My Review of How To Make A Killing (2026)

 

Written And Directed by John Patton Ford

Julia: "Whatever happened to the Redfellow family fortune?"

Beckett: "Oh, I'll inherit it someday."

Glen Powell does seem to be having something of a time with getting out a hit movie these days. Is he making the wrong choices? Is every movie he's chosen in recent times a bad one? Or do we live in an era where no actor has consistent hits these days?

I think with this particular movie, it might have been one of his more interesting roles. He's playing a man named Beckett Redfellow, who began this movie on death row talking to a priest (Adrian Lukis) about the events that led to his current situation.

It turned out that Beckett came from an incredibly wealthy background but his mother Mary (Nell Williams) was cut off of sorts by his grandfather, Whitelaw (Ed Harris) for being pregnant with him. Mary dying early in the movie however gave Beckett a sense of direction.

Beckett intended to get his family fortune and in order to do that, he was going to kill his way up to the top of the ladder. This resulted in some rather cool deaths for not so sympathetic Redfellows such as Taylor (Raff Law), Noah (Zach Woods), Steven (Topher Grace), Cassandra (Bianca Amato), and MacArthur (Alexander Hanson).

There was seven members to kill but Beckett had a hard time killing his uncle Warren (Bill Camp) but the latter had given him a job and showed genuine kindness to him. Fortunately for Beckett, a heart attack took Warren out of the mix but Beckett's killing spree was causing him a lot of problems.

It got in the way of his relationship with Ruth (Jessica Henwick) and it made him a blackmail target for former friend, Julia (Margaret Qualley). The way this movie ended did confirm that it was a tragedy but not quite the way that Beckett intended.

- The script had been on a Black List since 2014 under a different title before it got made.

- It's also loosely based on the 1949 film, Kind Hearts And Coronets.

- Standout music: Lincoln Chase's The Clapping Song.

- Chronology: Predominantly set in New York but Beckett also lived in New Jersey for most of his life.

I actually found myself enjoying How To Make A Killing. It might be one of the better choices that Glen Powell made and he's pretty good as a bumbling murderer. I definitely would recommend giving this one a chance.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Vicious (2025)

 

Written And Directed by Bryan Bertino

The Woman (to Polly): "You're going to die tonight."

I got to be honest, I just picked watching this movie at random. I didn't even know it existed prior to clicking into it. It was a random choice and something of an uneven experience.

I do like Dakota Fanning as an actor and here she's playing a directionless woman named Polly. She's stuck in a dead end job, appears to be rather miserable and an encounter from a strange old woman (Kathryn Hunter) only made things a lot worse.

The woman in question left Polly a box. This box had to be filled with the things or Polly would die. It took Polly a little moment to believe what the woman was telling her to be true. The things that needed to get in the box were something she hated, something she needed and something she loved.

Trying to get help from the neighbours was a bust because most of them ignored Polly and the only one who answered the door ended up dismissing Polly. Oh, did I mention the box had an entity that needed those things? That's kind of important to this story.

As the movie went along, the gore quotient escalated with Polly cutting off toes and fingers to appease the damn thing. Polly even was motivated into visiting her sister, Lainie (Rachel Blanchard) and niece, Aly (Emily Mitchell) to order to get a lock of the latter's hair for the box.

Things moved at a chaotic pace with this film. There was a neighbour named Tara (Devyn Nekoda) who kind of provided a solution to Polly's problem, although the latter felt guilty about it. Yup, that box will be dooming the whole neighbourhood.

- Polly received a creepy phone call from her dead mother (Mary McCormack) at one point in the movie.

- The movie was originally slated for a theatrical release before going to Paramount+ instead.

- Standout music: The Mamas And The Papas Dedicated To The One I Love.

- Chronology: Present day, Christmas setting in an American neighborhood.

Vicious (2025) had an interesting premise and suitable goes moments and even solid performances from Dakota Fanning and Kathryn Hunter but it's not a great movie. I wish it were but I'm not surprised it was pulled from theatres and went to Paramount+ instead. Not the worst I've seen but disappointing.

Rating: 5 out of 10 

HBO Max - UK & Ireland Launch Today

Today's the day. After nearly six years since it's initial launch in 2020, HBO Max has finally become available to the UK and Ireland and it's not a moment too soon.

In London there was a press launch with cast members from shows such The Pitt, Rooster, The Comeback, The Last Of Us, House Of The Dragon and A Kight Of The Seven Kingdoms to name but a few. The first show in particular will now finally and legally be accessible to UK and Irish audiences as the HBO Max app will be apart of the Sky and Now TV packages. I do think I'm overdue in watching this.

HBO Max offers a range of stuff including everything from HBO itself, classic WB TV shows such as Friends, TNT Sports and for my personal enjoyment, access to the DC Universe. Yes, that'll include various movies, including Zack Snyder's Justice League as well as shows such Peacemaker, The Penguin and the upcoming Lanterns. Sky/Now TV have aired these shows but they are now on the HBO Max app.

