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The Rivals of Amziah King is absolutely buzz worthy – Review

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Written and directed by Andrew Patterson, The Rivals of Amziah King had its world premiere in Austin, Texas during the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, which received a standing ovation. The film stars Mathew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Tony Revolori, and a special appearance from Kurt Russell.

This crime, thriller film has a well written storyline by Patterson, with plenty of comedic scenes that is set in a beautiful country backdrop. The film revolves around a group of country folks that are a fondly close community and have each other’s back not just only in a time of need, but as a way of life – like gathering up to play some music, sing and enjoy some cold drinks – a unique form of relationship.

Despite McConaughey’s 6 year acting absence, he delivered an exceptional performance as Amziah King, the beekeeper that operates the family honey farm and the former foster parent to Kateri. McConaughey did not miss a beat sharing his musical talents with the other cast members, turning up the jam sessions with catchy tunes.

Newcomer Angelina LookingGlass was a natural portraying the part of Kateri – the orphaned young lady who takes over her foster’s struggling business and encounters some nasty rivals that want to control the honey market. Kateri finds that inner queen bee and takes action to protect the family honey business. Kateri can be sweet as honey but will not hesitate to lash out a lethal sting if you do her and her beloved community harm.

I was impressed with the overall performance. The connection between the cast was visible throughout the film, which kept the audience engaged. I did want to see more of Kurt Russell’s character, however the choice of limiting his screen time did allow to focus on Kateri’s story. I believe this wonderful independent film sets the tone for 2025 film makers and will truly be a buzz worthy of an Oscar nomination.

The release date for The Rivals of Amziah King is TBD.

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

In theaters May 9th is the fascinating sci-fi film, ‘Watch the Skies’ – Review

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Watch the Skies is a heartfelt sci-fi film with a remarkable ensemble cast, showcases the impressive talent of rising star Inez Dahl Torhaug. The story centers on a young protagonist as she unravels the mystery surrounding her father’s disappearance years before. This all happened while he was conducting investigative work on UFOs. The film balances whimsical and quirky moments with deeply profound emotional scenes that are captivating.

A unique blend of British-European humor and sci-fi adventure, Watch the Skies draws inspiration from a real-life Swedish extraterrestrial research group. Sci-fi enthusiasts will find themselves particularly well-equipped to enjoy this charming and thought-provoking cinematic journey.

Synopsis: A rebellious teenage woman’s father went missing years ago and she believes that he didn’t run away but was abducted by aliens. She joins forces with a funky UFO club made up of a lovable group of weirdos and rejects. Together, they embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the boundaries of the law and ultimately, our world.

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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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