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“Nutcrackers” Review: A Heartwarming Holiday Hulu Original Movie.

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It was refreshing to see Ben Stiller in a different role outside of his typical silly, goofy, comical characters. Stiller portrays a Chicago real estate executive who is called upon by Social Worker Gretchen (Linda Cardellini) to take temporary guardianship of his four nephews after the passing of his estranged sister who died in a tragic car accident along with her husband. Despite the upsetting incident, the lighthearted comedy comes from the four Kicklighter boys – played by Homer, Arlo, Atlas and Ulysses Janson, who are also brothers in real life.

Nutcrackers takes place in the countryside of Ohio, and challenges city man Michael “Mike” Maxwell (Stiller) to look after his nephews until they are placed with a foster family. The Kicklighter boys are seen behaving like feral animals in their farmhouse. When their uncle arrives, the boys immediately shutdown and size him up as if he were a stranger. Mike seems distant himself and gives minimal effort in comforting them. Mike is obviously not the father figure. He’s conceded and heavily focused on his real estate ventures. Nevertheless, the Kicklighter boys give Mike a run for his money with typical boyish pranks and country bumpkin lifestyle.

The oldest Kicklighter Justice (Homer Janson) asks Mike, “When I wake up tomorrow, are you still gonna be here?”, and further questions his uncle by telling him that his mom (Mike’s sister) believed that he was not capable of love. Mike learns that his sister owned a dance studio, and his nephews are surprisingly good ballet dancers. He sees this as an opportunity to host a recital with the Kicklighter boys performing their version of “The Nutcracker” with the participation of the other local children. Mike invests his time planning and overseeing the rehearsals, which leads the boys to gradually bond with him. Mike does care for his nephews, but doesn’t see himself capable of taking on the responsibility of raising them. Instead, he intends to use the recital to make the boys more appealing for a family to foster or adopt them.

Will there be tensions surfacing between Mike and his nephews on the night of their recital in front of a pack house? Or will Mike have an epiphany? Not to give out any spoilers, but the boy’s rendition of “The Nutcracker” does have an emotional heartwarming impact. I see Homer Janson having a promising future career in acting.  

Be sure not to miss out on Nutcrackers, available November 29 on Hulu.

Sabrina - Kiddo is the newest member of Countdown City Geeks and is a contributor of movie and television show reviews. Her passion for film derived from her college days where her rhetoric-writing professor focused on the aspects of screenwriting and music lyrics. She also has a knack for saying movie quotes.

Movie Reviews

Blake Lively brings extravagant fashion to this murder-mystery comedy movie in ‘Another Simple Favor’ – Review

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When it comes to making a grand entrance in a movie , Blake Lively definitely kills it in Another Simple Favor. She looked sophistically stunning in those posh outfits and lavish shoes! Lively really steals the spotlight portraying the charming and deceptive Emily Nelson / Hope McLanden who disrupts Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) during a book reading to ask for a simple favor. Kendrick is a master in emerging into roles of the sweet, impulsive and vulnerable characters.

This saga takes place in the beautiful Island of Capri, where the extravagant wedding of Emily (Lively) to the handsome Italian mobster Dante Versano (Michele Morrone). When Aunt Linda (Allison Janney) makes a surprise appearance with Emily’s deranged mother Margaret (Elizabeth Perkins), well you know sparks will be bursting. Stephanie (Kendrick) is determined to seek answers to the mysterious occurrences and disappearance of Emily. The plot thickens with mind-bending, jaw-dropping twists, which leads the possibility of a trilogy.

The entire cast was amusing. This movie has a lot of dark raunchy humor, which at times could be a bit “tmi”. From feuding scenes with Henry Golding as Sean Townsend (Emily’s ex-husband) to Blake’s bedroom scene where she playing a dual role – uncomfortable, awkwardness. However, it received plenty of laughter from the audience.

Another Simple Favor will be available on Amazon Prime Video starting May 1, 2025. It will sure be a great suggestion for a girl’s night movie party.

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Movie Reviews

Yadang – The Snitch: A Surprisingly Riveting Crime Action Movie (Review)

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When a swift street smart Lee Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul) finds himself in jail for being unjustly accused as a meth dealer, he encounters an eager prosecutor, Goo Gwan-hee (Yoo Hai-jin), who offers to reduce Lee’s sentence by having him work as a snitch, “Ya-Dang”. However, when it comes to sting operations and using Ya-Dangs, narcotics officer Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon ) becomes suspicious of Goo’s techniques, and it appears he might be involved in a convoluted criminal network.

This South Korean film, Yadang – The Snitch, has a well written storyline with many exiting and unsuspected plot twists, from betrayal, corruption, to settling the score revenge. Director Hwang Byeng-Gug exercised good judgement not implementing exaggerated CGI’s and kept the action scenes interesting and grounded.

The trio of main characters had great development, with outstanding cast members giving flawless performances.

Promising actor Kang Ha-neul, best known for Squid Game 2, knows how to deliver a combination of dynamic action with humor. Kang was well-suited to portray the sharp dressed, charismatic Lee Kang-soo.

Yoo Hai-jin was impressive transforming his role and building the underlying forces, while Park Hae-joon maintained a well balanced role that rises to the occasion.

Besides the entertaining action, the traditional South Korean food culture was incorporated throughout many of the scenes giving it a delicious element – It left me craving those noodles! Also, the post credits were a nice dessert of laughter.

With absolute certainty this movie is fantastic, and I am hopeful for a sequel.

Yadang – The Snitch will be in theaters April 25, 2025, in the US and Canada.

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‘Good Boy’: An exceptional haunting film from a dog’s perception. – Review

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Have you ever wondered why your furry companion stares at the wall or barks when there is nothing around? In this independent horror film, it presents a possible explanation to why your dog behaves in a peculiar manner. Good Boy is a unique take on creating a horror film where the main character is Indy, an adorable loyal dog that will do what it takes to protect his human friend and not leave his side.

Indy made his grand entrance at the 2025 SXSW in Austin, Texas and captivated the audience with his handsome furry coat and charming face. Indy was trained by his owners Kari Fischer and Ben Leonberg, along with the help of a professional trainer. It took more than 400 days (over the course of a couple of years) to complete filming due to the specific commands and desired behaviors that Indy had to learn, but most importantly ensuring his comfort and safety.

You can watch the video here of Indy showing off his impressive skills during the Q&A with Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer (aka dog parents).

The screenplay was written by Alex Cannon and Ben Leonberg, who also directed the film. They created a unique perspective of a horror film by developing the storyline from a dog’s point of view.

The film begins with Todd in his apartment looking catatonic with indications that he might be suffering from an illness. Indy is by his side and appears to be uncomfortable and restless witnessing Todd being lethargic. Todd decides to move out of the city to the family’s countryside home and takes his loyal dog, Indy, with him. It is here where the supernatural forces lurk in the shadows and Indy feels its strange presence.

The scenes have all those spooky elements a horror, suspense film should have – the dark rooms, chilling sounds, creepy shadows, and thunderous storms. There is even a mysterious cemetery that is part of the property. It is said that dogs have a sixth sense, and this film depicts the fear and concern from Indy that death may be lurking around.

If you are a dog owner or an avid dog lover, Good Boy will touch your emotions as you observe Indy’s faithfulness and courage to save his owner, Todd, from whatever entity haunting them.

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