Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.5
Technically speaking, this is your by the numbers Hallmark Holiday fare. If you love corgis, or really just spunky dogs in general, this movie will scratch that itch. An adorable tale of a mischievous mutt and it’s dashingly handsome owner, who of course is a prince.
8.2
Ethan Hawke with a comeback for the ages after “Sinister!” Although far from the good guy this time.
Part Freddy Krueger, part classic serial killer, our main villain preys on the children of the town, earning infamy in the community. The voices of the past, at first seemingly stopping by to haunt our victim, end up being his savior. This twist was a breath of fresh air and a surprise source of inspiration in such a dark story.
Enough twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing up until the very end, and a fulfilling sigh of relief to cap things off as the credits roll. Another great horse in the stable of this year’s horror lineup!
8.2
So… Pete Davidson is really growing on me, gang. He’s got some serious acting chops here, and the chemistry between these two really makes this bonkers premise work. I’m as surprised as anyone.
This starts off cute, turns very dark, and ends with a nice warmth to it… much more depth than I anticipated from a tight hour and a half streaming rom-com. The lesson here is also timeless, and perfectly executed.
It hit me much harder in the feels than I ever expected. Almost on par with Facebook memories coming in hot with the morning gif punches lately. If you’ve ever had one of those magical moments in life that serve as a reminder of why we’re all here… this one will resonate with you. But then it goes the extra step, diving into why these moments mean so much to us. They’re messy. They’re one of a kind. To attempt to recreate them would be to ruin the magic…
7.7
To quote my man Owen Wilson, “Wow.”
This was much better than expected! A cinematic flashback to a time when quality rom-coms were regularly showing in theaters and not relegated to my Netflix watchlist. Not that Netflix hasn’t carried the torch admirably, but I miss these being on the big screen this time of year to inspire us all to be a little more open and vulnerable with each other. To take a wild leap of faith. They’re adult fairytales that inspire us to get a little out past our skis every once in a while. Sometimes those wild shots in the dark lead to beautifully fulfilling destinations.
A reasonably unlikely pair, but a potent reminder of the charm of Owen Wilson and the humanity of J-Lo. Well done by all involved!
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 