and most notably, a veteran of the game, Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary), at the helm of it all. And yet Ricky Stanicky falls unbelievably flat. For starters, there is zero chemistry between the trio who we’re supposed to believe are lifelong friends. And despite his Rolodex of disguises, John Cena is a one-trick pony here who can’t carry this film on his own. The joke is that he’s big and scary but can act pretty soft, but it gets tiring eventually. If I were you, I’d save myself some time and watch this SNL skit where Emma Stone plays a serious actress hoping to make her big break in a porn video instead. It captures the essence of what Ricky Stanicky wants to be, but the difference is, it’s actually funny.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Andrew Santino, Anja Savcic, Apple Farrelly, Brian Jarvis, Debra Lawrance, Francesca Waters, Heather Mitchell, Jackie Flynn, Jackson Tozer, Jane Badler, Jasper Bagg, Jeff Ross, Jermaine Fowler, Jim Knobeloch, John Cena, Kate Lister, Lex Scott Davis, Nathan Jones, Ruben Francis, Sean Gildea, William H. Macy, Zac Efron, Zen Gesner

Director: Peter Farrelly

Rating: R

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836. Mother of the Bride, 2024

If you’re looking at posters and stills of this film thinking, “I know exactly what will happen here,” you’re right. Whatever it is, you’re right. Mother of the Bride is the type of vacation-wedding movie that’s been done a thousand times better before. But a generic premise is one thing; it’s easy to forgive cliches when you’re doing it right and giving the audience something else to look forward to, be it hilarity or romance. Being generic and lazy, however, is a different and less forgivable thing. Brooke Shields is the only one who feels like she’s truly acting here as she physically and emotionally throws herself into a character who is, sadly, too thinly written to deserve this much effort. If you’re still wondering whether the movie’s worth playing for the sake of Mother’s Day, just know that you’re better off reading Hallmark cards—they’re way less sappy and require only half the effort to go through.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Benjamin Bratt, Brooke Shields, Chad Michael Murray, Dalip Sondhi, Michael McDonald, Miranda Cosgrove, Rachael Harris, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Sean Teale, Tasneem Roc, Wilson Cruz

Director: Mark Waters

Rating: PG

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837. Maximum Truth, 2023

There is a clear and wide gap between what Maximum Truth wants to be and what it actually is. What it wants to be is a silly but smart sendup of right-wing activism and the rampant disinformation the movement propels. What it ends up being is an occasionally funny but mostly tiresome film that falls flat thanks to caricature performances and flimsy arguments that essentially work against the film's supposed ideals. In a self-contradictory twist, it actually helps the conservatives it claims to poke fun at by proving just how dumb liberal humor can be. The running gag about Rick being in the closet feels outdated at best and offensive at worst, while Simon being the typical airheaded jock does nothing to subvert the trope. It’s baffling that a film like this could come out in 2023; ultimately it just seems like a terrible waste of everyone’s time.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Andrew Friedman, Andrew Lopez, Beth Grant, Blake Anderson, Brandon Wardell, Brenda Koo, Brianna Baker, David Stassen, Dylan O'Brien, Ike Barinholtz, Ithamar Enriquez, Jena Friedman, Jon Barinholtz, Josh Meyers, Kelvin Yu, Kiernan Shipka, Mark Proksch, Matt Corboy, Max Minghella, Mia Serafino, Robert Belushi, Scott MacArthur, Seth Rogen, Sunil Narkar, Tiya Sircar

Director: David Stassen

Rating: R

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838. Finding Amelia, 2024

In the decades since pioneer pilot Amelia Earhart disappeared from the face of the Earth, countless theories have emerged to fill in the gaps of her still-unknown whereabouts. Historians generally agree she crashed into the ocean, but that’s not dramatic enough, isn’t it? Some people believe she was captured by the Japanese, others believe she turned into a spy. Even others think she assumed a whole new identity. But among the more plausible theories is that she crashed into an airbase in Rabaul, New Britain. This is what Finding Amelia tries to prove true, and up to the task are two independent enthusiasts—one an aviation historian, the other a lawyer. Their insight is interesting enough, except they’re not treading new ground. All of what they say has been explored in previous documentaries both worse and better, so you’re left with nothing more than reminders and weak What Ifs. There is also a sense that some of the parts are staged, which is fine if you’re trying to recreate important but dangerous encounters, but at least make them feel real.

Genre: Adventure, Documentary, History

Actor: Amelia Earhart, Michael Carra, Morgan Spector

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839. Depp V Heard, 2023

Many things can be said about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s whirlwind relationship. It was messy, violent, and indicative of the massive power imbalance that prevails in Hollywood relationships. And the lawsuits that resulted from their offenses against each other were informative too; the ex-couple’s 2022 defamation trial was a landmark case that proved the power social media had in determining not just public opinion but the court’s verdict too. In other words, Depp and Heard’s relationship was an interesting case that warranted analysis and careful speculation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get that treatment in this Netflix docuseries. Here, director Emma Cooper trades in nuance and expert commentary for cheap shots at both celebrities by way of borrowed clips from the internet. There are no interviews, no deep dives, no studies in this “documentary” (I genuinely struggle to call it that). Instead, it lazily and desperately relies on viral YouTube clips, TikTok videos, and archival footage for content. They are strung together in a haphazard fashion, barely coherent with all the memes and jokey music it employs. The defamation case could’ve been studied from a legal, psychological, or industrial point of view—instead, Cooper chooses to serve this pile of steaming garbage that resembles the media spectacle it claims to expose.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Amber Heard, Johnny Depp

Director: Emma Cooper

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840. Famous, 2023

I appreciate what Famous, the movie, tries to do with its small budget. To portray the wealthy and luxurious life Famous, the character, supposedly leads, the movie opts for clean minimalist designs and tasteful close-ups that don’t betray the scruffy studio it’s actually set in. And the music, produced by Friyie, provides a nice ambiance to Famous and Wayne’s fraught relationship. But those are the only good things you could say about this film; everything else is a flat-out mess. The story feels limp, the acting forced, the dialogue loaded with exposition, and the overall execution clunky. Also, tell me why doesn’t Famous rap even once in a movie centered around him? We’re constantly told that Famous is a celebrated rapper, but not once are we made privy to his skills. What was the reason? This choice, like pretty much everything about the movie, is just baffling.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Brendan Jeffers, Farid Yazdani, Jas Dhanda, Lovina Yavari, Patrick Kwok-Choon, Ric Reid

Director: Martha McGrath

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