Movie/TV Reviews

Susan Granger’s review of “Woman of the Hour” (Netflix)

Anna Kendrick makes her impressive directorial debut with “Woman of the Hour,” a dark comedic drama, loosely based on a bizarre true-life pop culture incident that occurred on daytime television on September 13, 1978.

That’s when a serial killer named Rodney Alcala was not only one of the three competing bachelors on “The Dating Game,” he confidently ‘won’ a date with the featured bachelorette.

Working from a terse script by Ian MacAllister McDonald, Kendrick skillfully elevates this cautionary tale into a tense thriller by weaving non-chronological fragments from several of Alcala’s previous predatory homicidal encounters – from 1971 to 1979 – into a cohesive story.

Spunky Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) is an ambitious young actress struggling to carve a career in Hollywood. Problem is: she won’t do nudity and she’s far too savvy for most of the low-budget auditions that her agent arranges.

Then she’s cast as a bachelorette on TV’s “The Dating Game,” Of course, frustrated Sheryl realizes the misogynistic show is trashy and the host (Tony Hale) is smarmy, but, at least, it affords her the opportunity to be ‘seen.’

Compared with the other clueless bachelor contestants, slick Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), who presents himself as a photographer, knows how to twist a conversation to his favor as he answers Sheryl’s questions.

There’s some behind-the-scenes insight when Sheryl’s makeup artist notes that her real query should be “Which one of you will hurt me?”

What turns out to be most terrifying is what comes later, particularly when Laura (Nicolette Robinson), an audience member, recognizes Alcala as the man who murdered her friend in Malibu and tries to report him to the police. It’s too bad that Kendrick never delved more into the obvious ineptitude of law enforcement.

In 1980, Alcala was finally convicted of seven grisly rapes/murders, although it’s believed that he may have committed as many as 130.  He died on death row in 2021.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Woman of the Hour” is a sleazy, sinister 7, streaming on Netflix.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Hold Your Breath” (Searchlight Picturs/Hulu)

Set in 1933 in the Oklahoma Panhandle at the height of the dust storm season, “Hold Your Breath” revolves around Margaret Bellum (Sarah Paulson) and her two young daughters: 12-year-old Rose (Amiah Miller) and 7-year-old Ollie (Alona Jane Robbins) who is deaf.

Margaret’s husband has been gone for quite a while, looking for contruction work, leaving her wearied of assuming all the responsibilities of maintaining their homestead amid the constantly encroaching dust.

Along with tending the grave of her deceased daughter Ava, still-grieving Margaret must repeatedly reassure the girls that the ghostly Gray Man, a mysteriously villainous character in one of their storybooks, is mythical and will not harm them.

That’s easier said than done, particularly when a menacing stranger takes shelter in the loft of their barn. Wallace Grady (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) claims the be a Preacher/Healer and friend of their father. But Margaret remains suspicious since rumors are rampant about a homicidal drifter who murdered a nearby family.

Life gets even more complicated and challenging when Margaret’s sister Esther (Annaleigh Ashford), who lives nearby, starts behaving weirdly and the youngest of her three sons starts coughing incessantly.

Soon the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, as fiercely protective Margaret’s paranoia turns to panic. While Sarah Paulson’s distraught performance grounds the family drama, it’s not enough to evoke the implied terror.

Scripted by Karrie Crouse, who co-directs with Will Joines, it’s heavy on psychological horror in an ominously repetitive atmosphere and light on the malevolent/quasi-supernatural plot. Zoe White’s cinematography and Tim Grimes’ production design contribute greatly to the authenticity.

Apparently, they were inspired by a Ken Burns documentary about the effects of the Dust Bowl, including famine, disease and death.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Hold Your Breath” is a frustrating, forgettable 4, streaming on Hulu.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Blink Twice” (Amazon/M.G.M.)

Taking full advantage of her ‘nepo baby’ status, Zoe Kravitz – daughter of singer/songwriter/music producer Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet – makes her directing debut with “Blink Twice,” delving into sexploitation/horror.

