Category: 2020s

Mirroring the rise of fascism in the Muggle world at the time, Gellert Grindelwald, portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen in this installment, is acquitted of all charges against him and for some reason, allowed to rise to the candidacy of Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, a move that is fought to extremes by Jude Law’s Dumbledore and his compatriots. While I generally find the extension of the Harry Potter universe beyond the original books to be worthy of much eye rolling, I still find the world building enthralling despite the many flaws of its creator. It’s a bit strange to me that the love affair between Dumbledore and Grindelwald has taken prominence in this series with many of the characters from the original film falling to minor supporting characters, but I’ll probably continue watching these as long as they keep making them.   

Banking on his real-life reputation, Nicolas Cage plays a version of himself, an aging struggling actor and divorced father who is so desperate for a paycheck that he agrees to a vague invitation to be a paid celebrity guest to billionaire Pedro Pascal. Unexpectedly, he finds himself in the middle of a drug cartel’s power struggle and he must use skills learned during some of his most iconic roles to survive. I love actors who are willing to poke fun at their public perception and this is wonderfully entertaining because of it. The scenes with Cage and Pascal are delightful as Nick’s apprehension gradually builds to friendship and affection for this unknown entity.   

Witnessing the murder of his father Ethan Hawke at the hands of his uncle Claes Bang when he was a child, Alexander Skarsgård vows revenge on those responsible. I checked this out on a whim, seeing the cast and positive reviews, despite thinking I’d be unlikely to enjoy a period piece set in 800s Scandinavia. What I got was a sweeping tale of vengeance mixed with Nordic mythology that kept me enthralled throughout. With fantastic acting, a compelling though not wholly unique story, and gorgeous scenery, it definitely deserves the praise I had read. I may not understand everything in director Robert Eggers’s films, but it does make me want to check out those I haven’t yet.

Teenager Miya Cech is forced by her widowed father to either attend a summer college class or get shipped away to a behavioral modification camp. An unexpected meeting with magician Rhea Perlman waylays her first day of class, but leads her to unexpected discoveries. It’s obviously a bit low budget of a film, but it’s refreshing to watch the intergenerational relationship between Cech and Perlman unfold. The ending felt a bit forced and underdeveloped, but I love the message of hope for struggling people that they can find a place and community where they feel they belong.

When the previously-owned android his family purchased to help their Chinese daughter learn about her birth culture malfunctions, Colin Farrell goes on a search to repair the robot, but instead learns more about relationships and what it means to exist. There’s some interesting world building in the film, set in an undated near-ish future in a place that doesn’t seem to be China but has connections to Chinese culture. I wish I could have learned more about the world, but that didn’t detract from the film. I just wanted more. What the film did give was a fascinating exploration of what it is to live.  

Reunited after a seventeen year separation, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, his wife Zainab Jah, and teenage daughter Jaymbe Lawson must learn how to again live together in a one bedroom New York City apartment. I always enjoyed Mwine’s character in Treme and he brings the same sensitivity to his role here. It’s a unique take on an immigrant story realistically touching on the difficulty reconnecting with loved one after time has passed and people change even when the love is still there.