Then there's the biggest promotion for HBO Max itself. Yesterday saw the trailer for the Harry Potter TV show released. Titled Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, the first season of course will adapt the first book from JK Rowling's beloved books (it's what the trailer said). Of course there's controversy afoot. Many don't want to watch the show because JK's views on trans issues (spoiler alert: not gonna defend JK here) and others are more divided on the casting choices (particularly Snape) or feel it's too soon for a TV series when the movies are still fresh to a lot of audiences.

Now I do think these are important factors but at the same time, there's no getting away from the fact that the show was trending all day yesterday on social media, including positive responses among the mixed and negative ones. I think this show will end up being a huge hit for HBO and releasing it weekly from Christmas 2026 onwards is definitely smart, marketing wise. Also as we've seen in recent times, online boycotting rarely works and I don't think it will with this show either.

HBO Max is now available as an app or part of your Sky and Now TV packages.

My Review of Mr Burton (2025)

 

Written by Tom Bullough And Josh Hyams

Directed by Marc Evans

Richard: "Mr Burton, I want to be an actor."

Released around this time last year and airing on BBC1 a few months ago, I had wanted to watch this one. I'm not going to declare myself as a Richard Burton fan but I'm intrigued by certain classic actors of old.

Usually when we get biopics depicting him, it's in his later years and often focusing on his relationship, one in particular. This biopic however was more focused on the events that led to a boy from a Welsh mining background into becoming the actor he did.

In particular this movie focused on Richard Jenkins (Harry Lawtey) as a student in Port Talbot. He was a sporty kid with a strained family relationship, though he was shown to be living with older sister, Cis (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) and her family. He didn't particularly get along with Cis's husband.

A man whom Richard did get along with a teacher and mentor named Philip Burton (Toby Jones). The latter saw something in Richard and even adopted him in order to help Richard get further along in his acting career.

Richard's acting was definitely a source of exploration in the movie. He's clearly a talented actor but needed help with his diction and even playing certain scenes with less intensity. He took some of this board but was shown to be prone to lashing out when the pressure got too much to him.

The dynamic between Richard and Philip really anchored this movie. Both men brought out the best in one another and there's a sad moment when Richard turned on Philip. Add in the mix, Philip's landlady and friend, Ma Smith (Lesley Manville) and there's a lovely found family dynamic between the three characters. 

- Richard's romance with women was a little explored here, though the focus was on his acting career.

- There's some good performances from Matthew Gravelled and Daniel Evans as Sir Cyril Cooke and Anthony Quayle. Aneurin Barnard, Steffan Rhodri and Hannah New also appeared.

- The movie did alluded to Philip's sexuality while focusing on his writing career.

- Chronology: 1940s, Port Talbot in Wales for the most part. The movie got released to coincide with centenary passing of Richard's birth.

Mr Burton turned out to be a delightful film. Both Harry Lawtey and Toby Jones are on great form and both truly compliment each other. It's a nice exploration of the student/mentor dynamic along class division, aspirations and family. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 

Bridgerton - Season 5 In Production: Franchaela Rises

In news that should shock absolutely no one whatsoever, not only has the fifth season of popular Netflix Regency series Bridgerton has gone into production but we now know who the focused romance will be.

The focus for Season 5 will be on Francesca Stirling (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). I can't say that I'm surprised by this news but what do we know about the upcoming season that's now being filmed? Here goes.

• Eight episodes as per usual and likely another split season release.
• Takes place two years after the death of John Stirling (Victor Alli).
• Francesca goes back to the marriage mart for practical reasons.
• Michaela returns to London to the Kilmartin estate, complicating Francesca's feelings for her.
• Show runner Jess Brownell has talked about how groundbreaking it feels to write a sapphic relationship for the show.
• Benedict will be an ally to Francesca.

My overall thoughts would be delight. The show have nicely been building things up between the pair during the third and fourth seasons. Season 5 feels like the right time to put the Francesca/Michaela relationship to the forefront and hopefully book fans can approach it with an open mind. I do feel bad for the book fans of Francesca/Michael and Eloise/Phillip fans who have to wait another season for them but I am happy for Francesca/Michaela.

When it comes to LGBT characters and romances, the first season of Bridgerton did have Sir Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden) as a gay artist and then there's Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) right hand Brimsley (Hugh Sachs). He's gay and prequel series Queen Charlotte explored the younger version (Sam Clemmett) having a clandestine relationship with King George's secretary, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis). Then there's ...

Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) himself. The show stuck to his book relationship with Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) but both the third and fourth seasons did explore his relationships with men, which included a rather nice coming out scene between Benedict and Sophie. All of this does make me optimistic that the show won't drop the ball with Francesca and Michaela.

Season 5 of Bridgerton is currently filming in London. It's likely that it will be released in 2027 on Netflix.

My Review of Matilda (1996)

 

Written by Nicholas Kazan And Robin Swicord

Directed by Danny DeVito

Narrator: "No kid likes being yelled at, but it was precisely Harry's ranting and raving that gave Matilda the key to her power. To unlock that power, all she had to do was practice."

I'll admit seeing scenes from this movie being used as a meme on social media yesterday reminded me of this film. Oh and the fact that it's 30th anniversary will be coming up in the next few months.

I'm not usually a fan of Americanised adaptations of classic British set books but this without a doubt was my introduction to Roald Dahl's story of a precocious girl with some pretty cool powers and the adults impacted by those powers.

Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson) was one of those kids born into the wrong family. She's smart, kind and honest. Her family are the opposite of that. Her father Harry (Danny DeVito) knew how to con people while her mother Zinnia (Rhea Perlman) prioritised looks over books. Matilda's brother, Michael (Brian Levinson) was just a dumb bully.

As bad and as anti intellectual as the Wormwoods were, Matilda had a far bigger threat to face when she was eventually allowed to attend school. I'm talking about Miss Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). She might be one of the most brutal characters ever created. A truly terrifying presence.

Miss Trunchbull had her ways of terrifying the students and took an immediate dislike to Matilda. By contrast, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz) was impressed by Matilda's potential and even believed Matilda when she revealed her powers. Matilda also had a friend in classmate Lavender (Kiami Davael), who delighted in playing her own prank on Trunchbull.

For me, Trunchbull was the highlight because she's genuinely terrifying as a baddie. She made poor Bruce Bogtrotter (Jimmy Karz) eat an entire cake and that's not getting to what she did to Amanda Thripp (Jacqueline Steiger) for wearing pigtails. On the other hand, she's also terribly superstitious and a murderer.

For me, I did find the connection between Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey a little convenient but it did work dramatically. Trunchbull got a glorious comeuppance, the Wormwoods were on the run and both Matilda and Miss Honey ended up with the family they needed.

- There's funny supporting roles Paul Reubens and Tracey Walter as Bob and Bill. Matilda quickly clocked them as FBI agents.

- The picture of Miss Honey's father, Magnus was actually Roald Dahl himself.

- Standout music: Rusted Root's Send Me On My Way.

- Chronology: 1990s America. The Wormwoods decided to flee to Guam to escape the feds.

Matilda (1996) might have changed the setting but it's an excellent adaptation of a beloved book. The performances from everyone are brilliant, there's some genuinely hilarious lines (most from Trunchbull herself) and it ended on a lovely note. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of The Groomsmen: Second Chances (2024)

 

Written by Rick Garman

Directed by Ron Oliver

Danny (re Zack): "What if he doesn't have feelings for me?"

Jackson/Pete: "What if he does?"

Why am I reviewing the middle part of a Hallmark trilogy of The Groomsmen? Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? It's the gay love story part and despite not watching the first or last parts, it wasn't too hard to keep up with things.

Funnily enough we started off with a runaway bride named Elizabeth (Lily Dodsworth-Evans) who hid in a tavern owned by Kate (Annie Bird). For the life of me, I couldn't figure Kate's accent out but her curiosity as to why Elizabeth ditched her own wedding led to the latter revealing the focal point of this installment.

Our love story centred on two best friends. You've got retired baseball player turned coach, Danny (Jonathan Bennett) and you've got business manager, Zack (Alexander Lincoln). They're chalk and cheese but get along brilliantly as mates. Then there's prosecutor Nolan (Adam Rhys-Charles). He's Zack's actual boyfriend turned fiancée.

In typical fashion the moment that Danny realised he was actually in love with the Zack was also the moment where the latter got engaged to Nolan. On top of that, Danny got roped into organising the wedding and the second half of this movie relocated to Santorini.

Moving this film to Greece was definitely a good move. It gave us colourful characters like Ophelia (Sue Kelvin) and her estranged husband Constantinos (Andreas Karras) while Danny's best friends Jackson (Tyler Hines) and Pete (B.J. Britt) were there for moral support. Did Danny and Zack get together?

Yes, of course they did. It's a romantic comedy and it's usually at the last minute when couples get together. They even dived into the beautiful Greek water and got married a year later. It ended well for the pairing. Even Nolan got his own happy ending, albeit off screen.

- The movie ended with Elizabeth telling Kate that there was another story. Elizabeth was clearly meant to be the older version of Jackson's daughter, right?

- Nolan had a fear of heights that got resolved during a climbing exercise during a stag event organised by Danny. Nolan also married a weatherman and had four kids with him.

- The movie won a GLAAD media award for Outstanding Film - Streaming or TV.

- Chronology: Present day in the USA and then Greece with a flashback forward to a year. Zack's British but has known Danny since he was nine.

You know what, I'm not really a Hallmark kind of guy but that's not to say that I don't occasionally see them from time time. As a trilogy, this was a neat from Jonathan Bennett. Both him and Alexander Lincoln are on a good form with some nice chemistry with each other. The Groomsmen: Second Chances isn't anything revolutionary in terms of gay movies but it's sweet natured enough to enjoy.

Rating: 7 out of 10