Eenie Meanie

Eenie Meanie doesn't do anything bad in particular but it does execute the most familiar tropes of a crime thriller with a surprisingly low energy. A fun start quickly fizzles out as it loses the excitement in favour of drab drama, resulting in a 106 minute run time that begins to risk overstaying its welcome. It's saved by its capable main star and the noticeably stronger visuals for a film debuting on a streaming platform.

Samara Weaving truly anchors this, proving she deserves bigger and better projects. She's funny, likeable and capable in a way that can carry the whole film when needed. She also has a believable chemistry with Karl Glusman, who fluctuates between being annoying and slightly empathic throughout. Marshawn Lynch is good whilst being criminally underutilised once again and Andy García isn't phoning it in thankfully.

Considering this is his debut Shawn Simmons' direction is good, especially on the technical side of things. The cinematography by Tim Ives is shot with purpose thanks to some impressive sequences. There's only 2 car chases annoyingly but they are entertaining enough. Bobby Krlic's playful score brings all the necessary energy that the film generally lacks elsewhere which helps when it slows down in the middle.

This movie hits home in so many ways. Samara did a great job as a person that struggles to have control of her life, but can't break free, because loyalty can be a curse.

The car chase scenes were used to not as a main point, but to give a break from some heavy drama, which I appreciated.

Kudos to Marshawn, his acting is improving, keep up the good work, there's lots of room for improvement.

I would have given the movie a 7, but it's pace was good enough that I didn't check my phone/tablet the entire movie, which is very rare for me. So the extra star was for Shawn Simmons' directing and Chris Patterson's editing.

It's shallow, with the plot and vibe bringing little to the table, yet I enjoyed every minute of it. I wasn't preached at, signaled at what the correct world view I was supposed to have, or even tried to impress me with masterful writing or directing. If I was rating this movie in an earlier year, I would probably rate it lower. But with absolute unwatchable garage getting 7-8 ratings, this easily scores as a 7 in my book.

This is like a low-effort version of 'Crank' - less action, more 'vibe'. If you aren't in the mood for that vibe, it might rub you the wrong way. Decent enough car scenes to be entertaining, decent enough acting to sell the casual 'what did I do?' vibe, and chaotic enough to entertain.

This move is "Meh". It suffered from poor writing and not knowing what it was trying to be. Samara Weaving saved this movie from being tossed in the trash. They had Andy Garcia, & Steve Zahn, & failed to use them. The John (Her Blindspot) character was horrible.

Maybe I'm missing something, or fell asleep and didn't realize it, or just don't get the joke they were telling. So, I'm going to scour the review sights, and put up an episode of "Lunchbreak Reviews" on this! Let me know if you agree, disagree, or want to talk about it on the podcast!

Eenie Meanie is a Hulu heist comedy-thriller that aims high but lands somewhere in the middle of the road.

Directed and written by Shawn Simmons, it stars Samara Weaving as Edie, a former teenage getaway driver forced back into crime to rescue her deadbeat ex-boyfriend John (Karl Glusman) from a dangerous predicament.

The plot kicks off with promise - sharp car chases, F-bomb-laden banter, and a talented ensemble including Andy Garcia, Steve Zahn, and Randall Park - but it quickly devolves into a convoluted mess of genre shifts from silly action to forced relationship drama.

Weaving shines as always, injecting grit and charisma into her role, making Edie the film's saving grace. The supporting cast delivers solid laughs in spots, but the script feels derivative, borrowing heavily from films like Baby Driver without the style or soul.

Pacing drags in the middle, with unnatural dialogue and unlikable side characters undermining the thrills. It's packed with violence that sometimes mistakes brutality for humor, and the ending, while twisty, feels underwhelming.

Overall, at 5.5/10, it's a decent 2 screen watch - perfect for half-attentive viewing while multitasking. Not a must-see, but harmless background fodder for a lazy evening.