Aftermath (2024)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Aftermath (2024)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Length:  1h 37min
Rating: R
Director: Patrick Lussier
Writer: Nathan Graham Davis
Actors: Dylan Sprouse, Mason Gooding, Megan Stott, Dichen Lachman, Derek K. Moore, Jason Armani Martinez, Mark Dancewicz, Daniel Rios Jr., Ashley Pynn, Mark Pettograsso, Shahjehan Khan, Mark Irvingsen, Joshua Wolf Coleman, Will Lyman, Nick Apostolides, Jared Frenke, Tanner Zagarino, Kevin Chapman

IMDb Blurb: A returning war veteran, stricken with PTSD, unwittingly gets trapped with his teenage sister on Boston's Tobin Memorial Bridge as a heavily weaponized group of ex-military revolutionists take everyone hostage.

Cat’s Point of View:
The trailer for Aftermath intrigued me. It released in a month where there was at least one other action thriller set on a bridge. While the other film had action royalty among the cast, Aftermath looked like it just might be the more relatable of the two in terms of story. Both narratives seemed a little far-fetched, but entertainment doesn’t always have to make complete sense, right?

There was also the bonus of checking out the action chops of Dylan Sprouse (Dismissed, The Duel, Beautiful Disaster). My daughter and I have enjoyed following the Sprouse twins’ careers, considering we practically watched them grow up on TV while they worked on their Disney projects. (My daughter was a massive fan of their shows so I ended up watching it all, too.)

I am also a fan of Dichen Lachman (Altered Carbon, Jurassic World: Dominion, Severance) and have enjoyed her work, which was also a good selling point for Aftermath.

I was not disappointed with either of their performances.

This was an interesting departure from the horror genre for up-and-comer Mason Gooding (Scream VI, Fall, Heart Eyes), as well. His part in this story was a little more out-there and I think he over-sold it just a little bit. Leaning into the unhinged bad-guy certainly pushed this plot along and created tension, so I wasn’t entirely put off by it.

I was surprised to learn that this was the screenwriting debut for Nathan Graham Davis. I’m interested in seeing the stories he brings to the screen next. If this was his beginnings, I’d hope things only improve from here – and this wasn’t a bad place to start.

Was Aftermath the best offering within this genre I’ve watched in the past year? Not really, but I was buying what they were selling. The effects and prop/sets departments really did a great job blending seamlessly the elements shot on sound stages and on location. My untrained eye couldn’t tell the difference.

While Aftermath likely won’t be a film that sticks out in my memory over time, I was entertained while watching it and didn’t feel that my time had been wasted.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 17%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 5.6/10
IMDB Score – 5.1/10

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5

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:

Riddle of Fire (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Riddle of Fire (2024)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Length:  1h 53min

Rating: PG-13

Director: Weston Razooli

Writer: Weston Razooli

Actors: Lio Tipton, Charles Halford, Weston Razooli, Lorelei Olivia Mote, Austin Archer, Abigail Sakari, Phoebe Ferro, Charlie Stover, Danielle Hoetmer, Rachel Browne, Skyler Peters, Andrea Browne, Lonzo Liggins, Chuck Marra, Colleen Baum, Sohrab Mirmont, Kent Richards

Film Website: www.riddleoffirethemovie.com

 

IMDb Blurb: Three mischievous children embark on a woodland odyssey when their mother sends them on an errand.

 

Selina’s Point of View:

The trailer for Riddle of Fire was interesting if a bit cutesy. So, that’s what I was mostly expecting from the film. A cute little fairy tale, with a little-kid twist to it. Possibly with the shock value that comes with kids causing havoc and doing things you’d mostly expect from teens.

 

Instead of something simple, funny, and cute – I got something that was deep and full of whimsy. A fairy tale that had an air of danger. It was so much better than I’d even hoped. That says a lot, because it made #8 on my Top 20 movies to look out forin March. My hopes were already high.

 

I love the way Riddle of Fire was shot. There was a constant green tint that gave everything a very Celtic flair. It made the use of fairies and witches seem at home, though the magical language seemed to be Greek. It was a mash-up of lore that worked to make something that carried an ethereal feel to it.

 

There’s no way I can talk about Riddle of Fire without including my thoughts about Lio Tipton (Warm Bodies, Vengeance, Why Women Kill). I adore them. I think Tipton is extremely under-rated. They are one of those actors I would follow to just about any project. I have since Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) – despite most of their scenes in that movie being written in such a cringey way that I have to hide through the second-hand embarrassment the whole time.

 

I digress.

 

 

Lio Tipton has a range that not a whole lot of actors can boast. If you look at their early career, it seemed as if they were going to be typecast – but something sent that off the track and now you can really see how well they do just about everything. Their performance in Riddle of Fire was flawless.

 

Where kids’ acting is something I opt to only discuss in certain situations, I don’t mind talking about it here.

 

Naturally, kids are less experienced, and you need to have a different set of expectations for them. That’s just a fact. The kids in Riddle of Fire fit the feel of the film. I believed what they were selling me enough that their performances felt right for the fairy tale setting.

