Retrospect: Hellraiser (2022)

I recently did a rewatch of the Hellraiser franchise, or at least the ones that matter most aka the ones that received a theatrical release. and after rewatching films 1 - 4 it only felt appropriate to revisit the 2022 remake since I had only seen it once during its initial release. So what’s the verdict? Weeeell, It’s not a bad film but I do have mixed feelings about it. there are things I really liked, things I didn’t. And then things I flat out loathed. So I will break down some of these pros and cons into three categories: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Truth.

THE GOOD: first off I’ll start with the good. the cinematography is well done here. This is probably the best a Hellraiser movie has looked in years. Probably the best looking one since the first and second films. And I say this not to knock down the classics by any means. The original is even by today’s standards a masterclass in practical effects done so well that they stand the test of time nearly 40 years later! And almost the same can be said about its sequel “Hellbound: Hellraiser II”. However the third and fourth installments (Hell on Earth, Bloodline) began dabbling into CGI effects that, unfortunately were still very much in their infancy stage in the early to mid 90’s and sadly looked quite dated just a couple of years later when films like The Matrix smashed on to theater screens globally. But I digress, the remake is beautifully shot. There is an eeriness that weigh heavy over the film scene for scene and I can appreciate the unsettling sensation it gives off, it’s very on brand with the franchise. I also liked the new lore introduced for the puzzle box. With the ritual mechanic. It brings a new level of wickedness to the lament configuration that feels fresh and more consequential. There’s a new sense of risk introduced here especially when the puzzle solver must forcibly feed the box sacrifices in order to complete it’s transformation to gain an audience with it’s god Leviathan and receive your “reward” in the form of one of six choices: Lament ("Life"), Lore ("Knowledge"), Laudarant ("Love"), Liminal ("Sensation"), Lazarus ("Resurrection"), and Leviathan ("Power"). Regardless of your desire the choice you make is not so simple. Everything has a price to pay, a consequence to balance the scale whether it be for love, power, or the pursuit of knowledge. What you seek you will get.. and much more than you bargained for. 

THE BAD: now on to the bad. First off I want to say I respect and appreciate a different take on the Cenobites overall design. It’s both ambitious and risky at best, and sometimes in remakes it works well, sometimes it doesn’t. Unfortunately it mostly doesn’t here. It feels soulless and lacking personality in my opinion. and just feels very… plastic-like. The original’s design was practical with its BDSM black leather and blood. It manages to pull off a sense of order and cleanliness with a dash of grotesque. It’s effective with less. The new designs are in my opinion, too loud without saying a whole lot. On paper the idea that their outfits are literally made of their skin sounds interesting, but in practice it doesn’t work. It comes off more as an eye sore than anything, and quite frankly it’s distracting. I will, however give credit where credit is due and say I enjoyed Jamie Clayton’s interpretation of Pinhead as it took inspiration and honors both Barker’s original novella, and the 2011 follow up comic series also co-written by Barker himself called “Clive Barker’s Hellraiser” by BOOM! Comics, in which Kristy Cotton inherits the role of the hell priestess and donned an all white attire. I liked that Clayton’s interpretation barrows from these two sources while also being original. I only wish I could say the same for the rest of the gash.

