Category Archives: Comedy

06.19.26
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Toy Story 5

When Bonnie brings home Lilypad, a new device she uses to connect and spend time with her friends, the toys must fight to stay relevant and pave the best future for Bonnie they can.

Just when we thought the Toy Story journey concluded and there was nowhere else exciting the franchise could go, this movie series knocks it out of the park for the fifth time in a row, offering a story that feels essential yet expansive, and one that can create some very important conversations between parents and children. The film wisely makes Jessie the protagonist this time around, shifting the focus away from Woody and Buzz’s central friendship and emphasizing Jessie’s position as a leader and confronting her fears of abandonment. It’s also noteworthy that for the first time in the franchise, the female characters are the ones front and center thematically: Jessie and Lilypad’s conflict on how to best help Bonnie adjust to growing up, as well as Bonnie and another key human character the toys come across. Greta Lee is a huge standout as Lily, offering us the best of her comedic and dramatic talents. Conan O’Brien is also delightful as a character whose mere existence is hysterical but his role in the film goes far beyond the initial joke.

Toy Story 5 perfectly uses callbacks to earlier films that feel earned and even expand on the franchise’s arcs in emotional ways, even if Woody overstays his return, considering his powerful conclusion in Toy Story 4. Here, he’s serving as a mentor to the other toys on their journey with Bonnie. A B-plot about a herd of other Buzz Lightyear toys is also hilarious, and overall, every character in the ensemble is in their right place and a joy to have around. It’s always exciting, sweet, and will create important discussions about technology’s ability to help our lives, but also when tech can be too much, and when we need to remember the value of real-life friendships and outdoor activities. It’ll also resonate with audiences of all ages when it comes to the importance of not letting others reshape who you are, and proudly being yourself without feeling ashamed of your interests and personality.

After more than thirty years, the world of Toy Story keeps creating magical memories, conversations, emotions, and stories for all ages, whether old audiences to the Pixar world or new, not just because of the splendid characters and animation, but because of the storytellers behind the adventures, who remind us the importance of the child inside of us, and the most beautiful parts of ourselves that we hold close even as we grow up and change.

06.06.26
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I Love Boosters

A terrific cast is pivotal for a film to entertain at this level, and I Love Boosters boosts a dream cast as well as Boots Riley’s signature critiques of capitalist systems and surrealist imagery. Far less haunting and just as glowing and fun as Sorry to Bother You, the film follows a group of shoplifters decide to take aim at a renowned fashion mogul’s empire, and chaos soon ensues. Riley’s films never obey others’ rules of typical visual storytelling, and his dialogue is hilarious. Keke Palmer continues to shine as a terrific leading star throughout cinema in the last few years, while her dynamics with her group of “booster” friends, played by Taylour Paige and Naomi Ackie, make the film. Paige always stands out, even when she isn’t center frame, she’s always bringing something really entertaining to the performance. Poppy Liu is a huge standout as a character who comes in and shakes things up greatly for the lead characters, and Eiza González is another great addition to the mix. Though Demi Moore’s character occasionally dives into a caricature of conceited affluent fashion voices, Moore’s performance is great and makes what could’ve been a one-note antagonist very interesting.

One other thing that personifies the film’s identity is the stunning costume design. Every setting and scene becomes unique through the stories the costumes tell and the work there is honestly awards-worthy. The film’s twists and turns are engaging, and while some more ambitious scenes get a little confusing when it comes to editing spatially, the surrealism all works and elevates the themes of the abuse of the workforce, and the voice taken from a majority of the population to make the few richest even richer. Riley’s films deconstruct our society with an irreverence but still retain an optimistic heroism at their center. Even when the characters are deeply flawed, they’re so likable, and the ride holds nothing back to create something really original and certainly worth everyone’s time and takes, no matter whether they vary.

05.26.26
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The Sheep Detectives

George Hardy is a shepherd who reads murder mystery novels to his sheep every night. When George is found dead, his sheep must use the skills they’ve gathered from sleuth fiction and solve a mystery of their own.

Emulating a similar charm for all ages to Paddington and Wonka, this delightful family film never stops entertaining, while unironically amassing one of the year’s most stacked casts. The film takes inspiration in a self-aware manner from Whodunnits, from Agatha Christie literature to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out mysteries, and doesn’t shy away from ideas like death and grief. Rather it tackles these themes head-on while maintaining a kid-friendly PG rating but having much to say for adults.

Everyone seems like they’re having a blast here, from Hugh Jackman as George to Emma Thompson is a lawyer who’s quite the character. Nicholas Braun in particular is hilarious as a cop whose skills leave a bit to be desired, and Hong Chau and Molly Gordon are great, too. A number of A-listers also join the voice cast side and entertain as the sheep who enlist themselves in finding justice for their slain shepherd.

