Clown in a Cornfield (2025)

Streaming Service:  Shudder / AMC+
Movie Name/Year: Clown in a Cornfield (2025)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Dark Comedy
Length:  1h 36min
Rating: R
Director: Eli Craig
Writers: Carter Blanchard, Eli Craig, Adam Cesare
Based On: novel "Clown in a Cornfield" by Adam Cesare
Actors: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso, Cassandra Potenza, Verity Marks, Ayo Solanke, Alexandre Martin Deakin, Catherine Wreford, Daina Leitold, Jean-Jacques Javier, Noah Craig, Heath Vermette, Bradley Sawatzky, Jeff Strome, Dylan McEwan, Kaitlyn Bacon, Blake Taylor, Anders Strome, Samantha Hutchings, Robert Borges, BJ Verot, Darren Ross, Krystle Snow, Alan Castanaga

Shudder Blurb: Quinn and her father have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play.

Aaron Abrams and Katie Douglas in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

Selina’s Point of View:
Fifteen years.

Fifteen long years since Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) and I still recognized the flavor of Clown in a Cornfield. I wouldn’t have been able to name writer/director Eli Craig from memory, but I knew I recognized the feel of the flick.

When we first saw Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, I fell in love immediately. Nothing about it was anything I’d ever seen before, and the humor was deliciously dark. I saw bits of that here.

I’ll admit, the beginning didn’t have me hopeful. It felt very Friday the 13th (1980). Like it would be following an overused slasher recipe from start to finish.

Craig is creative with that kind of thing, though. He has a recipe. He follows the recipe. From whatever different angle he can find. In this case, the recipe was followed through the eyes of the new teen norms.

Verity Marks, Cassandra Potenza, and Katie Douglas in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

I’m a Millennial. Cat’s a Gen X. When we were in high school the world was different and that showed in our movies. Bullies took aim at anyone even remotely different. Parents were removed and indifferent to their kids. Teens were all sex-crazed maniacs. You know all the tropes and, if you don’t, watch Scream (1996). It lays them all out for you.

Clown in a Cornfield knows what you expect. It uses that. It even provides a prologue from the 1990s to set you up for all the expectations it wants you to have. Then it looks at the familiar slasher stories we all know so well through the eyes of the next generation. The kids that are growing up with more tolerance and parents that go to therapy.

I thought I had the story down by about a quarter of the way through. I wrote down my predictions in my notes and waited for them to come true. Only one did and not in the way I expected.

Clown in a Cornfield was fun. It was everything you want from a slasher and somehow not at all what you expect.

I don’t know much, if anything, about the projects Eli Craig has headed since 2010, but if he gives the rest of his work the same unique perspective as Clown in a Cornfield and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, then I’m guessing they’re worth a watch too. 

Kevin Durand in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been eagerly anticipating Clown in a Cornfield since I had a lovely chat with Kevin Durand (The Strain, Locke & Key, Abigail) at Geek’d Con last summer. He’d mentioned the film as one of his upcoming projects. Of course, he couldn’t say anything else other than he was in it – and I’m glad for the lack of spoilers for this one. As usual, Durand didn’t disappoint.

Once I looked a little further into the production info available at the time, I couldn’t help but notice that Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Brothers & Sisters, Little Evil) was directing. I didn’t expect this corn-fed slasher spree to duplicate the brilliant lightning in a bottle that was Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010). I did, however, feel it was a reasonable hope that if Craig pulled off one of my favorite movies of all time as his horror genre debut, the chances were going to be good I’d enjoy Clown in a Cornfield.

The title alone is worth some giggles – especially when you realize it’s somewhat of a modern twist on a throwback teen slasher. You know, where the teens are all the ones getting slashed.

I enjoyed how the Clown in a Cornfield paid homage to the slasher villain staples from Scream (1996) and Friday the 13^th (1980) through Halloween (1978) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), among others. There were laughs sprinkled through the tension. While this bloody fun ride didn't have the obvious elements of the near 4^th-wall breaking of some modern elevated horror, I did enjoy how Clown in a Cornfield poked fun at generation gaps and some of the tried-and-true clichés. It subverted expectations and when I thought I had it figured out, there was a twist out of left field.