THE UGLY TRUTH: and now the ugly truth… I’m going to be frank here (see what I did there?). What makes the early Hellraiser films work are its lead non-cenobite characters that do the heavy lifting when Doug Bradley’s Pinhead isn’t on screen. From Kristy Cotton (Ashley Laurence), Julia (Clare Higgins), Frank (Sean Chapman), Tiffany (Imogen Boorman), Joey (Terry Farrell), to the Toymaker (Bruce Ramsay). These characters breathe so much personality into the films and are really its heart. Without them these films would be missing a crucial component. Sadly I cannot say the same for the remake’s band of characters. None of them are really likable in my opinion. And this isn’t an attack on the actors themselves. I personally enjoyed Odessa A'zion in the movie Until Dawn (2025), and thought she did a great job here as well. But I really didn’t care for her character Riley, or her brother, or friends. There wasn’t much effort put into their character development. It’s not a skill issue with the cast but rather the writing. And that’s the major issue with the 2022 remake. It suffers from a weak script that has too much runtime on its hands and not enough happening in it. By the time things really do start to kick off it’s too little, too late. I also did not care a whole lot for the film’s main antagonist Roland Voight played by Goran Višnjić. The character felt too generic and forgettable. Especially when you take into consideration Voight’s motivations and goals weren’t much different from Frank’s in the sense that his pursuit for new pleasures knew no bounds. But at least with Frank there was a level of scum just under the surface that leaves a lasting impression. Jamie Clayton’s performance as the iconic Pinhead was great with what she was given. She’s no Doug Bradley, nor does she attempt to try but rather do her own thing which I can respect. But once again the weak script left so much to be desired for what could have been.
 
All in all. The 2022 remake is by no means a terrible film. But it’s pretty generic and unimaginative. If there is a future for this remake I certainly hope the filmmakers are taking notes and learn from their mistakes because with a better script, and some adjustments to the cenobite design this new chapter of the franchise could have a bright future ahead.

Review: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Review: Honestly wasn’t sure how I would feel about First Steps going in because the Fantastic Four is a hero team that has been plagued with subpar adaptations for the past 30 years. The closes we got to something remotely close to being accurate was the unreleased 90s adaptation and that was pretty rough even by the 90s standards. The 00s films were fun for what they were but wasn’t exactly the embodiment of Marvel’s first family. And I don’t want to even speak of the 2015 Josh Trank disaster Fant4stick because even if it wasn’t all Trank’s fault, it’s clear that everyone in charge of making that film clearly didn’t understand the characters or the source material. 

That being said, the 2025 reboot starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner and Ralph Ineson brings us a more faithful take on the Iconic characters in a universe (Earth-828) that is more akin to the era the characters were created in with a story that is more rooted in the family dynamics. Similarly to James Gunn’s Superman (2025) First Steps doesn’t waste any time with an origins story or a retelling. It throws you right into the middle of it all but gives you just enough for you to get the gist of it all without boring you with rethreading the same patterns over and over again. The best part is, in my opinion is seeing a version of Galactus that feels like it’s straight out of the pages of the comic. Ralph Ineson Captures the attitude and mannerisms of the Devourer of Worlds so perfectly that I don’t think anyone else could have done a better job. The stakes feel high, the threat real, and my boy Galactus has never looked so incredibly badass.

I honestly had my doubts on whether or not Pedro Pascal was up to the task to play Mr. Fantastic himself, but I stand corrected. He acts like the calculating scientist Reed is known to be from the comics and I’m glad that my doubts about him were wrong. Alongside co-star Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm the pair have onscreen chemistry that feels genuine, and they feel like a perfect balance of Yin and Yang. Whereas Reed is the team leader who must think of the plans and scenarios using logic, Sue is very much the heart and conscience of the team. She is their diplomats who maintains the peace and really means on each other for support. Joseph Quinn did a fairly good job as Johnny Storm. His take on the character is less of a smart mouthing hot headed jokester and more matured and understanding. This isn’t to say he isn’t fun like previous adaptations, but this Johnny has clearly done sone growing up since becoming the Human Torch, and to be frank it’s a nice change up on the character which shows growth and development. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s take on Ben Grimm was pretty solid, although I would be lying if I said I wasn’t missing Michael Chiklis more raspy sounding voice which in my opinion matched The Thing more. But it’s not a huge deal breaker in my opinion as Bachrach’s take is still very much likable. My only disappointment is I feel like we didn’t get enough of Ben in the film and at times he was sidelined for other character’s growth. 