The pace and twists continue to work, and the humor is often laugh-out-loud and works great for older audiences too. At its heart is very strong themes about grief, remembrance, and togetherness that can stick with anybody — and best of all, you’ll fall completely in love with the sheep, even if the CGI behind them sticks out in a few weird shots.

05.02.26
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The Devil Wears Prada 2

Twenty years after the first film, Miranda Priestly reunites with Andy Sachs to revamp and reignite the future of Runway magazine. The first Devil Wears Prada is a modern comedy classic, though far from perfect, its got a distinct originality, conflict, and remarkable performance from the great Meryl Streep. Save for the great performances from an all-star cast, this sequel doesn’t have any of that fuel, or much of a reason to exist. Andy’s decision to return to Runway feels rather under-explained after her decision to leave Miranda’s toxic orbit in the last film, and the pace lacks some urgency or objective. Not many characters are given the chance to grow or feel multi-layered besides Stanley Tucci’s endearing Nigel; Andy is ambitious and devoted, Miranda is narcissistic and intolerant, and Emily is stuck-up and vindictive. Anne Hathaway is a delight and Streep is always great, but Miranda doesn’t possess the same strength as a character and icon as she did in the script the first time around.

The Devil Wears Prada seemed to have a lot to say about the temptation of glamour and the seduction of power and the ability to make decisions that have an impact, but the second film doesn’t approach it with the same critical lens, rather showing us excess for the sake of the image, in a way that doesn’t feel quite modern or relevant anymore. Viewers may simply enjoy those images on the big screen if they’re focused more on fashion and less on story beats, and it may be enough to see how great Streep, Hathaway, and Tucci are in these roles, but there wasn’t much of a real narrative reason to revisit this so many years down the line in today’s world, save for the sheer scale and the main cast’s availability.

04.08.26
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Hoppers

Environmentalist college student Mabel Tanaka has a very stressful deadline to save the glade she loves from being demolished and turned into a highway. Soon, she learns of a new technology that may help her form an alliance with the animals to save their habitat from destruction by a greedy mayor.

Easily one of Pixar’s funniest films in years, Hoppers will entertain in similar and unique ways among generations, but one thing’s for sure: it’ll be a huge hit for all who give it a watch. The lead character of Mabel is easy to connect with thanks to Piper Curda’s voice performance and the part’s passion for nature and love for her grandma. There isn’t a single weak link in the voice cast, and even the actors who are given just a few lines and/or scenes greatly stand out. The animation avoids photorealism and portrays something creative and watercolor-like.

The story and settings are lively for all ages, with the playfulness and comedy working well in coexistence with more serious themes about preserving the nature and wildlife around us, that children can grasp onto and discuss with their parents. Though the final act is a bit chaotic, it’s entertaining throughout and even keeps surprising you in every act.

04.05.26
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Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Moments after surviving an attempted Satanic ritualistic sacrificial game of Hide and Seek by her in-laws, Grace is pulled into a greater, global stakes world of survival by a game she hadn’t realized she’d triggered, only this time, her sister is in danger too.

Though not as funny, shockingly original, and nail-biting as the first, this is a worthy sequel that boasts the same level of insane violence thanks to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s direction. Samara Weaving gave one of the most iconic horror “final girl” performances in the original film and continues here to solidify herself as one of the generation’s most outstanding scream queens. Her commitment to the role and the sheer terror Grace is unrivaled, though she’s been toughened by her prior experience with this madness.

What this film leaves to be desired that the first film nailed is the hilarious ensemble cast of antagonists, while here, only Shawn Hatosy and Sarah Michelle Gellar really stand out as the central villains, twin siblings whose dynamic twists and turns as the runtime progresses. Hatosy’s performance in particular is impressive and interesting to watch in every scene he’s in, while Kathryn Newton is great as Grace’s sister Faith, though the backstory between them is a bit haphazard and thrown in just for the sake of having some sort of conflict between them that needs to be resolved. Still, it’s thanks to the energy that the directors and writers provide to offers more than enough entertainment and satisfying irreverence and macabre, with an expansion and execution that makes this one of the more inherently earned sequels of the last few years.

04.03.26
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The Drama

Charlie and Emma are happily engaged when a sudden turn of events sends their wedding week, and their entire circle, into chaos.