Her story begins as fun-loving Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her roommate Jess (Alia Shawkat) leave their dingy digs to report to work as ‘invisible’ cater/waiters, serving champagne and canapes at a posh party hosted by billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), a discredited tech mogul.

Later, after slipping into slinky gowns, they manage to ‘crash’ the party, eager to be accepted by the rich-and-famous crowd. Sure enough, they wangle an invitation to board seductive Slater’s private jet for a vacation on his secluded tropical island.

Upon arrival, they’re forced to surrender their iPhones to Slater’s aloof personal assistant/sister, Stacy (Geena Davis), before being escorted to their comfy quarters, replete with an exotic perfume, identical white bikinis and fetching resort garb.

Giggling with delight, Frida and Jess join the other guys (Christian Slater, Hayley Joel Osment, Simon Rex, Levon Hawke) and gals (Adria Arjona, Liz Caribel, Trew Mullett), frolicking around the pool.

Drinking and designer drugs are their primary amusements, and their excessive indulgence induces some kind of psychedelic stupor. Eagerly swept up in the bacchanalia, they lose track of what time and what day it is.

Jess is the first to realize that something’s wrong, although she can’t figure out what. And when she goes missing, no one, except Frida, can remember she was even there.

(If this seems more than a bit reminiscent of Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘Pedophile Island” in the Caribbean, it’s obviously no coincidence. Only Frida and Jess aren’t underage; they’re adults who willingly consent to constant partying.)

Scripted by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, sexual politics is the name of the sinister game as Frida wreaks feminist #MeToo revenge. The original title was “Pussy Island,” but that was understandably rejected for marketing reasons.

Problem is: Neither Kravitz’s concept nor her characters are never fully developed, so the satirical cynicism and graphic brutality seems inexplicably gratuitous. And the ominous presence of Slater’s therapist Rich (Kyle MacLachlan) is never explained.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Blink Twice” is a pretentious 3, streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Wolfs” (Sony/Apple TV+)

In “Wolfs,” George Clooney and Brad Pitt play rival underworld ‘fixers’ who must reluctantly work together to clean up a crime scene at a posh New York City hotel. This buddy/action dramedy was originally supposed to have a major theatrical release but plans obviously changed.

Written and directed by Jon Watts (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”), it’s certainly not a thriller and not exactly a comedy, although Clooney and Pitt obviously find it somewhat amusing.

Like most police procedurals, the plot begins with a body sprawled on the floor surrounded by blobs of blood. A local district attorney (Amy Ryan) booked a hotel room to frolic with a younger man who may or may not have been a prostitute. Somehow he fell off the bed, cracked his head on a glass table and, apparently, died.

Desperate, she finds a number on her iPhone and when it’s answered says, “I was told if I ever need serious help to call this number,” adding, “There is only one man in the city who can do what you do.”

Soon a discreet ‘fixer’ (Clooney) arrives on the scene and gets to work with garbage bags and duct tape. He’s interrupted by the arrival of another ‘fixer’ (Pitt) summoned by the proprietor worried that scandal could taint the hotel’s reputation.

These two unnamed ‘fixers’ eye each other suspiciously, bickering and bantering  before actually removing the body and attempting to dispose of it, along with a stash of drugs tucked in a backpack behind a sofa.

Complications mount as the supposed corpse revives. He’s a curious kid (Austin Abrams) who may or may not have been involved with an Albanian cartel. Lacking a cohesive plot, there are too many chases, including a tediously tiresome one that begins in neon-lit Chinatown and ends near the Brooklyn Bridge.

The New York Times reported that Clooney and Pitt banked $35 million each for their participation but Clooney dismissed that figure at a Venice Film Festival press conference although the Times sticks by its reporting.

On the Granger Gauge of 1to 10, “Wolfs” is a frustrating, forgettable 5, streaming on Apple TV+.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Rebel Ridge” (Netflix/Bonneville Pictures)

“Rebel Ridge” begins as Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is riding his bicycle on a deserted stretch of Louisiana highway, intently listening to Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast.”

