I am not going to lie; this was the biggest surprise of the 96th Academy Awards for me, as I hadn’t heard much about Nyad before this at all. And when I say at all, I mean I wasn’t aware of Diana Nyad either. This meant I was the perfect audience for this movie, given my lack of knowledge about her and whether she would actually succeed. Yes, given there is a movie made about her, it wasn’t hard to assume she would be successful, but this movie doesn’t focus on that; it is more about what it takes to do something like this and what kind of person you must be.

In that sense, Nyad doesn’t bring anything new because we’ve seen these “how far are you willing to go” stories before. On top of that, we seem to have a new trend of humanizing these extraordinary people and looking at them not as heroes but through more of a critical lens. I don’t think it’s weird to say that Nyad and Whiplash (2014) have many things in common, thematically. Both movies are about extraordinary people willing to go further than most people are, who are so sure of themselves that they come across as abrupt or downright rude. One of the big themes of Nyad is her pushing everyone around to the point of alienation because she has such high standards for herself that she can’t see past herself and how she comes across. And more importantly, this is the only way she believes will help her to achieve her big dream.

When the movie started, I thought I would struggle with it because there was something about it I had to get used to. I don’t know whether it was the characters, how nothing much got established, and we were just thrown into Diana’s world, but I didn’t think I would like this movie. But the more time I spent with Diana and her crew, the more I saw her fail and understood her, and the more I started to root for her. To the point that even if I could predict that she would eventually achieve her goal, I was still rooting for her and was invested in her story, all her losses, her trauma, and everything that led to that one big moment. Annette Bening was great in this role; she wasn’t afraid to be unlikeable and get down and dirty. You could feel her every failure, bruise and chapped lips. Now, was it an Oscar-worthy performance? My preference would be somewhere else (cough, May December (2023, my review here) cough); however, I am not mad at Annette for getting recognition because her performance was challenging, both mentally and physically.

The same goes for Jodie Foster. As with Annette, both belong to these Hollywood legends, it’s hard to argue against. And she has some great moments in this movie, too. I specifically liked how you could tell how complex their relationship was, but you understood that they would always be there for each other at the end. No matter what, she had Diana’s back even though, as the film shows us, it wasn’t always easy. And Foster’s performance was great. Again, my preference would be somewhere different (in her category, Penélope Cruz in Ferrari (2023, my review here) comes to mind), but, as I stated at the beginning of this paragraph, it’s tough to argue against these Hollywood legends.

But as mentioned above, it’s the movie itself that surprised me the most, rather than the fact that two Hollywood giants gave great performances. I thought Nyad did a great job portraying someone on the verge of madness, as they believe they can achieve something so extraordinary that nobody else believes in them. It’s always fascinating to me to watch “based on a true story” events that don’t portray the main individual as this flawless hero; they would rather show them as human. Often irritating assholey human, who’s had it tough. And this is how I like my heroes flawed because I have no issues rooting for someone who isn’t “100% great”, as that just rings false.

The only thing with Nyad that dragged it down was that this film felt a bit disjointed, mainly at the start. I know many have had issues with how this film displayed Diana’s childhood and the trauma that she’s been through, but I am the odd one out and say that aspect didn’t bother me. What also knocks this film down, albeit a tiny bit, is the fact that this is still a pretty standard biopic with all its peaks and valleys. Even I, who had no idea who Diana Nyad was, understood why I watched a movie about her (read: that she achieves her goal). Therefore, this movie is truly about a journey rather than the destination, and once you get through the first 20 minutes or so, the journey is worth it.

Overall, Nyad is a solid inspirational film about one dedicated woman who just didn’t know when to give up. Diana Nyad has managed to do something nobody has done before, and if we take her age into account, it just makes it all the more impressive. I also appreciated the “warts and all” approach by the filmmakers and how they weren’t afraid to show Diana in some unflattering scenes. If you are looking for an inspirational movie that clearly tells you that you are never too old to do anything, you just need to be stubborn as fuck; look no further. Nyad also has two great performances on top of that.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

This movie is one of those rare ones that only received one Oscar nomination. Usually, Oscar nominations are like disasters and come in (at least) two or three, but not in this case. And after watching Rustin, I concur that The Academy got it right in this instance. Colman Domingo shines and leads this film from mediocrity into “it’s pretty good”, and it all stands and falls on his performance. This movie is the typical example of a decently average biography that shines due to its lead performer.

I might have enjoyed Rustin a bit more than others because I had never heard of him until I watched this film. I, of course, knew about the march on Washington and MLK but had no idea about “some Bayard Rustin”, and I think I am not alone, hence this movie. I liked how it shows that actual activism takes many people to get together, organize, plan and organize one more time when things change for everything to go well. And in that instance, this movie won me over easily because it showcases these helpers (not just Rustin) and how much time and effort went into everything. It’s easy to send a tweet with a hashtag; it’s fairly easy to donate money (given you can afford it), but to donate your time and energy for next to nothing… that’s impressive.

I have seen Colman Domingo in Euphoria (2019 – ?), so I knew he was a talented actor. But in Rustin, he gives us something new. I loved his energetic portrait, where you understand his character within minutes, specifically how he can be both correct and still a bit of a dick. Colman portrays him in such a way you recognise people you know in him. I believe we all have met at least one Rustin in our life – this guy is energetic, talks a big game, is obviously charming and clever, and some people adore him. And he makes it harder to adore him because of his erratic behaviour at times. But because of Colman Domingo’s performance, you are hanging on his every word, every scene he is in, you are so in it because of his powerful performance. He transcends the movie, as his character almost belongs in a different, much better film.

Here was my main issue with Rustin, and I am not the first person to mention this – besides Colman, this movie is just an average biopic. When I said: “The Academy got it right this time”, I could have easily written, “This film needs to step up to be on Colman’s level.” It is not like this movie is bad by any means, but for a biopic about someone so important, vivid and energetic, the movie is… well, the opposite of that. You will notice, especially in the scenes with no Colman Domingo, how generic this movie feels and looks. We still have many great performers here (from Chris Rock to Da’Vine Joy Randolph), so the issue isn’t there; it’s more about the execution. The film looks like many other Netflix movies (because it is one), but that shouldn’t matter as they produced some quality material in the past (Roma (2018), anyone?), so there is no excuse for this film to look so… generic.

Another tiny issue is, as I mentioned above, this is as standard of a biopic as they come. We are introduced to our protagonist; he shows why he is so good but has some character flaws. We see him winning at first, then losing, only for him to ultimately win in the end. I understand the mentality of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but again, for such a unique personality as Bayard Rustin seemed to have been, it is contra productive to produce a generic, run-of-a-mill movie that captures you enough when you watch it but will struggle to recall in one week.

Let me make this clear; my rating you will see soon is inflated by one extra star only for Colman’s performance, as he is the definition of a leading man. From now on, if he leads, I will follow because this guy can command a screen and uplift a film. But this movie is ultimately just ok. The historical importance is as undeniable as Colman’s brilliant performance. It’s just too bad the rest of the film never catches up with him. Rustin is a weird one because I have not seen The Academy get a movie “right” like this in a long time – let’s honour this leading man, but we can forget about literally everything else because it is just fine.

Overall, Rustin is a fairly short movie about one under-sung hero of the Civil Rights Movement and what it took to organise and get it done. It features many talented people, but you will remember one name above them all – Colman Domingo. His performance will never leave you cold, and every time he is on the screen, you forgive the averageness of everything else that’s happening around him. I would cautiously recommend Rustin, specifically for its historical significance and Colman’s superb performance. As for the rest of the film… I can say it is a movie for sure.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

I will be the first to admit that there are some directors I still struggle to appreciate fully, and Alexander Payne would be on that list. Let me be clear; I don’t think his movies are bad, but out of the three I have seen before The Holdovers (Election (1999), The Descendants (2011) and Downsizing (2017)) I almost loved the first one and liked the other two. But I never “got” why is he so admired, although there are some of his well-known movies I haven’t seen yet. Luckily, I am happy to report that after The Holdovers, I will try to fill in the Payne gaps, as I adored this movie.

Everyone and their mum says the same thing about this movie – it feels like a cosy blanket. Even myself, just look at the title of my review, I am no different! However, what I appreciated about this film was how much more there is to ponder, how real some of those moments and scenes felt and how this movie showcases one important thing – you can’t get cosy without being uncomfortable first. Many movies that want to be like this forget that if you don’t show us the uncomfortableness and sad scenes, the cosy ones are not that impactful.

This film realistically stands on three performers – Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa. All three very different performances, actors and pieces of puzzle that ultimately created the bigger picture. The chemistry they formed within this group worked brilliantly, and each performer contributed in their unique way, which was just a joy to watch.

For Dominic Sessa, this is his feature debut. I can’t imagine doing any better job with this role than what he did. His character had to be on the verge of a charismatic prick, where he slides towards the charismatic in some scenes, only to go to the “prick” part later on. However, throughout this movie, we start to understand him and like his character. And if you can hold your own in a scene with Paul and Da’Vine, you know you will make it big, and I can’t wait to see how his career will look in ten years.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a multifaceted performer, and the world is finally catching up with her. Her character has one big scene, but where she truly shined for me were those quiet moments of suffering. Mary (her character) is still mourning her son, who, despite being a student at this prestigious school, is the only one from his class to go to fight in the Vietnam War and dies there. That’s not a spoiler; we are introduced to that fact quickly. We then watch Mary struggle with grief and try to move on, and Da’Vine nails this performance. It’s no secret that she is as sure of a lock in her category, so soon, we will get to write “Oscar-winning actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph” and I, for one, can’t wait. As I said, dramatic scenes are always fun to watch, but if you grasp us in those quiet moments/scenes, that is when you know you’ve got something special on your hands.

This statement might be weird to write, but stick with me here – Paul Giamatti is still one of the most underrated mainstream actors alive. For some bizarre reason, we all seem to agree that he is a star, we all seem to love him, and yet, this is his only second Oscar nomination! What’s more bizarre is that this is his first leading actor Oscar nomination! So, if we judge him on these criteria, he is brutally underrated. Luckily, in this movie, he shines so much it’s hard to ignore, as with his other two co-stars, he is a mixed bag. You can see the warts and all with this character, who can be is pretty unlikeable, smelly guy. But, as it happens, when you get to know him and dig deep underneath the surface, you will get the heartbreaking story of his time as a student, his rough family moments and, realistically, his entire life up until this winter break we see in this film. There is a scene involving him at a party, where his character finally feels like he can lower his shields after such a long time, only to be brutally hit the very next moment, and his reaction is… gut-wrenching. Like Da’Vine, he knows how to master these quiet moments and give us so much with so little.

Ultimately, that’s what The Holdovers is all about – three unlikely strangers get stranded with each other over Xmas. Nobody wants to be there; they all have their pains and look for their tribe. They all have scenes where they shine, and despite knowing how this movie will end, I couldn’t help but get in touch with my emotions. Several scenes hit you hard, but when you leave the cinema, you will mostly remember the unlikely friendship these three have formed. Not because the rest of it isn’t any good (it’s all excellent), but you will remember it because that bond feels real.

What I also admired about this film is how it doesn’t give us any definitive answer to any of our characters, respectively, whether they’ve changed because of this winter. Sure, we hope they would, and some seem to be on the right path, but the movie never does the “winning” montage. Without going into spoilers, the film ends one way, and it’s up to us to decide whether they all have learned anything from what they have been through or go back to their old selves. I can see one or two characters not being “fixed” and taking a bit more time with their issues, but I won’t tell you which ones because you might see them completely differently, and that’s the beauty of this film. It gives you a proper ending without tying everything with a bow.

Overall, The Holdovers is one of the best movies of 2023. The rawness, humanity, and social commentary that go hand in hand with this story, everything works here. On top of that, we get three brilliant performances, two of which are Oscar-nominated, and one is a sure winner. But even if this had zero nominations, it’s still a brilliant movie and my first Alexander Payne I can say I am fully on board with. I can’t recommend it enough.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

There are some directors who are so out there that you know they will never be able to make a “normal” film, whatever that word means to you. I always say we should be grateful for them as those are usually the ones who can challenge us the most or introduce us to new ideas told in a compelling way. Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the most, if not THE most, unique voices of his generation that somehow managed to make it big in Hollywood, and my twisted mind couldn’t be more grateful. What he does with Poor Things is on another level and might be his magnum opus.

On the surface, Poor Things doesn’t look like anything new because it’s your stereotypical story of a doctor playing God and creating “a monster”. Hmm… that sounds so familiar; where in the Frankenstein have I seen this before? Yorgos understands that “there are no new stories”, so he borrows the concept/story of Frankenstein. However, what he does with it and how he uses it to talk about much more than “man playing God” is what people want from films. Or at least, I do. But I think many movie-loving people are of a similar mind where we don’t mind if the filmmaker reuses the “same old” story, premise or concept, as long as they add something to it, something that hasn’t been done yet, explore different things and themes using that familiar structure. And it is in this aspect where Poor Things excels.

There are scenes in this movie that might shock you; there is graphic nudity, language (the word ‘cunt’ is shouted many times), and the concept of having a newborn’s brain in the body of an adult woman raises a question or two. But, as always, with people who challenge the norm and try to make you think outside the box, there is a point to everything. If there is one word (besides the obvious one, “shocking”) I would use to label this film, it would be “purposeful”. Every decision, every set, every character serves a larger point, serves a purpose, and it’s only up to you if you are willing to look past your nose.

This movie explores many topics, from class, gender roles, and societal norms to sex and agency over your body, life and choices. When you read the previous sentence, it sounds like the most boring/preachy film ever made, when in reality, it’s the opposite. Poor Things is a vibrant, funny, well-paced film that, despite its runtime of 141 minutes, never bored me. I was fascinated with the sets, in love with the soundtrack, mesmerized by the outfits/costumes and stunned by all the performers on top of those topics this film explores. Long story short, I had a blast.

There are many great performances in this film. I could write: “If you acted in this movie, well done” because you probably have nailed it, as all the actors here do. However, two actors stood out – Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone. And both in different ways. Ruffalo plays this sex-obsessed greaseball who is sleazy, then funny, and then just sad. His character goes through a lot, and you have fun not hating him per se but definitely disliking him. And Ruffalo allows himself to go balls-to-the-walls crazy, funny and unhinged in the best possible way. I don’t think I have ever seen him better, and we are talking about an actor who’s been around for a while. He took a massive risk and swing with this performance, and it paid off with interest. His character also serves as the personification of hypocrisy, as he has been fine the entire time having crazy sex with Stone’s character. It’s only after she denies him and dumps him he goes against her and suddenly seems to have an issue with her sexuality.

Regarding Emma Stone, it’s insane how talented she is. She’s already an Oscar winner, and yet this performance is so unique, vivid and different that I think she just ascended to Mount Olympus of acting. She starts this movie perfectly capturing the awkwardness of growing up whilst being trapped in a grown woman’s body, and by the end of this film, she goes through such a huge character transformation it is fascinating to watch her, and she is the heart, the soul, the reason this odd and quirky movie works. It seemed that the 2024 Oscar for Leading Actress was going to Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon (2023, my review here), but after watching this and seeing how tight the race is between Lily and Emma, I… I actually don’t know who I am rooting for more. I think it would be awesome to have another historic tie (and we are due for one, link here!) because this is a rare one for me, as no matter who wins, I will be happy for either Emma or Lily, but I will be sad for the other. They both delivered such memorable and unique performances that tie might seem like a cop-out, but I would love it if we could celebrate them both.

And I believe that ultimately is what Poor Things is all about. Through all the pain, suffering, and injustice, this movie isn’t shy to show us it’s a celebration of life and how one comes to terms with all life’s struggles. That all is packaged in such a distinctive “wrapper” that you will remember the visuals, the distinctive sets, for a long time. I am also willing to bet anyone that this movie will get even better on repeat viewings, as everything is so purposeful and every choice is so intentional you will catch many tiny things you haven’t during your first viewing as you were too mesmerized by everything and everyone else to pay full attention. I can’t wait to rewatch this and add it to my movie collection, as that is one of those movies I need to own, preferably in 4K.

Overall, Poor Things is a masterpiece that I predict will become a classic. It uses the Frankenstein story to make a plethora of different points about various topics, but it never forgets to entertain you. You go on a journey with these characters, and that journey is long, vivid, bizarre, quirky, sexual and vulgar. And yet, it never feels too long, and once it’s over, you want to go back to this wild world and on that journey again. At least that’s how I felt. Poor Things is one of the best movies of 2023. It’s a performance highlight for both Ruffalo and Stone and confirmation of just how talented Yorgos is and how we should be grateful to live in a world where weirdos like him can still make it in Hollywood.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

After Baz Luhrmann tried to wow us with Elvis (2022, my review here), here comes one of my favourite directors, Sofia Coppola, with her counterpart, focusing on the experience of this young (very, inappropriately young) girl who falls in love with him. And who else could portray a section of her life that must have been so isolated, strange and lonely than the undisputed queen of loneliness, strangeness and isolation? Sofia managed to carve out her niche, and although, thematically, her movies can be similar, they are vastly different when you actually watch them. And Priscilla feels the same, yet different, from all her previous movies.

What I liked almost instantly about Priscilla is how the movie never portrays her as a victim, even though it never shies away from making us aware of how young she was. In today’s climate where everything “must be” either white or black and there seems to be no space left for nuance, here comes Priscilla, a movie that openly shows you how predatory their relationship was and how young she was, but also never fails to show you Priscilla being in love with Elvis. And in certain scenes, straight-up horny. Now, of course, we can discuss things like grooming and how she should have never been in that situation in the first place. But from what I understand, the real Priscilla has never (at least publicly) regretted making any of her choices and has always spoken well about Elvis. And that kind of irony is precisely what this movie managed to balance; it makes you feel icky whilst understanding that she made her own choices. Again, was she “a bit too young” to make some of those choices? Absolutely.

I thought Cailee Spaeny did a fantastic job as Priscilla. Her transformation throughout the film is believable; she pulls off looking uncomfortably young as well as a woman in her almost 30s, and most importantly, her quietness speaks volumes. Due to the nature of this movie, we often see her by herself, in empty big rooms, just roaming around and trying to entertain herself whilst Elvis was out touring, making movies and cheating on her. Where other films would struggle, this one uses those moments well, and they never felt boring, which compliments both Cailee’s performance (I hope to see her in more movies) and Coppola’s direction.

As far as Jacob Elordi, aka Elvis, goes, I thought that was… a mixed bag. Firstly, Austin Butler should have gotten some additional praise retrospectively, as he nailed that performance and Jacob… I won’t say he was terrible. There were scenes where I thought he was good. Mainly, his physical acting (just the height difference between them is over 40cm, or foot and something if you like the freedom units) was spot-on, and him almost overshadowing her in every scene, both figuratively and literally, worked. He’s got that uniqueness that makes you believe he could be someone girls trip over everywhere he goes, however… The accent with the actual Elvis-like mannerisms I thought was… pretty poor. Even if I forget about Butler’s performance, he felt weird in most of the “talking” scenes. Having said that; I am not ready to call him a bad actor as many were after this film came out. I think the jury is still in, and we need to wait and see a few more movies, hopefully, where he has the chance to play some original characters rather than mimic this larger-than-life icon.

My only real issue with Priscilla was, and this will sound ironic as fuck, that I don’t think I understood her character much more after this movie was over. It’s ironic because for the years she’s been with Elvis, she effectively became a supporting actor in her own life. The movie seems more focused on her perspective and how she perceives everything rather than painting her more… like a fully realised character. I understand this might have been an intentional choice and that this isn’t Priscilla: The Biopic, but I still hoped to learn a bit more about her. We get the occasional glimpses of her personality, what she is into and not, but it’s always tied with Elvis. The movie (quite intentionally) comes alive every time Elvis comes back to Graceland, and he and his buddies fill that big mansion with music, energy and life. Again, I get that was the point of the movie, to show us the contrast of her life with Elvis, and then when he was on the road, I just thought that choice of not really giving us anything beyond that was… interesting.

But I can’t fault this movie with anything else. Priscilla is as tender of a film as they come, and when you sink your teeth into it, you will discover how rich and complex it is, even if it might not look like it from the surface. Sofia Coppola must be one (if not the) of my favourite nepo babies, and I don’t mean that as a slur, like many others use it. She was born into a film royalty; she utilised her resources well and found her niche. I am always on the lookout for what she does next, as she has yet to disappoint me.

Overall, Priscilla is a fascinating movie about one young girl, one larger-than-life character and how they tried to make it work. And even if we know they didn’t, Priscilla’s journey and perspective on this particular part of her young life is fascinating. I also can’t wait to see Cailee Spaeny in more movies, as I thought she nailed this performance. If you want a great, meditative film about life, fame, loneliness and everything else that would come with dating one of the most famous people who has ever lived, look no further.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

If you read my review for the previous gem of this franchise (I won’t even bother to name the film; my review can be found here), you know I was not a fan, to say it mildly. But I have heard that Fast X has improved slightly and have also heard wild tales of Jason Momoa‘s acting performance, so I had to check it out for myself. Maybe I will at least not hate it, I thought to myself. Unfortunately, the difference between the previous movie and this one is like me asking whether you want to get cancer and die within a week or just die within a week. There is no good option, and it’s a shitty question to begin with.

I think there is one clear distinction between the previous film and Fast X, and it’s Vin Diesel‘s saviour/hero complex. Maybe I am misremembering the other movies, but in this one, it honestly felt like the script was doctored by Vin himself, as everyone is waiting for his approval or to be rescued by him. If there is somebody in distress, he appears to save them, often saving perfectly competent people to begin with and making himself look silly in the process. There were several scenes where other characters were describing Vin’s character and talked about him like this demigod, and again, maybe I do not remember these movies well, but this felt like almost a parody of itself as if he is the best thing to happen since sliced bread, the invention of the wheel and the discovery of fire combined.

Also, in the review I posted almost two years ago, I made a joke about how every dead character will eventually return. When I tell you, I am so mad that I was right… But when this movie finished, we were only missing Paul Walker. Everyone you have ever… liked? Cared for? Saw? Yeah, saw in these movies is back. And here, I will make another prediction – they will bring Paul’s character back as CGI. No shame, no regrets, they will talk about how they need to finish these films with him in it, but nah… If they truly wanted to honour his legacy, they would let him rest in peace rather than keep him alive all these years later. I am calling it and have been for a while; he is 100% coming back, and it will be awkward to watch, and we are all to blame.

The thing is, this movie is a mess. No matter how you cut it, narrative-wise, CGI-wise, plot-wise, logic-wise, life-wise… Nothing matters anymore. Nobody is in any real danger; everyone who has ever died is back, and we all keep on coming back and watching these movies, rewarding this nonsense with our hard-earned money. I didn’t go (purposefully) to watch this in the cinema, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me. Therefore, I am part of this crowd that is keeping this franchise alive, and that’s the part of me I don’t like but have to acknowledge is there. The thing is, I want to love these movies! I am a sucker for a great B/C/Z films that don’t take themselves too seriously and only exist to be fun. But I have never gotten that vibe from these films, mainly the last four or five.

Because even those “it’s just a dumb and fun movie” have to have their grounding in reality or work on some emotional level for me to like it. And if I like it, I am willing to forgive many things. But these films don’t have that and haven’t had it in for a while now. The action is mostly all CGI, so there is no sense of urgency, excitement or anything remotely close to that and the emotional side… Don’t make me laugh. This film ends on a cliffhanger, where it tries to tell you how everyone is dead, but you know nobody is dead. That is why I am not marking it as a spoiler, because is there such a thing as a spoiler in a movie with no stakes? Almost like the forest and the tree, does it make a sound? The tree, of course, makes a sound; don’t be self-centred, and no, this cliffhanger is one of the most infuriating and laughable ones of all time.

And even that Joker-like performance by Momoa wasn’t enough to justify the 141 minutes of CGI fuck fest this movie spews all over you. He obviously understood the assignment and was having a blast, but unfortunately, his enjoyment never really translated into my mood. Did I enjoy the movie slightly more when he was there? Yes. Was my mood improved that much to give this movie a slightly better rating? No.

And that’s the problem with Fast X. The cast is impressive and has some of the best action stars, some of the best actors and actresses, but they are all wasted on Diesel’s ego/power/saviour trip… is he planning to run for a president at some point? Is that the plan to use all the scenes where he saves people and has characters talk positively about him in a supercut when he inadvertently runs for president in 2028? Honestly, at this point, everything is possible. And it’s not one of those great “Everything is possible!” motivational speeches. It’s more like Trump becoming a president again, that kind of “Everything is possible!”

Overall, Fast X is everything you’d expect from a franchise that’s running on fumes, goodwill and some charm and charisma of decent people in supporting roles. For the most of it, you will experience “Vin saves the day, for 17th time in a row!” scenes alongside the “Oh boy, isn’t Vin’s character just the best person ever?” moments that will make you question everything, including the timeline you live in. Because in this timeline, there are many people who love these movies. And look, I am honestly happy for you. These are not for me, and I don’t understand anyone who loves them, but if they make you happy, watch them. I can’t recommend Fast X to anyone but the hardcore fans who have already decided how they feel about this movie before they’ve seen it.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke