by Josh Sewell
Fight or Flight
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some drug material. Opens in theaters on May 9.)
The premise: In this action-comedy, disgraced American operative Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett) gets a shot to redeem himself and finally come home. He’s tasked with identifying and capturing a mysterious asset known only as The Ghost, who is hiding on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. There’s just one small catch: the plane is also filled with dozens of assassins with orders to kill them both.
The verdict: Hartnett’s comeback continues following his strong performances in Oppenheimer and Trap, two wildly different films. He’s terrific once again in this entertaining, if mostly generic flick. For the most part, he’s in John McClane mode – playing a good agent in the middle of a really bad day. He’s also got solid chemistry with the appealing Charithra Chandran, great as a flight attendant with a secret.
Fan favorite Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Longmire and The Mandalorian) does what she can with her role as an agency boss, but the script doesn’t give her much to work with. Still, I can’t blame her for taking a job that offered prime billing for what was probably a few days of work.
The plot of Fight or Flight is simple, but the fight scenes are a blast. In addition to paying homage to Die Hard, the flick’s tone is reminiscent of Bullet Train with some nods to John Wick thrown in for good measure.
Granted, the screenplay from Brooks McLaren and D.J. Cotrona doesn’t create as many memorable characters as those cinematic favorites. However, director James Madigan (making his feature debut) keeps the action creative and clever enough to forgive the overly familiar story.
Unfortunately, Fight or Flight fumbles right at the end zone. It commits one of my biggest cinematic pet peeves, which is setting up a sequel we’ll probably never get. If it wasn’t for that misguided choice, I would’ve liked the movie a little more.
Grade: B-
Clown in a Cornfield
(Rated R for bloody horror violence, language throughout and teen drinking. Opens in theaters on May 9.)
The premise: Based on Adam Cesare’s popular YA novel, this slasher flick centers on rebellious teen Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas). She just moved to the small town of Kettle Springs with her doctor father (Aaron Abrams), hoping for a fresh start after her mother’s recent death. Instead, she and her new friends (Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Cassandra Potnza, Verity Marks, Ayo Solanke and Alexandre Martin Deakin) become the target of a sadistic figure in a clown mask who is murdering the town’s rebellious kids.
The verdict: First of all, what an incredible title. Clown in a Cornfield lets viewers know exactly what they’re in for, simultaneously projecting terrifying images into their brains while also raising questions about the premise.
I had a feeling this was more than a typical slasher when I realized director Eli Craig also helmed the underrated horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. In addition, he co-wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard, which kicks off the proceedings with a winking Jaws homage – proving the movie acknowledges and takes notes from its predecessors.
Another plus is the flick mostly avoids the lame CGI blood that permeates modern horror flicks. While it shows up in a few of the gorier kills, Craig primarily relies on good ol’ practical effects. That means lots of corn syrup and fake body parts.
Douglas is solid as the grieving protagonist at heart of the story, throwing caution to the wind to distract herself from grieving a major loss in her life. Abrams is also good as a dad trying to do what’s best for his daughter but not quite sure how to proceed. Will Sasso provides some quirky comic relief as the town sheriff, while terrific character actor Kevin Durand does his usual quiet, menacing thing.
Throughout the film, there are some funny bits about modern teens’ ignorance of outdated technology (such as rotary phones and stick-shift vehicles), especially since it prevents them from escaping deadly situations. However, this clever metaphor becomes literal in the final act, when the villain’s monologue spells it out for those who weren’t paying attention.
Grade: B
Neighborhood Watch
(Rated R for some violence/bloody images, and language. Now available On Demand.)
The premise: Simon (Jack Quaid), a young man grappling with mental illness, becomes convinced he’s witnessed an abduction. When the cops don’t believe him, he seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), an ill-tempered security guard with his own issues. As the duo attempts to solve the mystery, they must confront the dark secrets surrounding the crime and work on strengthening their unconventional partnership.
The verdict: Although Quaid and Morgan make a compelling duo, the story at the heart of Neighborhood Watch is too slight for its already brief 92-minute running time. Following a harrowing opening act, the plot gets bogged down in too many quirky character details before the plot kicks back into gear.
Granted, the audience needs to become acquainted with Simon and Ed before they’re launched into action, but it doesn’t happen fast enough. Furthermore, the flick’s tone is inconsistent throughout, resulting in a jarring finale that feels out of place compared to everything that has previously transpired.
Does it want to be a gritty crime drama, or an emotional story about learning to adapt to mental illness? Does it want to focus on hardened outsiders who must become vigilantes in the face of an apathetic legal system, or does it want to be a character study about neighbors who become friends once they set aside their differences?
Either version of Neighborhood Watch would’ve been a decent one, but the combination we get turns it into an oddball genre stew. While the combined acting talents of Quaid and Morgan make for an undeniably emotional finale, it doesn’t match the journey their characters have endured up to that point.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some drug material. Opens in theaters on May 9.)
The premise: In this action-comedy, disgraced American operative Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett) gets a shot to redeem himself and finally come home. He’s tasked with identifying and capturing a mysterious asset known only as The Ghost, who is hiding on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. There’s just one small catch: the plane is also filled with dozens of assassins with orders to kill them both.
The verdict: Hartnett’s comeback continues following his strong performances in Oppenheimer and Trap, two wildly different films. He’s terrific once again in this entertaining, if mostly generic flick. For the most part, he’s in John McClane mode – playing a good agent in the middle of a really bad day. He’s also got solid chemistry with the appealing Charithra Chandran, great as a flight attendant with a secret.
Fan favorite Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Longmire and The Mandalorian) does what she can with her role as an agency boss, but the script doesn’t give her much to work with. Still, I can’t blame her for taking a job that offered prime billing for what was probably a few days of work.
The plot of Fight or Flight is simple, but the fight scenes are a blast. In addition to paying homage to Die Hard, the flick’s tone is reminiscent of Bullet Train with some nods to John Wick thrown in for good measure.
Granted, the screenplay from Brooks McLaren and D.J. Cotrona doesn’t create as many memorable characters as those cinematic favorites. However, director James Madigan (making his feature debut) keeps the action creative and clever enough to forgive the overly familiar story.
Unfortunately, Fight or Flight fumbles right at the end zone. It commits one of my biggest cinematic pet peeves, which is setting up a sequel we’ll probably never get. If it wasn’t for that misguided choice, I would’ve liked the movie a little more.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for bloody horror violence, language throughout and teen drinking. Opens in theaters on May 9.)
The premise: Based on Adam Cesare’s popular YA novel, this slasher flick centers on rebellious teen Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas). She just moved to the small town of Kettle Springs with her doctor father (Aaron Abrams), hoping for a fresh start after her mother’s recent death. Instead, she and her new friends (Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Cassandra Potnza, Verity Marks, Ayo Solanke and Alexandre Martin Deakin) become the target of a sadistic figure in a clown mask who is murdering the town’s rebellious kids.
The verdict: First of all, what an incredible title. Clown in a Cornfield lets viewers know exactly what they’re in for, simultaneously projecting terrifying images into their brains while also raising questions about the premise.
I had a feeling this was more than a typical slasher when I realized director Eli Craig also helmed the underrated horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. In addition, he co-wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard, which kicks off the proceedings with a winking Jaws homage – proving the movie acknowledges and takes notes from its predecessors.
Another plus is the flick mostly avoids the lame CGI blood that permeates modern horror flicks. While it shows up in a few of the gorier kills, Craig primarily relies on good ol’ practical effects. That means lots of corn syrup and fake body parts.
Douglas is solid as the grieving protagonist at heart of the story, throwing caution to the wind to distract herself from grieving a major loss in her life. Abrams is also good as a dad trying to do what’s best for his daughter but not quite sure how to proceed. Will Sasso provides some quirky comic relief as the town sheriff, while terrific character actor Kevin Durand does his usual quiet, menacing thing.
Throughout the film, there are some funny bits about modern teens’ ignorance of outdated technology (such as rotary phones and stick-shift vehicles), especially since it prevents them from escaping deadly situations. However, this clever metaphor becomes literal in the final act, when the villain’s monologue spells it out for those who weren’t paying attention.
Grade: B
(Rated R for some violence/bloody images, and language. Now available On Demand.)
The premise: Simon (Jack Quaid), a young man grappling with mental illness, becomes convinced he’s witnessed an abduction. When the cops don’t believe him, he seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), an ill-tempered security guard with his own issues. As the duo attempts to solve the mystery, they must confront the dark secrets surrounding the crime and work on strengthening their unconventional partnership.
The verdict: Although Quaid and Morgan make a compelling duo, the story at the heart of Neighborhood Watch is too slight for its already brief 92-minute running time. Following a harrowing opening act, the plot gets bogged down in too many quirky character details before the plot kicks back into gear.
Granted, the audience needs to become acquainted with Simon and Ed before they’re launched into action, but it doesn’t happen fast enough. Furthermore, the flick’s tone is inconsistent throughout, resulting in a jarring finale that feels out of place compared to everything that has previously transpired.
Does it want to be a gritty crime drama, or an emotional story about learning to adapt to mental illness? Does it want to focus on hardened outsiders who must become vigilantes in the face of an apathetic legal system, or does it want to be a character study about neighbors who become friends once they set aside their differences?
Either version of Neighborhood Watch would’ve been a decent one, but the combination we get turns it into an oddball genre stew. While the combined acting talents of Quaid and Morgan make for an undeniably emotional finale, it doesn’t match the journey their characters have endured up to that point.
Grade: B-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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