Master Chief took his helmet off. The first season of Halo managed to introduce the uninitiated to the world of Halo and the war against The Covenant, and (for the most part) was entertaining for its freshman season. So how would the second season of Halo go? Would the show as Master Chief himself Pablo Schreiber said, the second season would be “better and darker?”

I gotta be honest, a resounding “Hell Yeah” is in order. At least for the first four episodes given to critics, the second season of Halo has found its footing and now that it got most of the world-building and character introductions out of the way, it gives itself time to breathe and continue each of the journeys for many of the characters we met last season.

After having the emotion suppressor and the “Cortona” AI removed from his mind, Master Chief is having some challenges. He knows that The Covenant is continuing their crusade for the artifacts, finding the “halo” artifact, and wiping out humanity. Because his superiors are unsure about the ramifications of having an AI embedded in the universe’s most beloved soldier, the powers that be at the United Nations Space Command are sidelining John’s Silver Team from participating in dangerous missions and have them relegated to escort and support missions.

That all changes when during one of those support missions to remove people from a colony that The Covenant is primed to attack and “glass the planet” and The Covenant pulls a sneak attack. Unfortunately, the only two people who even know that The Covenant was on the planet before bombing it are Master Chief and ambush survivor Talia Perez (Cristina Rodlo), and John isn’t believed and Talia is too afraid to publicly say what happened. As a result, John’s new (and incredibly ambitious) new boss James Ackerson ((Joseph Morgan) who is replacing Halsey (Natascha McElhone) after her nefarious plans were revealed and she disappeared) swept it under the run for the sake of “stability.” This leads Master Chief to have to go outside the chain of command to investigate, drawing the irk of his new boss Ackserson.

At the same time, John’s former buddy who escaped the Spartan Program, Soren-066 (Bokeem Woodbine), and has been living a life on the outer reaches of the galaxy as a pirate. In the first season of Halo, he helped John in his time of need. This time, however, it’s he who will need help. He’s losing the support of his crew (who want more of their fair share of their bounties), and is also obsessed with trying to track down Halsey for what she did to him as a child. Unfortunately, a life of piracy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and his chickens have come home to roost as he is betrayed. Soren and John’s story doesn’t connect until later on, but when it does the boys are back together like they never left.

This season of Halo also gives the audience time to hang out with the other members of John’s Spartan Silver Team. Last season Kai-125 (Kate Kennedy) removed her emotion-inhibiting chip and explored her humanity. Now, the whole team has removed their chips and is exploring their humanity in different ways. Vannak-134 (Bentley Kalu) was always more rigid than even John was, but now he likes watching nature documentaries and befriending birds near his apartment. But the most interesting character development was with Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac) who is coming to terms with her injury and aging out of combat. As a genetically engineered Spartan soldier, they are all bread for combat and pretty much nothing else. So what can Riz do when she sees her injuries are preventing her from being her best and the psychological damage that comes with, she seeks counsel with former Spartan Louis-036 (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) who after going blind from the Spartan Programs genetic engineering had to get adjusted to civilian life and helps coach her through the process.

Unfortunately, Halo Season 1 big baddie Makee (Charlie Murphy), the human member of The Covenant (who also hates humans) and had a connection to both John and the artifacts is mostly MIA for the first 4 episodes of the second season of the show with maybe 2-3 scenes. So, for the Covenant side of things, we are treated to just the reptilian foot soldiers for the good guys to fight. Instead, the true foil of the second season of the show is the new guy Ackerson, who is determined to be a thorn in John’s side. Ackerson is more concerned with advancing his career and maintaining the status quo. His belief in institutions blinds him and the higher-ups to the dangerousness of The Covenant. While he tries to present himself as not as psychopathic as Halsey was last season, he’s just as bad.

As stated, the second season of Halo is darker and grittier than the first season. While we got to see The Covenant slaughter humans last season, this time they up the ante a thousand times over with their master plan. If what happened in the first 4 episodes was just a teaser, I’d hate to see what their endgame is!

Now, the second season of Halo isn’t perfect. The biggest grips would probably be the inconsistent CGI. There are certain scenes where the reptilian shock troops of The Covenant look great, it’s usually a night or fog shoot. When Master Chief has his “hero moment shots” while fighting them, it’s not the most believable special effects and often looks “rubbery” and reminiscent of the CGI chaos of the Transformers movies. The show also tries to use the “one shot” take for a few key battle scenes, but with so many of the reptilians not looking believable, it looks even worse when tried as a tracking shot.

That said, Halo Season 2 is a step in the right direction. Not only does the show continue the world-building established in the first season, but it allows all the primary characters to continue to evolve and grow, not just Master Chief. And yes, he takes his helmet off a lot. Sorry purists, but that’s what’s gonna happen going forward, and honestly, it makes the show better!

Halo Season 2 is currently available on Paramount Plus.

Halo

1 of 12

Review: ‘Fitting In’
Maddie Ziegler Leads A Coming-Of-Age Traumedy That Is Full Of Laughs And Heart

By
Jake Sokolsky
-

High school is a time for growth. A time of personal reflection. It’s a chance for teens to try and figure out who they are. It can be difficult for the average kid and Lindy (Maddie Ziegler, soon to be seen in Sundance comedy My Old Ass) is about to find out how difficult things can get in Fitting In. Lindy is just your average sixteen-year-old girl. She’s trying out for the track team with her best friend Vivian (Djouliet Amara). She is also finally spending some quality time with her longtime crush Adam (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai). Of course, her mom Rita (Emily Hampshire) is constantly embarrassing her, but she means well. Rita is a single parent who is going through a lot herself. Her mother recently passed, she is recovering from breast cancer and lost one of her breasts, and is active on the dating app scene.

Despite all that, Rita is still there for Lindy and worries about her. She worries even more as time goes on and Lindy isn’t getting her period. When Lindy is ready to take that next step with Adam, she goes to an OB-GYN for birth control. That’s when she is diagnosed with MRKH syndrome. This diagnosis brought with it the news that Lindy may never be able to carry a child. On top of that she will never have a period and sex will very likely be difficult. Many of the experiences she was looking forward to, possibly ripped away in an instant. Chances to connect with her friends over common experiences just gone. With her entire reality turned on its head, it is time for Lindy to look inside and really figure out who she is.

Molly McGlynn both wrote and directed Fitting In. The movie is only her second feature length film that she has written or directed. She has primarily worked in television. Directing her own screenplays is nothing new with McGlynn having directed all but one of her scripts. However, Fitting In stands apart from the rest. The film is semi-autobiographical, being based on McGlynn’s own story. She was diagnosed with MRKH halfway through high school. McGlynn experienced many of the trials and tribulations that Lindy navigates throughout the movie. Her personal connection to the material translates wonderfully to the film. Fitting In seems so real and authentic because it is and that can’t be understated.

McGlynn manages to broach a very difficult subject in the perfect way. She strikes the right balance between humor and heart, and there is plenty of both. Lindy’s journey of self-discovery is moving, and Ziegler excels in the role. The script itself is top notch – fast paced, believable, touching, and both subtly and blatantly hilarious. McGlynn mixes in just a touch of personal narration, letting us in to Lindy’s mind. It adds a different, and effective, element to Fitting In – allowing the audience further opportunity to connect with Lindy. Throw in solid music choices, sprinkle interesting scene transitions, and great acting all around and you have quite the package. Fitting In may not be for everyone, and it does center around some sensitive topics. However, it is a refreshing coming of age story that is absolutely worth a watch.

Fitting In is in theaters now.

Review: ‘Upgraded’
Camila Mendes And Marisa Tomei Star In Amazon's Economical Romantic Comedy

By
Cortland Jacoby
-

Part Cinderella story and all romcom, Upgraded is the newest selection from Amazon Prime Video. Starring Riverdale alum Camila Mendes and Shadow and Bone star Archie Renaux, this modern-day fairytale doesn’t do any dazzling except for a few standout character actors.

Mendez plays Ana, an art-obsessed intern with a Master’s degree, no formal living situation, and mountains of debt. She works at Erwin’s auction house under a Miranda Priestly wanna-be boss played by Marissa Tomei. After someone’s slip-up costs them their career, Ana rank in her office improves granting her a place on a work trip to London. After a ticket agent (a delightful Juliet Agnes) sees the abuse inflicted on her by her two superior assistants, Suzette (Rachel Matthews) and Renee (Fola Evans-Akingbola), Ana gets upgraded to first class.

After a mishap in the airport lounge involving William (Renaux), she gets stuck in the airplane seat next to him where they chat, flirt, and Ana gives the impression that she is the director of the New York branch of her company. After they land, they keep running into each other as Ana continues the charade at the eventual determent to their budding relationship and her career.

The love story between Ana and William is the most uninteresting part of this rom-com. It’s not entirely Mendes and Renaux’s fault when you have Lena Olin playing an eccentric and rich mother role and the great Anthony Head taking time away from playing a villain to portray a scene-stealing artist who fakes his death to make more money. Easily the best part of Upgraded, the two veteran actors are a joy to watch, whether apart or together.

Marisa Tomei is too good for the role Christine Lenig, Luke Spencer Roberts, and Justin Matthews have written for her. The firing sequence at the beginning comes off as cruel and abusive rather than fun and bitchy as we’ve seen in other romcoms. When Claire softens up, Tomei brings dimension to the role but is otherwise trying to elevate one-note lines.

Another stand-out is the underused Saoirse-Monica Jackson, who you may know from Derry Girls. Playing up the Irish sex-crazed artist, she executes the best-friend role well, despite her little screentime. I would have preferred to watch her over Ana and William who both feel like your stereotypical hetero romcom couple with forced chemistry.

Upgraded is a standard romantic comedy in every sense of the word. At a time when writers and directors are doing interesting things with classic genres, I expected more from a mundane love story about pretty people.

Prime Video is streaming Upgraded exclusively now.

Review: ‘Drift’
Cynthia Erivo Tries To Heal From Past Trauma In Anthony Chen's Measured, Powerful Drama

By
Travis Hopson
-

There’s barely a scene in Anthony Chen’s unhurried drama Drift that doesn’t feature star Cynthia Erivo. As Jacqueline, a Liberian refugee seemingly stranded on the beautiful Greek Isles, she wanders the pearly white beaches, dotted by vacationers who look nothing like her. They barely register her existence, but those who do can’t help but look at her with skepticism and barely-contained disdain. Jacqueling sometimes looks very weak, like she’s about to topple over at any moment. Only part of it has to do with the hunger rumbling in her gut, as the weight of past trauma threatens to send her spiraling downward.

Drift is not a movie for the impatient. Much of it is simply making her way through the city streets, encountering other west African migrants and keeping her wary distance from them. Occasionally, she’ll stop to give those lounging on the beaches a massage; a bit of menial work so she can have something to eat. Occasionally, flashbacks begin to fill Jacqueline’s story, but information on what she has survived rolls out slowly, deliberately, and even then it’s modest at best. We see her and her family in Liberia, a time when Jacqueline had longer hair and smiled broadly. We also see her time living with a white family in England was she received her education. But then there’s also dark memories, flashes of war parties of men and child soldiers carrying guns and blades.

Chen, the acclaimed Singaporean director behind Ilo Ilo, working from a script by Susanne Farrell and Alexander Maksik, the latter having also penned the source novel, is happy to luxuriate in the natural beauty of the locale and that of his star. It’s tough to blame him. It’s also easy to become hypnotized by the glorious visuals and relaxed pacing. The story picks up a little bit as Jacqueline befriends Callie, an American tour guide played by the always-welcome Alia Shawkat. The relationship is thinly-sketched, but it gives us a bit more narrative meat to chew on. Callie begins her association with Jacqueline initially out of concern, and that never really goes away. She sort of feels like a caretaker more than a friend, and maybe that’s what Jacqueline needs in the moment.

Drift acts as a character study of Jacqueline’s growth from past trauma, and it’s at least interesting the way Chen ponders what she truly needs to heal. But it’s also true that the film remains slight, even for a 90-minute runtime, and the lack of specificity can be frustrating. Erivo keeps you invested, though, capturing the difficulty of living in the moment when the past has become part of who you are.

Drift is open in theaters now.

Review: ‘Scrambled’
Leah McKendrick Harvests Her Eggs In This Moving And Hilarious Pro-Choice Comedy

By
Cortland Jacoby
-

In a post-Roe world, the concept of pro-choice might seem a bit crass to joke about. Films like Juno or Obvious Child make jokes but ultimately center on choices made during pregnancy. Writer, director, and star of Scambled, Leah McKendrick, takes a comedic look at an often ignored side of a pro-choice issue, egg freezing.

McKendrick plays Nellie, a 34-year-old Etsy store owner who is one year out of a tough breakup. She spends her time having dinner once a week with her mother (Laura Cerón), obnoxious and unsupportive father (Clancy Brown), and her annoying and rich brother (Andrew Santino). At the wedding of her best friend Shelia, (Ego Nwodim) Nellie speaks to Monroe (June Diane Raphael), a slightly older woman about her life. Initially envious of how Monroe got her career and family, she is quickly advised to freeze her eggs now as it looks like her love life is not in sync with her biological clock.

Getting the thousands of dollars it takes to harvest her eggs is no easy feat for Nellie who eventually gets the money from her brother in a painfully cringy scene at his office. This storyline along with the obligatory revisit with all her exes felt contrived and diverted the emotional and comedic point of the whole piece. But as the story goes on and you see the emotional and physical pain she is putting herself through, you not only fall in love with Nellie, but her journey feels more personal. McKendrick seems to hide behind crassness at the beginning of the film but learns to harness it into something powerful by the film’s end.

One thing I loved about Scrambled is that great character actors would pop in to do a scene or two and then you never see them again. Michael Welch plays a newly engaged and concerned buddy. Adam Rodriguez plays an old hookup. Yvonne Strahovski shows up as a smug and out-of-touch pregnant friend of Nellie’s. They somehow bring out more of McKendrick’s charm and serve as guides on her journey.

While Scrambled falters in the beginning, it turns into a charming, emotional, and personal film that is a joy to watch. Leah McKendrick is a force of nature on and off screen and I, for one, can’t wait to see what she does next. Lionsgate which is co-distributing the film with Roadside Attractions, doesn’t feel like the best fit for this film. I feel like a release on a streaming platform like Hulu would help it find its audience better, but whoever watches Scrambled is in for a treat.

‘High And Low’: Denzel Washington And Spike Lee Reteam For Remake Of Akira Kurosawa’s Crime Classic

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 8, 2024

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are together again. For their fifth collaboration, they’re aiming very high with a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic crime thriller, High and Low, for Apple and A24.

The original movie starred the legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune as a businessman whose plans to strongarm a business deal are upended by a kidnapping and ransom demand that puts him in a moral quandary.

Lee will not only direct but exec-produce the remake through his 40 Acres & a Mule banner. The film also reunites Washington with The Equalizer producer Todd Black.

It’s been nearly twenty years since the last time Washington and Lee teamed up. They’ve worked together previously on Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, Inside Man.

A24 plans a theatrical release for High and Low that’ll be followed by streaming on Apple TV+. [Variety]

Review: ‘How To Have Sex’
Mia McKenna-Bruce's Moving Performance Bolsters Molly Manning Walker's Consent Drama

By
Cortland Jacoby
-

Throughout cinema history, teenagers have been trying to have sex onscreen for years. Films like Superbad, Porkys, and The Todo List, look at the trope from a comedic perspective, but the genre is twisted on its head in Molly Manning Walker’s directorial debut How to Have Sex. A raw and real coming-of-age drama, the young British filmmaker looks at how societal expectations of sex and wild parties often get in the way of one’s own boundaries.

Three 16-year-old girlfriends arrive at a Greek island for a “spring break holiday” so to speak. Hundreds of teens will flock to this resort to drink, hook up, and do other debaucherous activities for a few days before returning home to sort out their futures. Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce) is a virgin determined to have sex for the first time and is not quite sure if she passed her A-levels (the British equivalent of the SATS). She is joined by her best friends, Em (Enva Lewis) and the jealous Skye (Lara Peake).

On their first day, they befriend the group nextdoor, including nice guy Paddy (Samuel Bottomley) and Badger (Shaun Thomas) with his bleached hair and plenty of tattoos. Think of a young Ryan Gosling in The Place Upon The Pines who acts like Gosling in The Notebook mixed with an everyday teenage boy. As Tara sets her eyes on him, she is pushed to hang out with Paddy by Skye which ends with them alone on the beach where unsaid boundaries are crossed.

It could be really easy for Walker’s script to feel traumatic and over the top. Instead, Tara’s inner conflict is written all over McKenna-Bruce’s expressive face, telling a story about the importance of consent but also not listening to your inner voice. While the plot isn’t anything new and the pacing is quite slow, Tara’s journey to realizing what happened to her is engaging.

I wish Em received more of a story considering she is the only person of color in the cast. Walker writes frustrating characters that lose or almost loses its audience as time goes on. But because Walker contains the plot to the moment they step off and onto the plane, How to Have Sex is concise enough to forgive most of its flaws. There’s a reason the film has become a festival darling since winning the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes: Walker’s direction is tight and raw and McKenna-Bruce’s performance is captivating.

How to Have Sex is playing in theaters Friday and will be released eventually on MUBI. Watch the trailer below.

‘Inside Out 2’ Teaser Introduces Some Anxiety Into The Mix On Game Day

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 8, 2024

Pixar is getting emotional again.

Disney, just a day after emphasizing that more sequels and franchises are the order of the day, has dropped a new teaser for one of their most anticipated sequels, Inside Out 2. The original film, released in 2015, earned more than $850M but most importantly it earned some of the best reviews ever for Pixar. And there was pretty good reason storywise to do another.

The original movie centered on 11-year-old Riley, and took us inside her mind to follow her emotions; Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, as they coped with a move into a new city and everything that comes with it. But now, Riley is a teenager and there’s a new emotion to add to the mix: Anxiety.

In this new clip, we see what happens when Riley’s hockey game gets interrupted by a hearty dose of anxiety.

Amy Poehler returns to voice Joy, joined by Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger. Tony Hale has replaced Bill Hader as Fear, while Liza Lapira has filled in for Mindy Kaling as Disgust. Stranger Things star Maya Hawke voices the newest emotion, Anxiety. There’s also a role for June Squibb that remains a mystery.

Here’s the synopsis: Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Maya Hawke lends her voice to Anxiety, alongside Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, Tony Hale as Fear, and Liza Lapira as Disgust. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters Summer 2024.

Kelsey Mann makes his feature directorial from a script by Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve. Inside Out 2 opens in theaters on June 14th.

‘Cuckoo’ Teaser: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, And Jessica Henwick Star In NEON’s Latest Horror Film

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 8, 2024

Euphoria has so many breakout stars in it that fans don’t have to worry about missing their favorite actors for too long. Obviously, you’ve got Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and even Colman Domingo out there in multiple projects. But don’t forget about Hunter Schafer, who not only had a role in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes but is set for her first horror movie with Cuckoo.

The second feature from German director Tilman Singer (Luz), who shot it in 35mm, Cuckoo stars Schafer alongside Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Jan Bluthardt, Martin Csokas, Greta Fernández, and Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey. An impressive group, to be sure.

Here’s the synopsis: Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.

Singer not only directed the film but also wrote the screenplay.

Neon has the rights and will take it to next week’s Berlin Film Festival for its world premiere, and next to SXSW.

Cuckoo will then open in theaters on May 3rd.

Ayo Edibiri Rumored To Lead New ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Film

By

Travis Hopson

-

February 8, 2024

Take this with a grain of salt because it comes from one of those alleged “scoopers”, Daniel Richtman, but this is a rumor worth keeping an eye on. The report goes that The Bear and Bottoms star Ayo Edibiri is up to lead one of Disney’s two Pirates of the Caribbean films in the works. The other with Margot Robbie attached isn’t as far along but has a script by Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson.

Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin and franchise writer Ted Elliot are working together on the other Pirates of the Caribbean film that would star Edibiri. Neither film would have any connection to the original movies led by Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, although there’s a chance one could crack open the door to his return.

For a time, Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) was reportedly eyed to lead the film when it was to focus on Redd, a character from the Disneyland theme park attraction. If those plans were ever real (they also came from a Disney scooper), they have changed to put focus on “a younger cast of pirates looking for a hidden treasure.”

Edibiri was recently attached to Marvel’s Thunderbolts but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. She was replaced by Geraldine Viswanathan.

Disney has not set a date for either Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but with Bob Iger clearly wanting more sequels and franchises, expect that to change.