Will Sasso and Carson MacCormac in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

If you’re thinking to yourself that the Terrifier (2016) franchise has the killer clown sub-genre market cornered, think again. Frendo certainly isn’t Art the Clown, but neither of them is IT’s (1990 or 2017) Pennywise, either. There’s plenty of room at the Slasher Circus.

Aside from aforementioned Durand, I was generally pleased with the overall cast here, as well. There was a good mix of fresh faces with recognizable ones. Katie Douglas (Level 16, Mary Kills People, Lazareth) was absolutely a stand-out. I was also happy to see Aaron Abrams (The Lovebirds, Code 8: Part II, Children Ruin Everything) here too. (Abrams was actually one of the very few cast members that was in all 3 of the Code 8 productions, from the Kickstarter proof of concept short in 2016 through both movies starting with Code 8 (2019). I digress…)

What I didn’t realize at the outset of this bloody adventure through corn country was that Clown in a Cornfield was based on a novel. There is, in fact, a series of books featuring our friend Frendo. I am curious as to whether or not we’ll get to see more of them come to life in sequels.

For now, however, you can find Clown in a Cornfield on Shudder/AMC+ beginning Friday, August 8^th.

Frendo the Clown in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 73%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –57%
Metascore – 55%
Metacritic User Score – 5.0/10
IMDB Score – 5.6/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

Movie Trailer:

Bloody Axe Wound (2024)

Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Bloody Axe Wound (2024)
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Length:  1h 23min
Rating: R
Director: Matthew John Lawrence
Writers: Matthew John Lawrence
Actors: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Burke, Sari Arambulo, Matt Hopkins, Jeff Riddle, Eddie Leavy, Jaden Slater, Sage Spielman, Lizzy Cenicola, Jahdey Wright, Molly Brown, Angel Theory, Margot Anderson-Song, Taylor Watson Seupel, Chet Siegel, David Littleton

IMDb Blurb: Abbie Bladecut's family business, a video store, has thrived by disposing of teenagers to mimic horror movies. As the first female slasher, she battles gender bias while realizing the harsh realities behind the mass murders.

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been intrigued by the trailers for Bloody Axe Wound. I got the vibe that it would be a nostalgic ode to the slasher genre with a splash of family dynamic and a little coming-of-age on the side.

I wouldn’t say that Bloody Axe Wound didn’t deliver those elements. It was successful in its own odd way in ticking off all of those check boxes. It was just… missing something.

Nevermind the plot holes big enough to drive a bus through, the production was just lacking something I can’t quite put my finger on.

All of the acting was pretty spot on, though. I wish there was more screen time for Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Rampage, Supernatural, The Walking Dead), but I did get a kick out of his trademark sadistic glee in the brief time he was there. Billy Burke (Revolution, Batman: The Long Halloween, Fire Country) was a great choice for the slasher dad. I also loved seeing Angel Theory (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Kinderfanger, The Walking Dead) playing another signing character here, and she had some sick dance moves.

I also think that this had the potential to be real break out roles for Sari Arambulo (Abby Normal, A.P. Bio, The L Word: Generation Q) and Molly Brown (Senior Year, Evil, Dexter: Original Sin). I just don’t know if the overall production did them justice.

Overall, I was entertained by Bloody Axe Wound. I appreciated the scattered references to 80s movies – whether it be slashers or coming-of-age classics.

While I wouldn’t generally watch this movie again, I wouldn’t steer anyone away from it that is interested in watching. Just take this B-movie with a grain of salt. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 27%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –58%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 2.3/10
IMDB Score – 5.0/10
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

Movie Trailer:

Brothers (2024)

 

 

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime

Movie Name/Year: Brothers (2024)

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Length: 1h 29min

Rating: R

Director: Max Barbakow

Writers: Etan Cohen, Macon Blair

Actors: Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, M. Emmet Walsh, Jen Landon, Brendan Fraser, Glenn Close, Gralen Bryant Banks, Andrew Joseph Brodeur, Margo Moorer, Brooks Indergard, Jonathan Aidan Cockrell, Joshua Mikel, Marisa Tomei

 

IMDb Blurb: Two criminal twin brothers, one who is trying to reform, embark on a dangerous heist road trip. Facing legal troubles, gunfights, and family drama, they must reconcile their differences before their mission leads to self-destruction.

