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Never underestimate a funny man. That’s what audiences learned when Ilya Naishuller released his action-packed feature Nobody in 2021, which moved Bob Odenkirk out of his typical safe space of funny guy and reintroduced him as an action star. The Breaking Badand Better Call Saul actor stepped up to the task at hand and made it look easy in the hit film that holds a glowing 84% critics’ rating and an even more impressive audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Today, during Universal’s presentation at CinemaCon, audiences got their first taste of the highly anticipated follow-up film that will crash into theaters later this year. Very much on par with the movie that kicked off what could easily become a franchise, Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell is back in Nobody 2 and ready for more ass-kicking action.

At CinemaCon, we got an early look at the first trailer. Here's what we saw:

Hutch is back,...

Key Huy Quan thinks the last time he was in the same room with most of his “The Goonies” co-stars was at least 20 years ago. Corey Feldman thinks it was more like four decades ago at the film’s Los Angeles premiere in 1985.

Whatever the case may be, Quan was joined Monday at his hand-and-footprint ceremony at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood by Feldman, Josh Brolin, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen and director Chris Columbus. “I had an incredible ‘Goonies’ reunion this morning,” Quan told me Monday night at the premiere of his new action movie “Love Hurts.”

The cast had a virtual fundraising reunion on Zoom during the Covid pandemic.

Hollywood, California – February 03: (L-r) Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green, Ke Huy Quan, Corey Feldman and Chris Columbus attend the hand/footprint in cement ceremony for actor Ke Huy Quan at Tcl Chinese Theater on February 03, 2025 in Hollywood,...

Azrael takes place after the Rapture, where humanity's devout survivors have taken a vow of silence. Quiet subservience is assured by cutting vocal cords and leaving a crucifix-shaped scar. But another terrifying remnant stalks the wilderness and demands to be fed through bloody sacrifice. The film falls prey to a few clunky genre tropes. It hurdles those barriers with slick cinematography, brutal violence, and a fierce lead performance. Samara Weaving continues to prove her mettle as a horror and action badass in a visceral thriller with biblical themes.

Hunting a Woman in the Woods

Azrael 3.5/5 RHorrorAction

Many years following the apocalypse, a devout cult of mute zealots hunts down a young woman, Azrael, who has escaped her imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, Azrael is to be sacrificed to pacify an ancient evil that resides deep within the surrounding wilderness yet she will stop at nothing to ensure her own survival.

This review of Azrael was originally published during the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

Azrael, the latest horror starring scream queen Samara Weaving, hails from the minds of director E.L. Katz and screenwriter Simon Barrett. The movie follows a relatively simple premise: a young woman is hunted by a frightening cult and demonic creatures in a post-rapture world. Their sinister plan for her is unclear, but one thing's for sure she will survive at any cost.

Azrael

Director E.L. KatzRelease Date September 27, 2024Writers Simon BarrettCast Sonia Roszczuk, Sebastian Bull Sarning, Phong Giang, Lucie Jan, Karen Bengo, Johhan Rosenberg, Katariina Unt, Peter Christoffersen, Vic Carmen Sonne, Eero Milonoff, Samara Weaving, Nathan Stewart-JarrettRating RRuntime 85 MinutesGenres Action, Horror

The premise is one that many horror fans will recognize, as it's the basis of many classic horror films. The Rapture and its consequences have been a playground for science fiction and horror creatives for some time now,...

Samara Weaving returns to the horror movie genre in 2024, and there are multiple options for where to watch Azrael in a short amount of time. After making a name for herself with horror movies like Ready or Not and The Babysitter, plus having a cameo in Scream VI, the actress is cemented as a modern scream queen. Samara Weaving's horror movies filmography grew again in 2024 thanks to Azrael, the action horror movie from the minds of director E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) and writer Simon Barrett.

Azrael's story is set in a world where no one speaks. The movie revolves around a cult's attempt to imprison and sacrifice Weaving's Azrael to a mysterious evil. With Azrael's reviews being mostly positive, the inherent interest for some in seeing Weaving return to horror becomes even more exciting. This is especially true considering the involvement of Shudder, the horror-focused production company behind acclaimed films like In A Violent Nature,...

Wish Me Luck reveals behind-the-scenes training for Bob Odenkirk in Nobody, showcasing his own stunts and collaboration with stunt professionals. Nobody initially flew under the radar upon release but gained newfound success on streaming platforms, renewing interest in the in-development sequel. The movie stands out from being just a John Wick clone by utilizing Odenkirk's acting strengths, blending dark humor with intense action and leaving audiences curious about the character's future.

Nearly three years after the movie became a sleeper hit, the Wish Me Luck trailer reveals the first look at the short film chronicling Bob Odenkirk's training for Nobody. The Emmy winner led the cast of the 2021 movie as Hutch Mansell, a seemingly mild-mannered, middle-class family man whose past as a government assassin comes to light after his encounter with a Russian gangster. Much like Keanu Reeves in the John Wick movies, Odenkirk performed his own stunts, with the...

Violent Night Review — Violent Night (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Tommy Wirkola, written by Pat Casey and John Miller and starring David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet, Alex Hassell, Alexia Louder, Beverly D’Angelo, Leah Brady, Alexander Elliot, Brendan Fletcher, Mike Dopud, Mitra Suri, Stephanie Sy, Erik Athavale, Cha-Lee Yoon, Phong Giang, [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Violent Night (2022): Santa Claus Faces Off Against Evil Mercenaries in a Film That’s a Rockin’ Good Time...

It's been a make-or-break foray into feature territory for Germany-based Reel Deal Action with the new martial arts comedy, Plan B: Scheiss Auf Plan A, and now, the film's slated release on June 8 comes in the good company of a first trailer which arrived Thursday. The project itself was a hard-earned effort with directors Michael Popescu and Ufuk Genc at the helm and team members Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon and Phong Giang ready to make their mark as actors this time around, and with a plot and wardrobe to appropriately pay homage to blockbuster action stardom of yesteryear. Three martial arts experts embark upon a search for a treasure that will allow them to save a friend from the clutches of a scrupulous gangster....

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...