A paranoia-fueling thriller and a new pulp-fiction-y mystery from Ethan Cohen and Tricia Cooke, a spy series from Amazon and an old-fashioned tear-jerker top our roundup this week.
In other words there’s plenty to watch over the long holiday weekend — none of it is first-rate, but definitely watchable.
Here’s our roundup.
“Honey Don’t!”: At its most critical juncture, director/co-screenwriter Ethan Cohen and co-screenwriter Tricia Cooke’s second collaboration (2024’s trying too hard “Drive-Away Dolls” being the couple’s first) throws a wild ball that fails to connect in an energetically acted but erratic homage to Raymond Chandler-like PI mysteries, pulp fiction and trashy B-movies. There’s just way too much getting tucked under this screenplay’s hood, resulting in undeveloped subplots that hit dead ends. Yes, there are qualities to admire: a novel setting – go Bakersfield – a creative title sequence, Margaret Qualley fast-talkin’ Rosalind Russell-like lesbain PI who can smell a dirty rat when others don’t, a jock-strap-wearing Chris Evans as a smarmy preacher man who shoots porn with parishioners, and oh yea, a now-dead client-in-the-making dangling upside down in a crashed car. That corpse and everything pertaining to it turns into the film’s Achille’s heel, producing a hazy mystery that gets lost amid the chaos of careening and colliding side stories. Aubrey Plaza enters the fray as a sultry cop who catches Honey’s eye and her bod, but her character makes no sense whatsoever. While the joyously unabashed queerness and delicious production details along with Qualley and Evans all-in performances are undeniably cool and effective, all I can say is honey just wait, and stream this one. Details: 2 stars out of 4; now in theaters.
“Relay”: Two thirds into this cerebral thriller that pairs well with a surging paranoia about corporate America’s stranglehold on its citizens, screenwriter Justin Piasecki tosses in a twist that’s absurd and unwarranted. It’s a major killjoy in director David Mackenzie’s (“Hell or High Water”) well-made throwback to conspiracy ‘70s flicks like “The Parallax View” and “Three Days of the Condor.” In the icy reality of “Relay,” fixer for hire– portrayed by Riz Ahmed gets hired again to help a potential whistleblower (Lily James) get a corporation to stop harassing her and arranging a big payday for her silence. The corporate hired goons (Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald amongst them) are always one step behind, making this cat-and-mouse thriller entertaining (two scenes notably stand out, one in an airport and the other at a classical music concert). What gives the film its emotional resonance is Ahmed, who has minimal dialogue (his character Ash communicates via an untraceable service used primarily by people who are deaf and his responses are read by call workers) but the moral weight is evident in his eyes and his time speaking in an alcoholic support group. The action set pieces are nerve-wracking, but that screenplay snafu is too significant. Still, there’s a lot to admire in the filmmaking and in Ahmed’s performance. Details: 2½ stars; now in theaters.
“The Map That Leads to You”: Everyone needs a good tearjerker every now and then. Too bad this Amazon Prime movie based on the late J.P. Monninger’s romance novel isn’t a good tearjerker. Oh, it does have some of the right elements. Two beautiful young lovers — Heather (Madelyn Cline) and Jack (KJ Apa) — as well as a tortured but kind-of obvious secret; travel porn shots galore (Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and so on); and one cheesy ending. But this hollow beauty from Lasse Hallström (“Dear John”) is downright dull and lacks the one essential ingredient for any romance onscreen or off: passion. For some reason, that’s what’s lacking between wanderlust-filled poetic roamer Jack and Heather, who’s cavorting through Europe with her two besties before she starts a job in New York. Both leads are fine, but the film never allows them to cut loose and have more than just Instagram-looking fun. There’s just no sizzle here. They also get stuck spouting off a slew of cliched observations that seem better suited for a Hallmark card, such as “Does anybody know where they’re going?” You don’t necessarily watch a tearjerker for depth, but we do need flesh-and-blood characters to care about. Details: 2 stars; available on Amazon Prime.
“Butterfly”: Prime’s six-part spy thriller’s roots are in a graphic novel and stars the durable Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-O” and “Lost”) – who also executive produces – and it exists in that gray zone where it’s watchable enough but could have been better. The opening segment in which a key Soviet figure gets assassinated is one the highlights in an uneven mix of dirty spy games tied to a shadowy American spy organization called Caddis and family dysfunction of two broods. The South Korea setting and its random cuisine scene add dashes of originality as believed-to-be-dead spy David Jung (Kim) tries to mend a broken relationship with his daughter Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), now the top assassin for Caddis. That crooked operation is run by the cool and calculating Juno (Piper Perabo) who manipulates Rebecca and treats her like a surrogate daughter; Juno’s real son Oliver (Louis Landau) feels like he can never measure up. “Butterfly” interjects a wee bit of dark humor that works and features some risky moves in its final episode. If it embraces that dark side more, it would give the series more edge and would give it more kick. As is, it’s a middling watch with a good performance from Kim. Details: 2½ stars; available now on Amazon Prime.
“Treading Water”: Screenwriter/director Gino Evans in-your-face-realism spares no one in a hard hitter that ventures deep into the shaky psyche of a man who’s getting ground up by mental illness and drug addiction. Evans’ gritty drama will undoubtedly turn off sensitive viewers given its explicitness. But that’s no reason to discount nor dismiss his unsentimental directorial debut, an authentic and brutal experience illustrating the battles warring inside the head of a troubled guy just released from prison after serving 153 days. Most of the film’s success rests on the shoulders of actor Joe Gill and he is extraordinary, refusing to sugarcoat Danny’s instability nor his susceptibility for missteps. One of those wobbly decisions is falling for a pregnant sex worker/mom (Becky Bowe) – whom he’s known from growing up in Manchester. She’s stuck in a dysfunctional relationship with a hothead (Darren Connolly) but finds herself attracted to the caring Danny. Much of “Treading Water” finds Danny falling off the wagon and then picking himself back up and then mucking up his chances for success. It’s hard to witness. Evans’ film sounds hopeless but isn’t and doesn’t abandon Danny, even if his hope is barely a flicker and never a flame. For those who cherish the guttural realism of a Ken Loach film, “Treading Water” will be a must. Hopefully, more eyes will see it along with Gill’s commanding performance. Details: 3 stars; available now to rent on streaming platforms.
“Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser”: At one time, the reality series “The Biggest Loser” was must-see reality TV. But on closer inspection the show, which ran for 17 seasons on CBS and had a failed reboot for one season over on USA Network, got justly slapped with criticism for being cruel and demeaning. Trainers yelled and put down obese contestants. Producers tempted them with enormous platters piled high with junk food. Add in the physical and mental health challenges presented and the center concept of the show – in which contestants shed weight in dramatic, not healthy ways – it soon became a magnet for controversy. This three-part Netflix series interviews the show’s creators, one of the trainers (Bob Harper; Jillian Michaels passed on being interviewed), some contestants, an author and others, including host Alison Sweeney. The result is a compelling if not overly deep expose on a series that has run its course, thankfully for the health and well being of all. Details: 2½ stars; now available on Netflix.