With music blocking the sound of a police car behind him, Terry’s rear-ended and left sprawled on the concrete. Determined to search the backpack that Terry is wearing, the cop summons backup.

Politely explaining that he’s on his way to nearby Shelby Springs, toting $36,000 to post bail for his incarcerated cousin and then to buy a truck, Terry is persistently harassed and his cash confiscated under suspicion of a drug connection.

That’s illegal. Terry knows it but the cops (David Danman, Emory Cohen) don’t care. After all, he’s a Black man and they’re obviously accustomed not only to racial profiling but also to acting with impunity in this backwoods town.

Quietly simmering with anger, Terry tries to defuse the conflict with diplomatic Southern civility, verbally sparring with bullying Police Chief Burnne (Don Johnson), only to discover widespread corruption throughout the precinct.

(Meanwhile, a police search on Wikipedia  reveals that Terry’s not only an ex-Marine but that he ran the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, meaning he’s a self-defense expert.)

Determined to file the paperwork necessary to free his cousin from jail before he’s transferred to a state prison where his life is endangered, Terry is befriended by Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb)

Summer works for the county clerk; she was previously cowed by the town’s power players and is desperately trying to regain custody of her child.  She understands all about police entitlement and ‘asset forfeiture,’ which makes her increasingly vulnerable to the avarice-prone men around her.

Writer/director Jeremy Saulnier (“Green Room”) keeps the tension taut, basing the title of the film on the field where the final confrontation occurs. Problem is: the ‘survivalist’ protagonist and action/thriller plot are all too familiar, harking back to Tom Laughlin’s “Billy Jack” (1971) and Ted Kotcheff’s “First Blood” (1982), introducing Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Rebel Ridge” is a slow-burning yet satisfying 6, streaming on Netflix.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Megalopolis” (Lionsgate/American Zoetrope)

Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis” is a futuristic fable about the downfall of the American Empire.

The 85 year-old auteur envisioned the dystopian concept 40 years ago, writing, revising and re-casting it, spending $120 million to make it, using funds he’d made from “Apocalypse Now,”  “The Godfather,” etc. and his California wine business.

Adam Driver stars as Cesar Catilina, a visionary architect who dreams of utilizing a miraculous material called Megalon to build an experimental Utopia from the ruins of New Rome (obviously allegorical New York City, since the familiar Chrysler Building is an Art Deco centerpiece).

But Cesar must convince corrupt Mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) whose rebellious daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) he’s dating. And face ‘concrete’ opposition from Nush Berman (Dustin Hoffman) – as explained by narrator Fundi Romaine (Laurence Fisbburne).

Inexplicably, Cesar has the ability to freeze everything and everyone in place by ordering: “Stop, time!” But that’s the limit of his supernatural powers.

According to Coppola, who consulted with “S.P.Q.R: A History of Ancient Rome” historian Mary Beard, Cesar’s turbulent coup can be traced back to Rome’s Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 B.C.

Lecherous old Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight) represents greed, while his duplicitous grandson Clodio (Shia LaBoeuf) epitomizes ambition – as the inherent debauchery is caustically chronicled by financial reporter Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) on her “Money Bunny” TV show.

Archaic references to the fall of Rome are everywhere, along with Shakespearean dialogue, peppered with quotes from Greek/Roman/Sapphic poets. Driver even delivers Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be…” soliloquy in its entirety.

Filmed in Atlanta, whatever credit there is goes to cinematographer Mihai Malaimare, Jr., who creates some indelible CGI imagery.

The film is dedicated to his wife, documentarian Eleanor Coppola, who died in April, 2024, and indulgently features several other Coppola family members, including his sister, Talia Shire, and nephews Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola. Only Nicolas Cage escaped.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Megalopolis” is an illogical, incoherent 2 – playing in theaters.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Elsbeth” (CBS/Paramount+)

“Elsbeth” ranks as the second most watched newcomer on CBS this year, averaging 11 million viewers on CBS, Paramount+ and CBS TV apps – with its second season launching on CBS on Thursday, October 17 and available the next day streaming on Paramount+.