Rarely do those films come when a few minutes in, something happens that sends your jaw to the floor, and it stays there until the credits roll. When they do, it’s quite an experience to behold, and The Drama is a shocking, hysterical and unsettling example of that. Kristoffer Borgli’s follow-up to the brilliantly absurd Dream Scenario is far more real, far more us, in the way we might be too afraid to admit. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s castings play so well to their characters, but the film strips down their “star power” and the actors go to the boldest and ugliest depths of their characters. Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie also round out the excellent casting, while Hailey Benton Gates is brilliant in a standout supporting role that’s nearly as transfixing as the two leads.

Borgli, who also edited the film, creates meaning in every cut, line, and even joke, with all the elements resonating in a thrilling and charged film that’s not really like anything I’ve seen before it. The film is deeply provocative in its themes that I haven’t seen almost any film approach so corageously and in such a necessary way. It’s about so many things, from the ease at which we judge, degrade, and turn on one another, to American society’s reward of excess towards human violence and suffering. It’s sure to generate conversation — including many important ones — for audiences who are able to stomach the bluntness by which it approaches its almost terrifying subject matter. It’s best to go in blind to The Drama but its unpredictable discomfort are also its hilarity and captivation by which your eyes are glued to the screen.

03.14.26
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GOAT

GOAT is about a goat who wants to be, well, the GOAT. Will dreams of changing the game of roarball by becoming the first “small” animal to play on his favorite time, the Vineland Thorns, though he faces adversity from both teammates and rivals.

Continuing Sony Pictures Animation’s winning streak that began with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, GOAT embraces a similar fusion of animation styles as that aforementioned film and its sequel, as well as the studio’s The Mitchells vs the Machines and KPop Demon Hunters, to create another engaging and exciting adventure that defies tropes and stereotypes and amasses an all-star cast for a delightful time. Caleb McLaughlin is great as the titular leading role, portraying Will as a humble and hard-working young athlete who wants to make it big his own way, while encouraging other to be their best, even those who doubt him.

Gabrielle Union is wonderful voicing Jett Fillmore, a local hero who can’t seem to want to share the spotlight, though this doesn’t quite make her unlikable, rather it comes from Jett’s insecurities about getting older and being pressured to retire. It’s also noteworthy that in a family film like this, the male main character’s basketball idol is a female athlete, something that’s never questioned or called out. Other standouts include Aaron Pierre as an irresistible antagonist, as well as David Harbour, Nicola Coughlan, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Jennifer Hudson, and NBA legend Stephen Curry, who also produced the film, which somewhat mirrors his own NBA journey.

A film that fully embraces what makes the best sports movies great, but takes unique and mature directions, GOAT is a great watch for all ages that’s a love letter to basketball and the dreamers everywhere, that never stops being eye-popping and fun, and puts a big grin on your face.

02.17.26
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Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die

A mysterious man (Sam Rockwell) claiming to be from the future steps into a bar looking for recruits to fight the impending apocalypse with him, but who will be the right group of heroes to survive the night? And is making it to the finish line even possible?

Gore Verbinski assembles what truly feels like a dream cast for a sci-fi action comedy that’s absolutely nuts and isn’t ashamed of it. Sam Rockwell often does a great job of playing guys who seem insane but are actually the only one in the room who’s right, and here is no exception. Haley Lu Richardson and Juno Temple are additional standouts and anchor the film emotionally as well. Though the future hints to be bleak in the story, the clever non-linear narrative pulls down the curtain on a seemingly grounded diner in the present, to reveal that this world and its past is nothing like our own, only it could be. The satire is very unsubtle but also truer than we’d like to admit; we’re often so glued to our phones and so overly reliant on social media and virtual/artificial creations for everyday tasks, and worse, gratification and comfort, that we miss the world around us and forget to use basic common sense and human decency.

At some point, the movie gives up on trying to explain itself and just starts throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, but Verbinski’s imagination make this feel like a large-scale film with scale and a ridiculous self-awareness that’s less concerned with making sense and more so with big excitement that very much succeeds at violent and endearing yet cleverly structured irreverence.

02.04.26
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Send Help

Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are employee and conceited millionaire boss who are forced to survive together after a plane crash leaves them stranded on an island. Sam Raimi embraces his horror/thriller roots with humor more clever than his past entries, and an exciting structure that pulls out another surprise every time you think the concept is about to wear out.

McAdams is always such a delight in any role she graces, but this may be one of her best performances — a woman whose lack of validation from others in her life turns into the ability to make horrific decisions. O’Brien is delightfully awful yet there’s a pity to the way he is unable to carry himself like a mature, generous human being. The CGI has a few distractingly bad moments, but that also contributes to the film’s silliness that it finds within the dark situations it finds, and then escalates. It’s a survival thriller that’s not a full on comedy, or a full on horror film, but has a bit of it all. The more the runtime goes by, the more intrigued you are to see what bloody chaos will play out between the two, with a true sense of unpredictability to it.