Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Eddington”

By Brett_G on September 26, 2026September 20, 2026

7.7

I typically hate COVID era movies, for obvious reasons… No one wants to go back to that.

This film somehow nails the absurdity and expertly skewers the insanity of those times in a way that won me over. Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal play local politicians perfectly in this masterpiece of mania. It’s really tough to adequately describe this one without losing the plot. You really have to see it to believe it! I haven’t said “what the actual fuck?!” out loud in a theater at a movie this much in a LONG time… Do with that information what you will.

Drama

“By Any Means”

By Brett_G on September 26, 2026September 20, 2026

6.7

It’s a more violent version of “The Green Book” from a few years back. I wanted to like this one more, but the movie gets in its own way via editing mistakes that derail the story and mangle the pacing to an unrecoverable point of no return. The third act is a mess due to this, and it misses the runway on the landing. Very strange creative choices for what could have been an even more interesting story.

Horror/Thriller

“Insidious: Out of the Further”

By Brett_G on September 25, 2026September 20, 2026

7.8

Elise’s still got it! Who would have thought that the Insidious series would still pack such a punch this far in!

Just enough freshness mixed with the ambiance we all know and love… a recipe for horrific success! The blanket/pillow fort sequence may be one of the scariest in the franchise for me!

Comedy Drama Indie

“Short Term 12”

By Brett_G on September 25, 2026September 20, 2026

7.9

Holy shit… how did I miss this one!?!?

In the vein of “Four Good Days” and “Ben is Back,” this one cracks open the worst of humanity to see the slivers of light that make it through even the darkest moments. The unexpected laughs, the deepest connection, and the basic human decency we too often overthink and overshoot. An all star cast firing on all cylinders and killing it from the first frame to the last!

Comedy Horror/Thriller Indie

“Buddy”

By Brett_G on September 24, 2026September 20, 2026

6.9

The tension in this one is UNREAL… the cognitive dissonance second to none! Just in time for us millennials raised on “Barney” coming of age. Giving the strange guy who directed the “too many cooks” Adult Swim sketch a feature film budget proves to be a stroke of genius here. Too many one-liners and darkly hilarious laughs to count… definitely going to hell for laughing at this one. More blood than you expect… but also more laughs.