A spinoff of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,” “Elsbeth” stars Carrie Preston as scene-stealing Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but decidedly unconventional lawyer-turned-investigator who makes oddball observations – like Peter Falk’s “Columbo” – and corners elusive criminals.

Transferred to Manhattan from Chicago, Elsbeth was assigned by a federal prosecutor to monitor the activities of New York officers under legal scrutiny for corruption.

Bizarrely dressed as a tourist with a foam Statue of Liberty crown, giddily sunny Elsbeth arrives on the job, relying on her disarmingly naïve demeanor to disguise her legal acumen. Skeptically greeted by Capt. C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce), she’s befriended by NYPD officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) and soon proves her worth in this police procedural.

As envisioned by mischievous creators Robert and Michelle King, quirky Elsbeth always wears contrasting patterns, playfully carrying numerous tote bags – an outlandish look that renders her both hard to miss and easy to overlook.

Previewing the premiere episode of Season 2, a womanizing finance executive is stabbed to death after a night at the opera. Because of a ringing cell phone, Elsbeth suspects obsessed music lover Philip Cross (Nathan Lane).

In the 2024-2025 season, showrunner Jonathan Tollins revealed than Pamela Adlon will play one of America’s most revered chefs/owner of New York’s hottest restaurant.  Despite anger management training, her rage turns deadly when a staff member’s side hustle causes havoc in the dining room, blowing a major deal.

After that, Vanessa Williams is a chic, ultra-wealthy VIP at an exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry store who takes her passion for gems to the next level. Then Rob Riggle is a billionaire whose colleague dies in a freak accident while training for a frivolous space mission. And Brittany O’Grady is a former child star-turned-scandalous party girl defining her career’s next chapter.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Elsbeth” is a spunky, slyly shrewd 7. Right now, its entire 1^st season is streaming on Paramount+.

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Susan Granger’s review of “Matlock” (CBS/Paramount+)

 

I usually wait until I’ve seen an entire series before reviewing but “Matlock” is an exception. This legal drama starring Kathy Bates – which shares a surname and basic premise with the 1986-96 series starring Andy Griffith – looks too good to wait.

According to Nielsen ratings data, 7.7 million people watched the first episode, garnering the largest audience for a non-Super Bowl CBS premiere since “The Code” debuted in April, 2019.

Similar to her predecessor, Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock (Bates) is a disarmingly genial attorney with a brilliant legal mind. Like many septuagenarians, she feels that her age has rendered her invisible. That’s what character-centric showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman (“Jane the Virgin”) capitalizes on: how older women are underestimated and overlooked.

After the tragic death of her daughter from a drug overdose, widowed Matty is raising her 12 year-old grandson, Alfie Kingston (Aaron D. Harris). Declaring she’s in debt yet still skilled, Matty cleverly manages to land a job at the prestigious Jacobson Moore law firm, headed by Senior (Beau Bridges), his son Julian (Jason Ritter) and primary partner Elijah Walker (Eve Ikwuakor).

Matty is assigned to outspoken Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall), who takes on challenging cases that no one else in the firm views as profitable. To complicate matters, she’s currently custody-battling her ex-husband Julian.

Reluctant to have someone on her team who hasn’t practiced law since 1991 but desperately needing the help, Olympia partners Matty with her two ambitious junior associates: Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Billy (David Del Rio).

As more about her intuitive character is revealed in a surprisingly topical twist at the conclusion of the pilot, it becomes obvious that “Matty” is a savvy pseudonym for a woman using her work as a conduit for personal grief, along with a desire to rectify wrongs of the past, as she pursues a path towards right.

Oscar winner for “Misery”/Emmy winner for “American Horror Story,” Kathy Bates is charismatic and compelling, working with a strong supporting cast.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Matlock” is an intriguing 8. Its premiere is on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Substance” (Working Title Films/MBUI)

 

‘Tis the season for horror movies, specifically body horror as Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley occupy the same body in “The Substance.”

