A mother struggles with her daughter's addiction issues. But when Claire (Sydney Sweeney) comes home claiming to have accidentally killed her boyfriend, Kate (Julianne Moore) does everything she can to protect her daughter.  Echo Valley  is one of those stories that takes a very real and painful scenario and delivers one of the most extreme outcomes. But it begs the question; 'How far would you go to protect your child?' Although I'm quite sure there aren't many parents who would go as far as Julianne Moore's 'Kate'. Her dedication to her daughter is understandably strong, and while it may not exactly be relatable, it is at least believable that a parent would attempt this sort of thing for their child. And at the same time, you find yourself willing her to say no to Claire, even though you know she won't - at least in this instance. Both Moore and Sweeney deliver stellar performances as mother and daughter. Through it all, they are the movie's r...

Three improv actors are hired to do some low level undercover work for the police. But their improvisation leads them to accidentally infiltrate a major faction of London's criminal underworld. Have you ever sat through a movie waiting for the laughs to happen? That's was my experience with Deep Cover . Watching it with a group of friends, I was expecting the room to be filled with laughter, even if it was just at the ridiculousness of it all. But it never happened. There were some occasional smirks, that was it. And having finished watching it, the general consensus was that the movie is "watchable". It's a pretty standard story that aims for the usual sort of laughs. You certainly don't expect a movie like this to reinvent the wheel. However, the impressive cast do a pretty good job of setting the scene without ever trying to properly invest you in the story. Trouble is it's all painfully predictable. There are absolutely no surprises in store. And the a...

They better not fuck this up! That was my first thought when I heard they were developing a sequel to the beloved sci-fi comedy, Spaceballs . I know I'm not alone in this. In fact, I'm sure there are many people thinking exactly the same thing. Probably even more so, now that the hilarious teaser has dropped. After 40 years, we asked "What do the fans want?" But instead, we're making this movie. Nothing is known of the plot, despite Mel Brooks' helpful introduction, but according to Deadline , the sequel has been described "by those who have not yet read the script" as "A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part 2 but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film". Which suggests - rather reassuringly - that those involved clearly aren't taking this too seriously, and that it's highly likely  Disney is going to be the butt of many jokes. That last one being rather important! The trouble is, these legacy sequels can be rather risky. On th...

Twenty years ago today Shane Black's directorial debut received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, a limited release meant that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang  was not the blockbuster hit it should have been. Or as Robert Downey Jr. put it; it "tanked". What could have been the start of a series of adventures - imagine a trilogy of mysteries with Gay Perry and his two misfit associates - sadly drifted into obscurity. Anyway, by now you may wonder how I wound up here. Or maybe not. Maybe you wonder how silly putty picks shit up from comic books. The point is, I don't see another Goddamn narrator, so pipe down. I first became aware of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang when I read about it in a film magazine (probably Empire ). The article featured that hilarious image of Downey Jr.'s 'Harry Lockhart' dangling from the hand of a corpse. Said hand is protruding from a coffin caught on a traffic sign, which is attached to a bridge in Long Beach, California....

Ramadi, Iraq. 2006. A platoon of Navy Seals sets up an observation post in a house in order to provide cover for an operation carried out by the US Marines. But when their position is compromised they find themselves surrounded and up against an increasing number of insurgents. With several teammates badly wounded, the Seals have no choice but to evacuate quickly, under heavy fire. This is their story, as told by them. It all begins with a song - "Call on Me" by Eric Prydz. We are introduced to the men we will be following as they psych themselves up for their mission, and it's almost impossible to miss just how young they are, as they dance and sing along to Prydz's popular song. From there it's straight on to the mission, with the team infiltrating the neighbourhood in which they'll be operating. There's no politics to be found here. No examination of all the wrongs or the morality of this illegal war. This is about war itself, and showing as accurately ...

When Ray King is murdered, Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) reluctantly calls upon Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) and his brother, Braxton (Jon Bernthal) to help figure out what Ray was working on, and find his killer.  To the more cynical among us, the return of Christian Wolff could be described as just another Hollywood cash-grab - falling back on a successful property that doesn't really need a sequel, just to see if they can milk anything more out of it. And while it is true that we weren't exactly screaming for a sequel, thanks to his efficiency at both accounting and dispatching of villains, it's not exactly unwelcome either. The Accountant 2  begins exactly as you'd imagine (whether you knew the plot or not); with the death of one of the first movie's beloved characters. After all, how else are you going to get the band back together? From there our unhappy gathering of law enforcement and law-breakers bicker over how to go about findi...

So Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) has reached the end of another chapter in his onscreen life.  Warning: Contains spoilers for Bosch: Leagacy  season 3. As much as he has been hindered by his return to civilian life - we all know Harry misses wearing the badge - he has also enjoyed the freedom of not being bound by the rules and regulations that come with being a law enforcement officer. And that's what makes Bosch: Legacy  so enjoyable; our adventure with the great detective continues, only now he's embracing his inner outlaw. It gives the show a bit of a different feel too. Unlike its predecessor, which is very much a police procedural, Legacy  is more about Harry's own quest for justice. He's not quite Batman , but there is definitely a degree of vigilantism to his work as a private investigator. Over three seasons Bosch and his motley crew have gone after corrupt businessmen, tracked down long lost family, pursued serial killers and kidnappers - including one who t...