masonsaul

The Amateur takes too long to get the job done whilst remaining a consistently entertaining watch that's built on the most recognisably generic plot beats which are all executed well. The trailer really shouldn't have showcased the 2 biggest and best kills considering there's so few of them in total but it has just enough action scenes interspersed throughout to sustain this. Plus, it wisely opts not to properly sequel bait.

Rami Malek offers an action star with a specific set of skills that are uniquely tailored to his strengths. Everyone else doesn't get a lot to do so it is up to Malek to carry the film and he is definitely capable. It's a performance designed to be underestimated and full of empathetic vulnerability which makes him a worthy protagonist. Out of the fairy stacked supporting cast, Laurence Fishburne leaves the biggest impression.

Director James Hawes crafts a visually slick film that looks so much better and has far superior production values when compared to every streaming original which is just as generic and costs significantly more. All 4 (arguably 3) major action set pieces are satisfying and hone in on its protagonist's strengths. Volker Bertelmann's sombre score is a natural fit for a film operating in the morally grey world of espionage.

Friendship is a fun black comedy about male bonding with a heavy dose of cringeworthy sequences which are hard to look away from as things keep getting worse for everyone involved. It's all built on the relatable desire to belong in a friend group and takes it to absurd extremes thanks to a main character who never knows the right thing to say in any situation. There's a nice unpredictability in seeing just how bad it gets too.

Tim Robinson is so perfectly cast it's impossible to imagine anyone else being able to handle this uncomfortable material as effortlessly as he does. He's incredibly comfortable in every scene that's heavy on the awkwardness and he never relents by constantly sinking further with occasionally really funny but consistently disastrous results. Paul Rudd is great by simultaneously leaning into and going against his natural likeability.

Andrew DeYoung's direction brings plenty of visual style through the lighting, suitably bleak look and a few surreal moments with the biggest highlight being the most mundane drug trip in cinema, sponsored by Subway. Andy Rydzewski's cinematography is creating meticulous framing from the first scene and Keegan DeWitt's score also stands out because its unusual sounds aren't the norm but certainly fits what this is going for.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is an overly nostalgic legacy sequel that should've listened to its own advice about nostalgia being overrated but it still offers a fun and bloodthirsty return to Southport. For the most part it's just following a similar structure to the original before taking a very bold swing for the finale which doesn't completely work, counterbalanced by how well the Scooby-Doo style mystery and slasher sequences work.

All of the new cast are really good at filling almost the exact same roles as their predecessors did 28 years ago. They're likeable enough that the kills have some genuine impact when they arrive and the believable friendship between Chase Sui Wonders & Madelyn Cline is the heart of the film. Returning cast members Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. Get quite a bit to work with and are fully committed to it.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's direction ensures this actually looks like a film that was always destined for a big screen release which isn't something every horror movie can say these days. There are some nice character moments interspersed throughout and the horror elements are suitably tense in the moment even if they won't have a lasting impact. Having the third act take place during broad daylight doesn't feel right though.