Finally, Julia Garner. Her casting as the titular Herald of Galactus drummed up a lot of controversy early on into production most notably by people who either weren't very familiar with the character or the lore. Or was afraid of another “M-She-U” girl boss trope. Garner’s Shalla-Bal was actually pretty amazing and relatable. She doesn’t feel shoehorned in or like a trope and feels very comic-accurate. There’s a chase scene towards the film’s second act involving the Surfer that had me on the edge of my seat. Her character was utilized much better here than her male counterpart Norrin Radd was in the 2007’s F4 movie Rise of the Silver Surfer in my opinion. I only wish we had gotten a bit more of her backstory laid out here and maybe a bit more time. Which is a semi issue the movie does have, and it’s we don’t get a whole lot of time with the villains of the story. I would have preferred more screen time on Galactus and Shalla-Bal. But I’m sure this is because we are likely to get Norrin Radd as some point later down the road. 

Final Verdict: I had somewhat higher expectations going into First Steps than I did with DC’s Superman, but similarly to Superman I came out satisfied with expectations blown clear out of the water. And the mid-credit scene in my opinion is the chef’s kiss that sets up what’s to come next (you’ll know when you see it). 

Rating: 9/10

Review: Superman (2025)

Review: Although It starts off a bit messy and quite bloated. Also something that happens towards the second act that is totally lore breaking for the Superman mythos, I won’t go into detail because it’s a spoiler, but you’ll know it when you see it.. eventually it becomes the type of Superman movie we have waited years to arrive full of truth, Justice, and above all hope. Krypto is also a major scene stealer throughout. His relationship with Clark is complicated and at times chaotic, but as someone who’s owned many dogs through the decades I can relate to Clark’s relationship with Krypto. Haha! 

The cinematography is beautifully shot here. So many scenes feel like something straight out of a comic book. Long gone are the doom and gloom palette of the DCEU. Gunn fully embraces a bright and hopeful world full with an array of color. The choice in soundtrack is a bit of an interesting choice for a Superman film but something that is totally within James Gunn’s wheelhouse as a filmmaker. 

As far as I can tell there were no miscasts here. If you’re going in expecting another Henry Cavill archetype you will be sadly mistaken. But that’s not entirely a bad thing here. Whereas the Snyderverse Superman of yesteryear marveled moviegoers with a display of incredible strength and near invincibility, David Corenswet‘s Kal-El is flawed. He’s vulnerable, he messes up, and at times a bit naive. But he also inspires hope and determination to do the right thing even when it’s the most difficult. It’s clear as day that Corenswet drew inspiration from Smallville star Tom Welling’s take on the character as there are moments in the film when it feels like I’m seeing Welling rather than Corenswet in the suit. Nicholas Hoult Is listed as the film’s highest paid actor in the cast and to be frank, he’s worth every penny here. Hoult gives us one of the most vicious, and pettiest incarnations of Lex Luthor on the big screen. Calling his version of Lex obsessive would be making light of it. He lives and breathes solely to end Superman in every single aspect. And here Hoult excels beyond expectations. Rachel Brosnahan‘s version of Lois Lane feels like a hybrid of classic meets modern. Prior to seeing the film I wasn’t so sure where I stood on the casting choice of Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, but I can honestly say he shined bright light a Dimond in the role especially alongside his fellow “Justice Gang” teammates played by Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner Green Lantern) and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl). As a trio they play off each other in a fluid and charismatic way. I honestly cannot wait to see more of them in future appearances. 

Final Verdict: James Gunn’s rebooted Superman isn’t a perfect film. It’s messy and disorganized. But it also feels right. It feels like the kind of thing we need right now. 

Rating: 9/10

Review: The Witches (2020)

Review:  I was skeptical about this remake/reimagining of the 1990 classic The Witches, which in it self is based off of the 1983 novel by acclaimed author Roald Dahl. The 1990 original was universally praised by critics, and deservingly so. The film was fantastically dark and witty, and at times grotesque. the fact they were able to get away with doing certain things and maintain a PG rating is truly beyond me. the casting for it was also perfection. Anjelica Huston who played the head witch wowed audiences with her captivating performance. Something she would no doubt repeat less than a year later while portraying Morticia Addams in the 1991 box office hit The Addams Family (1991). Simply put, the 1990 adoption is a true classic, and it’s incredibly hard to not judge any updated adaption without comparing it to it’s predecessor. 

