Movie Reviews

Running for ancestral identity and honor in ‘Remaining Native’ – Review

Published

2 months ago

03/25/2025

Kutoven “Ku” Stevens is a senior in high school in Nevada and an all-state track star. For as long as he can remember he has always loved running and for long distance runners who grow up in the US, there’s another little-known fact that the University of Oregon is where the best of the best runners attend. Ku knows this which is also funny because I myself had a long-distance career in the early 2000s and the lore of Oregon was well known amongst my peers back then.

Thats where this documentary starts but Ku takes us on a journey of self-discovery and a mission to honor those who came before us. Ku talks about his great grandfather Frank who at a very young age was subjected to an Indian Boarding School known as Stewart.

The purpose of this school and others like it was to assimilate Native American children and tear them from their families and their cultures. This was the policy of federal government at the time. And as dark as that already seems what the children faced while at these schools was nothing short of torture. Ku’s grandfather escaped Stewart school one day and made the 50-mile trek back to his reservation where Ku and his family seek to honor him by sharing his story and others like it.

Remaining Native is a wonderful coming of age tale and shines a light on the complexities on our nation’s history. It’s never too much to ask to remember. Some still need to heal from the darkness that once took place at these boarding schools. This film can be a lesson to many who have their own healing that they look to find. It comes from a community, it comes from honoring and not running from your past but for your past, and most importantly, bringing light to the darkness.

Synopsis: Ku Stevens wants to be an elite runner, but when the remains of Native children are found, Ku must face his family’s past while attempting to run towards his future.

See a trailer for the SXSW Award Winning film here and visit the site at https://www.remainingnativedocumentary.com/.

Movie Reviews

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

Published

2 days ago

05/08/2025

Ted (Steady)

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.

Movie Reviews

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

Published

1 week ago

04/30/2025

Sabrina

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.

Movie Reviews

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

Published

3 weeks ago

04/16/2025

Sabrina

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.