 

 

Selina’s Point of View:

Our first movie back and we are faced with Brothers, starring Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage.

 

From the moment I saw the trailer for Brothers, I was all in. Both Brolin and Dinklage are fantastic actors, and the latter is one of my favorites. Both of them have huge range and can pull off anything from a gentle good guy to a bad-ass bad guy. I figured, if there was any issue, it would be in the chemistry between them.

 

However, the chemistry was fantastic. The way they were at each other’s throat felt familial. It made the family connection much easier to believe. When paired up across from Brendan Fraser, it was a match made in heaven.

 

 

I’ll admit that the comedy was on the 13-year-old side of humor. It isn’t trying to make people think – it’s definitely more of a turn-your-brain-off kind of film. After two months of holidays, however, isn’t that all what we need? A little light laughter and dirty fun? Let the stress of the season fade into the background...

 

 Brothers is not going to be for everyone, but I laughed. There were some good aspects to the script, fun pop-culture references, and decent callbacks. It’s a fun film. Best watched with friends.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

When you tell me that the cast for a movie includes Brendan Fraser (No Sudden Move, Killers of the Flower Moon, Doom Patrol), Peter Dinklage (American Dreamer, The Thicket, Wicked), Josh Brolin (Deadpool 2, Dune: Part One, Outer Range), Glenn Close (3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Swan Song, The Deliverance), & Marisa Tomei (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Upgraded, High Tide) you really don't have to say anything else. I'm already going to be chomping at the bit to see that film. It's even better when a powerhouse cast such as this takes part in a production within a genre I enjoy.

 

Crime caper movies that bring in elements of comedy to go with the action tend to be a lot of fun.

 

The trailer had me chuckling and I wanted to see how everything played out with this pair of mismatched twins and their dysfunctional situation. Brothers took a similar aesthetic concept such as Twins (1988) and turned it on its head a bit with the comedy-heist theme.

 

 

I enjoyed the chemistry between Dinklage and Brolin. They had me 100% sold that they were siblings at odds.

 

Whenever I see Brendan Fraser on a screen, I generally just want to give him a hug. His character in Brothers was definitely not what I was expecting, but I'm not mad about it at all.

 

Honestly, I wish I liked it more than I do. I can't even put my finger on why Brothers just wasn't firing on all cylinders for me. Don't get me wrong, though. The performances were solid, it was an entertaining experience, and even kept my attention in spite of the gloomy rainy and wintry weather. That, in itself, is a bit of a feat while I'm still recovering energy reserves following a hectic holiday season.

 

What I would say, however, to anyone that is amused by the trailer but is on the fence regarding watching Brothers is this: give it a shot.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 44%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –40%

Metascore – 50%

Metacritic User Score – 4.1/10

IMDB Score – 5.4/10

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Killer Countdown - 3 From Hell (2019)

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Movie Name/Year: 3 from Hell (2019)
Genre: Action, Horror
Length: 1h 55min
Rating: R
Director: Rob Zombie
Writer: Rob Zombie
Actors: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Richard Brake, Emilio Rivera, Dee Wallace, Clint Howard, Daniel Roebuck, Wade Williams, Sean Whalen, Danny Trejo, Barry Bostwick, Pancho Moler, Chaz Bono

IMDb Blurb: After barely surviving prison, the demented Firefly clan go on the run, unleashing a whole new wave of murder, madness and mayhem.

Cat’s Point of View:
3 From Hell is a little more “mainstream” than most of the other movies in our Killer Countdown, but it can't be denied that its writer and director Rob Zombie (Halloween II, 31, The Munsters) is known for work that is bonkers, chilling, provocative, and darkly comedic. What more could you want for the spooky season, right?

This movie is the final chapter in a trilogy that also includes House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005). Both films and their events are heavily referenced throughout 3 from Hell. If you haven't seen those other films first, I'm afraid you'll get quite a lot of spoilers as well as likely not quite get all the...dare I say, nuance, of these psychotic family members.

I will have to admit that I fall somewhat in the latter category, as I am afraid I have been procrastinating on watching The Devil's Rejects. I have seen the initial movie in this trilogy, however, so I wasn't entirely lost. I will say, however, that there's enough mocumentary-type build-up in the beginning of the film that it did generally fill in some of the blanks.

3 From Hell doesn't hit as many hardcore horror notes as House of 1000 Corpses did. It plays out more like an action thriller with horror elements of the occasional spattering of blood and gore. I wasn't necessarily disappointed with this, though it was not exactly what I was expecting. I had been hoping for something a little more chilling than this bonkers cross between trippy, gritty, and brutal dark comedy and mocumentary. I liked it all the same.

Aside from the core cast members of Zombie's wife and muse Sheri Moon Zombie (Toolbox Murders, Halloween, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto), Bill Moseley (Prisoners of the Ghostland, Hayride to Hell, Stream), Jeff Daniel Phillips (The Gifted,. The Munsters, Christmas Bloody Christmas), and the late Sid Haig (Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Halloween, Bone Tomahawk), there were quite a few that I was excited to see here.

Though, before I get into those familiar faces, I must note that I feel that this film was a little lacking for the absence of more plot involving Haig's Captain Spaulding. Unfortunately, Haig's declining health required a bit of re-tooling of the script, and I feel that even though something felt missing that they gave him a proper cinematic send-off. It was the right call, however, as he, in a sad twist of fate, passed away within a week or so of the film's release.

Zombie was able to work in Richard Brake (Game of Thrones, Bingo Hell, Barbarian) to round out the titular trio, without Spaulding available, and I think his energy was a great addition to this ensemble. Brake's most memorable roles tend to be his unhinged villains. He fit right in here with this completely unhinged family dynamic. Dee Wallace (The Lords of Salem, 9-1-1, Stream) can actually be found in quite a few of Zombie's movies – quite the juxtaposition to her earlier work in the genre and even as the wholesome mom in E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982). I was rather amused that none other than the O.G. Brad Majors, Barry Bostwick (American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules, Love by Drowning, Daruma), was offering narration. Clint Howard's (The Funhouse Massacre, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Old Way) character both made me giggle and feel the pangs of remorse for my amusement at his character's tragedy. My daughter and I both practically pointed to the screen and called out “MACHETE!” when we saw Danny Trejo (American Underdog, Big City Greens, Seven Cemeteries). Last, but certainly not least, we really enjoyed seeing Emilio Rivera (Sons of Anarchy, Mayans M.C., Dante's Hotel) as well.

While 3 From Hell wasn't exactly what I was expecting, it was crazy fun that especially highlighted the extreme level of batshit of Sheri Moon Zombie's character, Baby Firefly. The actual insane gleeful abandon of that character drives the plot and actually offers a few genuinely touching moments.

I can't say that 3 From Hell is a movie that I would want to return to in the future, it did make me want to go back and watch the film in the middle of the events, The Devil's Rejects. If you're a fan of Zombie's work and the other movies in this trilogy, I would definitely recommend giving this one a shot to round out your experience, if you haven't already. If you're new to Zombie's work, then maybe start at the beginning first. Either way, you're in for a wild ride.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 57%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 55%
Metascore – 50%
Metacritic User Score – 4.6/10
IMDB Score – 5.4/10

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

Movie Trailer:

Clawfoot (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Clawfoot (2024)
Genre: Thriller
Length: 1h 27min
Rating: MA15+
Director: Michael Day
Writer: April Wolfe
Actors: Francesca Eastwood, Milo Gibson, Olivia Culpo, Oliver Cooper, Nestor Carbonell
 
Blurb: An upper-class housewife is tormented by a manipulative contractor, hired to remodel her bathroom.

 

 

Selina’s Point of View:

Clawfoot is marketed as a thriller, but the comedy MAKES this film.

 

The first half hour of Clawfoot I wondered if the bits of comedy were intentional or not. If intentional, it was a nice mix of subtle and overt. If unintentional – it would have felt a bit more on the cringe side. It took a while before it made enough sense for me to realize just how intentional it was.

 

Once I got to that point, there was no looking back. I was invested. Somewhere between thoroughly thrilled and laughing my ass off. The characters were ridiculous but in a fun way, and the story took a left turn I honestly didn't expect.

 

 

Francesca Eastwood (Old, Attention Attention, M.F.A.) and Olivia Culpo (Paradise City, I Feel Pretty, The Other Woman) were outstanding as the clueless duo, and Milo Gibson (The Outpost, Hacksaw Ridge, Breaking & Exiting) was just disturbing enough to keep the creepy aura flowing. Whereas Oliver Cooper (Californication, Mindhunter, The Ultimate Playlist of Noise) did a great job as the only character I ever truly felt bad for. The four of them had to have been the dream cast for director Michael Day (Sisters, The News Tank, Amber). If not initially, then definitely by the time editing was done.

 

Clawfoot is a trip.

 

Clawfoot will be available for digital download on September 23.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

 

It took me a few to stop simply staring at my screen with a “what the fuck” expression painted across my face once the credits for Clawfoot rolled.

 

I did not get what I expected from this movie. Rather than an edge-of-the-seat thriller, it was more of a dark comedy thrill ride. There was a lot of tension and the production team really played with the slow burn of suspense at the start, but the pops of unexpected disturbing comedic moments made all the second-guessing at the beginning well worth it.

 

Clawfoot's trailer intrigued me. I wanted to know more about this invasive brute of a contractor and why events were unfolding how they did. There were moments that I thought for sure that I knew what was about to happen, only for the story to flip the script on me. Once the initial surprise happened, I thought I had it all figured out again, and then the twist took Clawfoot on a hard left turn and I was left siting here with my jaw dropped for a minute.

 

 

I had gotten a good feel for how the chemistry on screen would play out between Francesca Eastwood and Milo Gibson as the opposing sides of this narrative, and I'm thrilled to report that it's actually even better than the snippets in the teaser allude to. Gibson gives off the squirmy edge of malevolence under the veneer of jaunty conversation and 'oh gosh' helpful contractor guy. Olivia Culpo exceeded my expectations, as well.

 

I'm going to date myself again, but the friendship between Culpo and Eastwood's characters reminded me a lot of a morally bankrupt modern version of Romy and Michelle from Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997).

 

This might not be one you'll watch over and over again, but Clawfoot is definitely worth the initial experience. As the feature directorial debut for Michael Day. I'd say that he has a great start in the driver's seat and I can't wait to see what he cooks up next. I am glad that I had Clawfoot on our Top 20 article for this month.

 

You can check Clawfoot out for yourself when it becomes available for DigitalDownload beginning September 23^rd.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –62%

Metascore – None

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – 4.7/10

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

 

Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – R

 

P.S. - There is a brief mid-credits scene.

 

Movie Trailer:

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Superhero, Sci-Fi

Length: 2h 8min

Rating: R

Director: Shawn Levy

Writers: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy, Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza

Actors: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Dafne Keen, Jon Favreau, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, Wunmi Mosaku, Aaron Stanford, Tyler Mane, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, Stefan Kapicic, Randal Reeder, Lewis Tan, Nicholas Pauley, Aaron W Reed, Ray Park, Blake Lively, Inez Reynolds, Nathan Fillion, Matthew McConaughey, Olin Reynolds, Paul Mullin, Peggy the Dog, Alex Kyshkovych

 

IMDb Blurb: Deadpool is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I have been craving another cinematic Deadpool fix ever since the credits rolled on Deadpool 2 (2018). The next movie just couldn't get here fast enough. Then out of the blue, Ryan Reynolds (Free Guy, Red Notice, The Adam Project) released the teaser ad where he nonchalantly asked Hugh Jackman (Real Steel, Rise of the Guardians, The Greatest Showman) if he would come back to play Wolverine one more time and I've been fairly bouncing in my seat with anticipation ever since. Marvel could churn out an endless number of Deadpool movies and I wouldn't care if they were just cash-grabs; as long as Reynolds was involved with the creative direction and continuing taking on the role of the titular snarky, quick-witted, irreverent character.

 

Then there's Wolverine. He's one of my top 3 favorite X-Men of all time. He shares the top spots for my fangirling with Rogue and Gambit. I've been a fan of Wolvie longer, though. I have core memories of getting into my dad's comic stash when I was little (we're talking 1^st or 2^nd grade here) and they were primarily X-Men issues. I think I actually cried when I saw an issue where Wolverine was in a hospital bed for some reason. (Don't ask me what issue or the rest of the plot as to WHY, but I think that Storm and Lady Deathstrike were also in that issue? I haven't tried to look that one up in forever and that was over 30 years ago so...) I digress.

 

 

In any case, when you get the team-up of the century, it warrants a cinematic experience. We went to the theater for Deadpool & Wolverine as a family, as part of my daughter's 21^st birthday celebrations. We all loved it. Give us more. Of course, it was also mid-August at this point and I had already been spoiled on the majority of the “secret” cameos, too but I didn't care.

 

Speaking of which, we here at Trust the Dice do our best to offer you spoiler-free reviews. There are some occasions where spoilers are very hard to avoid, however. Deadpool & Wolverine hit screens on July 26^th and we were in theater seats on August 14^th, and I had been thoroughly spoiled on quite a bit without even trying. In fact, I had done almost my best to avoid any and all spoilers because I wanted to be surprised regarding the cameos, etc. Unfortunately, even with dodging social media posts and avoiding TikTok and the like, I still ran into them. I said “almost” because I was eagerly partaking of the media whirlwind that Jackman and Reynolds went on to promote the movie. I watched so many interviews and their promo-spots appearing on things like Hot Ones (2015-) because that duo is just heartwarmingly hilarious with their playful rivalry and friendship. At one point, the spoiling became inevitable because “it had been out [in theaters] long enough.”

 

 

That being said, I'm going to offer a summary of my experience here, spoiler free before I delve into the spoilers, so you can skip the spoily section if you have managed thus far to avoid them (and if you have, bless you, your patience, and I'm jealous of your luck).

 

The action was vicious, bloody, and glorious – as expected for this R-rated superhero mashup. The characters of Deadpool and Wolverine both are very violent and by nature pull no punches, verbally or otherwise. This was the time that everything came together to set both of them off of the leash that the earlier X-Men movies had required for rating purposes.

 

I loved the story, as well. It was fun to see this dynamic duo explore the multiverse courtesy the Time Variance Authority, or TVA. If you aren't a fan of spoilers, though, and haven't watched the Loki (2021-2023) series yet, you'll want to do that before you delve into Deadpool & Wolverine. Some of the elements of this story will definitely spoil some of that series if you haven't already watched it. Further, it's not a must to have seen it to understand Deadpool & Wolverine, but it helps explain some of the fine nuances in the film that there wasn't explanatory exposition about. It generally helps to be up-to-date with MCU stuff because they do love to weave in little nuggets that underscore how everything is connected between all the various individual superheroes and stories. It's not mandatory in order to enjoy this movie, however. Further, you'll also want to be caught up-to-date on the Deadpool movies in general, as there are events touched on in Deadpool & Wolverine that call back to events from Deadpool 2.

 

 

Deadpool & Wolverine was also very respectful to the narrative that had come before for the cinematic version of Wolverine – particularly in regards to the events in Logan (2017). Hell, this movie was just flat-out respectful to the character of Wolverine in general. Can we talk about the classic yellow & blue suit? Verbal jabs from the banter in the early X-Men movies aside, I've been hoping they would eventually bring that out of the proverbial mothballs. It was worth the wait.

 

I was also intrigued by Deadpool & Wolverine's villain, Casasndra Nova, played by Emma Corrin (The Crown, A Murder at the End of the World, Good Grief). The way she used her powers occasionally just made me want to squirm in my seat from 'the ick.' It was a powerful performance... not to pun.

 

 

Also, as usual, this latest Deadpool movie remains true to the character's prolific use of 4th-wall breaking. It wouldn't be Deadpool if it didn't happen, to be honest. Between all of the squee-inducing moments of cameo-induced bliss (and they're some heavy duty cameos, let me tell you) and the multiverse laden plot, Deadpool & Wolverine is a wild, raunchy, and action-packed ride. I'd say most audiences would agree, considering the high ratings across multiple sites that track such things and the over 1.2 billion dollar box office (as of September 1^st, 2024).

 

The magical duo of Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Free Guy, Stranger Things) and Ryan Reynolds has resulted in some of my favorite movies out of the last few years. I want...no, need more.

 

With all that out of the way – here comes the spoiler section.

 

If you don't want to see them, scroll real fast down to the bottom.

 

 

Here we go.

 

The cameos were a huge part of what made Deadpool & Wolverine amazing for me. Some of them were just fun, like seeing Ray Park (Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Accident Man) reprise his role as Toad just for a few seconds or the original Sabretooth, Tyler Mane (Halloween II, Jupiter's Legacy, Doom Patrol) – both from the OG X-Men (2000) movie.

 

Others were more integral to the story, such as B-17, the time agent from Loki played by Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country, Loki, Scavengers Reign). It was also a real treat to get to see Jennifer Garner (Peppermint, Yes Day, The Adam Project) reprise Elektra without any of the baggage from the mixed reviews from Daredevil (2003) or Elektra (2005). Here, she was just able to be a badass. I'm also a fan of the new guy that has stepped into the modern version of the character Blade, but Wesley Snipes (The Player, Dolemite Is My Name, True Story) is my Blade dating back to the Blade (1998) trilogy. His movies were what started it all for the MCU. Before that, DC had really been the one that had reigned at the box office. I was giddy – yes, giddy – I tell you when I learned he would be joining this cast to reprise his iconic role.. and I was not disappointed at all.

 

 

But the whole reason why I couldn't hold my spoilers in was Channing Tatum (The Lost City, Fly Me to the Moon, Blink Twice) as Gambit. Tatum, and really the whole world, was cheated when Fox was acquired by Disney and shelved his Gambit movie. I'd been waiting for that for years. His outstanding performance in Deadpool & Wolverine as the card-tossing and staff-wielding ragin' Cajun is proof positive that he absolutely 100% can pull off that character and make a stand-alone movie bankable. I certainly hope that the mouse house has woken up and decides to dust cobwebs off of that movie and resurrect it from production hell so we can see it in all its glory. Further, they should tap Levy to help Tatum bring it to the screen. Seriously. He even got the accent right. Yes, right. I'm from Louisiana and I've got family in the southern part of the state that talks just like Gambit does. I can spot a fake “Cajun” accent a mile away, and he nailed it.

 

 

I like Taylor Kitsch (Only the Brave, 21 Bridges, The Terminal List) as an actor just fine. They did him – and the character of Gambit – dirty in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). That was not the Gambit we needed. Channing Tatum's Gambit was. (The only other one I've seen come close was a 20 minute short called Gambit: Playing for Keeps (2020), featuring world champion martial artist Nick Bateman (Hobo With a Shotgun, The Perception, Airplane Mode) and Eric Roberts (Heroes, The Dark Knight, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). (As an aside, Bateman had also worked on a previous Gambit short of only 4 minutes in length and the 20 minute one seems to be its sequel, given the reprised roles of both Gambit and Rogue.)

 

Without going too far down that rabbit hole, my point is that I love that character. I want to see justice done for that character, and Channing Tatum's version of that character was the closest I've seen outside of the original animated X-Men (1992-1997) voiced by Chris Potter (Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues, The Pacifier, Heartland) and the admirable job in X-Men '97 (2024-) by A.J. LoCascio (The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, Gremlins: Secrets oft he Mogwai, The Croods: Family Tree). Channing Tatum is the live-action Gambit we need. Period. Let's make it happen already. With the set-up already in place with the mutliverse, there's zero reason why it shouldn't.

 

 

So there we have it.

 

Spoilers are over as of here. Don't read above this line if you want to keep yourself in the dark on all the glorious cameos I mentioned. (I also left out some big ones, but I don't want to touch them because they are more glorious in the moment and you're just going to have to see them for yourself!)

 

I would watch Deadpool & Wolverine again in a heartbeat, and am somewhat impatiently biding my time for it to reach streaming platforms so I can do that very thing.. a few times... at least. If you're even slightly a fan of the MCU or these characters, Deadpool & Wolverine is a must-see.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 79%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –95%

Metascore – 56%

Metacritic User Score – 7.7/10

IMDB Score – 8.0/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

 

P.S. - There is a post-credits scene, as well as a closing montage.

 

Movie Trailer: