Think you have what it takes to be a star? Not willing to accept a life you do not deserve and looking for something better for yourself? We think you deserve a look at the big movies that came out this week and our reviews covering all of them. From the animated sequelDespicable Me 4to the week’s fresh horror movieMaXXXineand the new animated wonderThe Imaginary, we’re here to take you through all that and much more in the world of movies.
5Mother, Couch
Directed by Niclas Larsson
Films about family can certainly be messy and there is plenty of that inMother, Couchwhich, at its most simple, tells the story of a trio of siblings whose mother won’t leave a couch. However, it is also so much more than that as well, withEwan McGregor’s protagonist clearly having a bad feeling about what is playing out. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that it ends up being all that interesting or thoughtful to watch. Inmy review from last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, I praised the performances though found it to be “an open-and-shut experience that doesn’t linger long in the mind, making you wish they’d just bought that damn couch so they could then ship themselves over to a more ambitious film along with it.”
Mother, Couch
Mother, Couch has some good performances, but ultimately spells things out too explicitly to leave an impact.
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4Despicable Me 4
Directed by Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage
Ready to go bananas for a newDespicable Memovie and all those wild yellow yellow guys once more? Well, this fourth entry is a little thin when it comes to the story itself, but there is still plenty of family fun to be had. Inher review, Executive Editor Tania Hussain called it a film that “understands its appeal and plays to its strengths, ultimately “offering enough laughs and heartwarming moments to satisfy both longtime fans and newcomers alike.”
Despicable Me 4
Despicable Me 4 offers familiar humor and vibrant animation with standout performances. However, it suffers from a thin plot and underdeveloped new characters.
3Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Directed by Mark Molloy
The heat is on forEddie MurphyinBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the long-awaited sequel to the beloved action-comedy franchise that helped make its lead an icon. While there are more than familiar elements to this Netflix-borne entry, Murphy remains magnificent and proves that he is one of the best comedy performers working today. Inhis review, Resource Editor Nate Richard wrote that “the story itself is insanely predictable” though praised its leading performer, saying “Murphy is playing the character the same way he did when he was 22.”
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ perfectly recaptures the joy of the original two films and is powered by a joyful Eddie Murphy.
Directed by Ti West
Mia Gothis a star for real this time inMaXXXine, the next chapter to theTi Westhorror series that began withXandmay not even be its last. Though her titular character has taken Hollywood by storm, dark clouds are brewing and her past is coming back to haunt her. Inher review, Horror Editor Emma Kiely wrote that “the story isn’t groundbreaking, but it makes up for it in its tribute to why we love cinema, specifically horror, so much.”
Maxxxine is a visually stunning wild ride through the dark streets of LA, closing out Ti West’s horror trilogy.
1The Imaginary
Directed by Yoshiyuki Momose
Amanda and Rudger soar through the sky in ‘The Imaginary’
Image via Studio Ponoc
Netflix does its best Studio Ghibli impression withThe Imaginary, a vibrant new film from Studio Ponoc that tells the story of a young girl and her imaginary friend with whom we explore a stunning animated world just as their own starts to be consumed by darkness. Inmy review from when it premiered at this year’s Annecy Film Festival, I wrote that it provides “a demonstration of how the melding of art and emotion in this thing we call cinema can create an experience unlike anything else” and that “you’d be hard-pressed to imagine better proof of this in graceful and gorgeous action than the astounding final frames you’ll see here.”
The Imaginary
The Imaginary is a breathtaking wonder of animation that, while familiar in many regards, also more than stands on its own before leaping into a fantastical world.