The 2020 reimagining is by no means a terrible film. I mean, it’s definitely watchable, and audiences of a younger age will no doubt find some level of enjoyment out of this updated version. It certainly has quite a few corks and some heartfelt moments that even had my heartstrings tugged at times. And it does follows the novel much closer in certain areas that the 1990 film hadn’t. But, just like 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate, following the source material doesn't necessarily mean a superior product. [SIDE NOTE: I actually loved the Johnny Depp reimagining, just not nearly as much as the 1971 classic starring Gene Wilder]. But I digress. The 2020 reimagining wastes absolutely no time at all as it hits the ground running from the very beginning and doesn't really slow down. It’s bigger, louder and much more flashy with the theatrics. But it’s lacking the spirit of the original. The original was slower in pace, less cartoony, and focused more time fleshing out it’s core characters. In the original there is a story the grandmother tells her grandson about a young girl in her village, who was kidnapped by a witch and imprisoned in a painting that hung in her parents home. The young girl lived her whole life in that painting unable to escape or communicate with her family. This story is incredibly dark and utterly heartbreaking at the same time. This scene in particular is so tragic and disturbing and its always stayed with me growing up. As an adult it horrifies me more than most R-rated horror movies, and that’s saying a lot coming from a horror buff such as myself. The reimagining does have a similar scene in which the grandmother tells her grandson a tragic story about a childhood friend being taken by a witch, but it doesn't carry the same eerie atmosphere as the original and is for the most part pretty forgettable. Later on in the film theres a moment when the missing girl is briefly mentioned and it took me a few minutes to remember it’s the name of the girl from the grandmother’s earlier story. 

The one thing the film does get right at least is the superb acting. I adore Octavia Spencer, she’s a talented actress who really gives it her best in whatever role she takes on, and The Witches is no exception. She breathes a level warmth and sassiness into the role that is genuine to the lighter tone of this adaptation. Honestly, I wish she could be my grandma! Ann Hathaway is also pretty amazing as the head witch as she delivers a very colorful version of the character that is pleasant, and sometimes hilarious to watch, but the one major drawback is that some of her best moments are spoiled by an over-abundance of CGI. Which let me just say, the special effects is arguably the film’s achilles’ heel. There are moments in which it looks half decent and passable, but most of the time it looks dated like something straight from the early 2000’s. Overall it’s pretty bad, and likely could have achieved better results with more practical effects like with the original. The witches in that, especially the head witch, was genuinely hideous looking and creepy. The design in the reimagining looks basic and very unimaginative. 

Final Thoughts: The Witches isn’t a terribly bad movie. It set off to do it’s own thing and should be commended for not going the route previously traveled.  It has it’s moments, and it can be a genuinely fun film for the whole family to watch together on movie night. But it’s a far cry from the superb quality of the original.

Rating: 5/10

Review: Cuties (2020)

 

Review written by Kelsey Zukowski

Starring: Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou

Written & Directed by: Maïmouna Doucouré

Rating: 9/10 

Cuties is a multi-faceted coming of age film that tackles the difficult transition from childhood to womanhood with great realism. Through our protagonist we see what that journey of finding one’s femininity looks like amongst conflicting messages from familial upbringing, religion, social media, pop culture, and peers.  

It’s worth noting that the initial shock value promotional material Netflix used wasn’t a proper representation of the film. It got people’s attention for better or worse, which was likely the goal, but this is not the preteen Magic Mike. There is only around 5 minutes of sexy dancing in the entire running time and it is a fairly small focus of the film. The dance competition the characters are in mostly contains adult dancers and is open to all styles of dancing. It’s the protagonist’s fear of being viewed as childish and her desire to impress her new group of friends that influences them to sex up their routine and look. Anytime she is shown using her body in a more adult or flirtatious manner it is very clearly not condoned and even criticized by other characters, especially those who are older.

The film follows 11 year-old Amy (Fathia Youssouf) who is the oldest child in a traditional Muslim family, living in a poor suburb of Paris. A lot of responsibility falls on her to help care for her younger siblings. Amy’s father has recently become engaged to his second wife. This is incredibly difficult for Amy’s mother, but something she is expected to accept and even be supportive of. As Amy sees the pain this causes her mother her resentment towards her father grows. She is already being groomed to become a good, modest, and content wife for a future husband, which is not something she is looking forward to.

Amy takes notice of a group of girls who are in an amateur dance crew and wear more revealing clothes than she is permitted to, which holds an alluring freedom to her. She doesn’t have any friends and begins to yearn to be a part of what this group of girls have. Most of the group is incredibly hostile towards her, but through the dance crew’s leader, Angelica (Médina El Aidi-Azouni), she slowly finds friendship and a chance to dance with them; allowing her to feel more seen. She quickly becomes so desperate for their approval, which sends her on a descent in to rebellion, losing herself along the way.

The acting across the board was phenomenal and really added to the film feeling like a personal and powerful experience. The child actors did a great job of feeling very genuine. The combination of their presence and the directing added wonderful naturalism. The stand outs were our lead, Fathia Youssouf, and Maïmouna Gueye, who played her mother. Both showed incredibly strong emotion and layers, which was often subtle, but always evident. This film offered Youssouf a break out role and she showed that she was up to the challenge, beautifully showcasing her talents and adding a needed vulnerability to let the audience understand and empathize with what the character was going through.

The bond and relationship between Amy and her mother, Mariam, was among the strongest material as well.  The love between both of them, even at the height of Amy’s downward spiral and her mother’s shame and outrage, is clear. They are both struggling and under a lot of strain in their own ways, but there’s deep connection and understanding between them in the end. Mariam’s story shows both her sense of feeling lost and her strength. It acknowledges that even adults don’t necessarily have it all figured out, that this quest of finding who you are as woman, wife, mother, and individual is a lifelong one. The human experience and finding ones’ identity and role is an imperfect art. 

Filmmaker, Maïmouna Doucouré, based the film on her own experiences growing up and her difficulties in discovering what womanhood and feeling stuck between several cultures and stages of adolescence was like.  She interviewed hundreds of young girls for the film, wanting to accurately depict what that challenge of approaching teenagehood looked like today with the influences of social media and heavily sexualized images in media at large.

Cuties is tamer in content than many might expect. There is no nudity, implied nudity, or sexual acts depicted. Many other similar films like Kids, Thirteen, and Mysterious Skin, go further and contain more disturbing material by depicting underage sex, which is not at all present here. The moments of the young characters amplifying their sex appeal are troubling and uncomfortable, but they are meant to be.  The scene that contains the worst of this is portrayed in a completely negative context and serves as the breaking point for Amy, making her realize this is not true to whom she is or who she wants to be.

There are plenty of scenes where the girls on the dance team are being silly, having fun, and essentially savoring being kids in a climate pushing them to grow up. There is going to be an instinct to resist some female roles before them and flock to others. It’s only natural for them to mimic what they see, especially at this age where their bodies are changing and fitting in and feeling validated is huge to a their confidence and happiness. Both sides of these two stages in their growth are present and are an important part of the narrative.

Most powerful art tackles difficult subjects; subjects that we wish weren’t present in our world at all. Even more reason why exploring these things, understanding their temptation and influence, is vital and has value. Looking back to experiences of my own and those of my peers at this age, what is depicted here is not a stretch at all. I also say that as someone who grew up without social media and some of the images, pressures, and messages that it sends to girls today. You can only imagine how hypersexualization in our society and young people feeling this pressure is only becoming more prevalent and damaging. Every artist has the right to tell their story and truth. Doucouré did that with bravery and honesty, creating a film many can relate to, males included, as young boys have their own pressures and stereotypes they face. It addresses concerns that should be exposed and talked about. Some may not be comfortable venturing there with her, but for those who go in with an open mind, it can be a captivating and enlightening experience worth your time.