It’s been many years since Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) got her coveted Star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. She’s now an aging actress who has built an empire on her TV aerobics videos: “Sparkle with Elizabeth.”

But then a smarmy, misogynistic executive, aptly named Harvey (Dennis Quaid), decides she’s too old, no longer attractive, and should be replaced by a perkier, prettier younger version. “After 50, it stops,” he tells her – in no uncertain terms.

Elizabeth is so devastated that she crashes her car, only to emerge unscathed but in possession of a ‘thumb drive’ temping her to try a mysteriously futuristic treatment called The Substance., which comes in compartmentalized boxes filled with phosphorescent green liquid, tubing and syringes.

The Substance promises enhancement – “a better version of yourself” – which it delivers. After enduring a gory, grisly, grotesque transformation, naked Elizabeth emerges as a sexy, shiny young doppelganger (Margaret Qualley), who auditions as her nubile replacement and becomes celebrated as Sue, hosting the high-octane “Pump It Up.”

The creepy ‘catch’ is that – while cloned Sue’s lithe gyrations captivate lecherous men of all ages – the following week, elder Elizabeth is back, gazing forlornly in the mirror and facing constant rejection. Somethin’ has gotta give, right?

Obviously channeling Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard,” still-stunning 61 year-old Demi Moore (“Ghost”) has a renewed shot at stardom, making her ‘comeback,’ as French writer/director Coralie Fargeat (“Revenge”) satirically traces Elizabeth’s stylized journey from desperate to damaged to deranged, detailing The It Girl becoming The Gollum.

At the recent Cannes Film Festival, subversively feminist Fargeat won Best Screenplay and received a 13-minute standing ovation.

FYI:  if you’re still intrigued by this cautionary-yet-campy, youth-obsessed concept, “Death Becomes Her” opens on Broadway this Fall…and Margaret Qualley is real-life Andie MacDowell’ daughter; back in 1985, Demi Moore & Andie MacDowell worked together in “St. Elmo’s Fire.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Substance” is a” sleazy, stomach-churning, self-loathing 6, playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “Uglies” (Netflix)

When “Uglies” debuted as No. 2 on Netflix, I was naturally curious about the screen adaptation of Scott Westerfield’s popular 2005 young adult novel; apparently, it was watched 20.8 million times in its first three days.

Unfortunately, it’s an abysmal disappointment.

Set in a dystopian world where beautifying cosmetic surgery is a requirement for every resident at the age of 16, it’s all about turning “uglies” into “pretties.”

That’s a ritual that 15 year-old Tally Youngblood (Joey King) eagerly anticipates: “All my life I wanted to be pretty. I thought it would change everything,” she says.

Since her bestie Peris (Chase Stokes) is a couple of months older, he undergoes the transformation first and promptly ‘forgets’ his promise to meet Tally on a specific night. When she pursues him into Pretty City, he’s flawless yet mindless and obviously no longer comfortable in her company.

Then her new hover-boarding pal Shay (Brianne Tju) openly refuses surgery, running away to link up with an elusive rebel group known as the “Smoke.”

Confused, Tally seriously considers joining free-spirited Shay but is confronted by sinister Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox) and convinced to join the anarchists on an undercover mission to betray her friends.

The Smoke turns out to resemble an old-fashioned, off-the-grid nature commune, led by mysterious David (Keith Powers), who dutifully explains the why and how of its existence.

Superficially scripted by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor and Whit Anderson, the CGI is overdone and the outcome is utterly predictable.

Despite McG’s fast-paced direction, Joey King is 25 years old and no longer believable as a teenager. And the familiar sci-fi plotline in which ‘free thought is eliminated’ has become hackneyed and outdated.

Casting Laverne Cox as the villain is a curious choice.  Cox became the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine and the first transgender person to have a wax figure of herself at Madam Tussaud’s.

And since 61 year-old author Scott Westerfield served as executive producer, he’s hardly in a position to defend its vapidity; on-screen, he made a quick cameo as the Wheelbarrow Smokie, nodding to the camera.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Uglies” is a fake-looking, fantasy 4, streaming on Netflix.

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