 

Weston Razooli (Anaxia, Jolly Boy Friday, Trials of the Red Mystic) made their full-length debut in Riddle of Fire. It’s a hell of a statement. There’s a bit of a tweak that can be made here or there, a scene that could be removed or altered, but it’s a damn fine debut. It’s high quality and feels as if a much more experienced director was at the helm. I will absolutely be looking out for more from him in the future.

 

I would recommend Riddle of Fire to anyone with a love for fairy tales.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I absolutely adored Riddle of Fire.

 

That being said, I did have a few reservations when I first watched the trailer. I wasn’t sure where the film would land on the scale of watchability or if the story would come together. I had a few questions, but I was intrigued, and very excited that we got a chance to take an early peek at Riddle of Fire to offer a review.

 

This story is a bit of a re-imagining and twist on the “kids with bikes” adventure genre. These particular kids had dirt bikes rather than traditional bicycles, and they were armed with paintball guns rather than slingshots or home-made gadgets. I appreciated this new spin.

 

I was struck with some serious nostalgia as I watched Riddle of Fire. It was a bit of a time capsule bringing me back to a time when kids had more freedom (and general safety) to roam during the summer and get into all sorts of shenanigans. We just had to be back home before dinner.

 

Riddle of Fire was whimsical with its touches of fantasy – right down to the Celtic-like font that illustrated the credits and necessary captions and even the, what sounded like, Greek (if not Greek-adjacent) words of magic. It was a tale of immortal reptiles, bandits, and nomad fairies.  There was even a challenging quest for a special potion of healing in the form of a pie, which offered an excellent framework for the adventure to unfold.

 

I loved the humor and the thrill of the hunt, as well as the potential danger that the kids found themselves in. It was a test and testimonial for their friendship. The story stirred so many heartwarming feelings. Even the way that Riddle of Fire was filmed was an excellent strategy to deliver this modern fairytale. 

 

 

The fact that Lio Tipton (Warm Bodies, Why Women Kill, Vengeance) was involved with the film was another draw for me and one of the sparks for my initial interest in this production. I’ve been a fan of theirs from figure skating to America's Next Top Model (2003-2018) and into acting. Their journey has been a joy to watch and I really appreciate the depth they brought to their character here in Riddle of Fire. I was actually intimidated by the intensity of the look in their eyes at a few points.

 

When kids are involved – especially generally fresh and untested talent – things can be a bit unpredictable and sometimes the performances don’t quite hit the right note. It's just a bit of performance roulette that comes with the territory. In this case, the lack of some polish just enhanced the wild and unsupervised freedom of these mischief makers within the story.

 

Weston Razooli (The Book of Three Snakes, Trials of the Red Mystic, Jolly Boy Friday) really knocked this out of the park as a feature film debut as writer and director. I was, frankly, surprised that this was his first full-length outing. Of course, Riddle of Fire wasn’t flawless, but that just means he has so much room to grow into his craft. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

 

Riddle of Fire will be reaching theaters with a limited release premiering Friday, March 22^nd. I’ll definitely be rooting for this movie and hope it performs well.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 89%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –None

Metascore – 49%

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – 7.0/10

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Restore Point (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Restore Point (2024)

Genre: Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi 

Length:  1h 55min 

Rating: Unrated 

Director: Robert Hloz 

Writers: Tomislav Cecka, Robert Hloz, Zdenek Jecelin

Actors: Andrea Mohylová, Matej Hádek, Milan Ondrík, Václav Neuzil, Karel Dobrý, Agáta Krystufkova, Katarzyna Zawadzka, Iveta Dusková, Jan Vlasák, Richard Stanke, Adam Vacula, Jan Jankovský 

 

IMDb Blurb: Set in central Europe during 2041, a female detective investigates the case of a murdered couple where a restoration team is able to bring one of them back to life.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View: 

I have to admit that I enjoyed Restore Point far more than I expected.

 

Let me back up a moment and explain that. I didn’t anticipate at any point that it would be bad. I just know my own attention span these days and sometimes I struggle with subtitled movies if I’m not invested enough. A film in another language needs to be one that I either understand some of, or just so engrossing for me that I forget that I’m reading the screen at the same time as I take in the actions of the characters. I have a tendency to fidget with things while I’m watching movies or TV, to help keep my ADHD busy. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really mesh well with reading subtitles – causing me to miss important moments occasionally. While I find the Slavic languages interesting to listen to, I certainly don’t speak them so that was something I had to take into consideration when I worked on my personal Top 20 list this past month. (Selina listed Restore Point as her #5 entry.)

 

 

What all that boils down to is this: I didn’t have any problems keeping up with the story and quite liked the overall arc of Restore Point. I didn’t even feel the need to fidget to keep my attention glued to the screen.

 

I adore futuristic sci-fi. It’s always fascinating to see what someone envisions for the future of technology and society as a whole – whether it’s dystopian, utopian, or somewhere in between. I don’t necessarily think that Restore Point entirely fits into a particular category such as that, but perhaps is set in a time that could be potentially leading up to a dystopian situation. I really enjoyed all of the technological facets of life that Restore Point explored – even in the background. I also have to give extra points that the electric vehicles were quiet and electric-sounding, as well. I’ve seen too many issues recently where there’s supposed to be an EV on the screen and someone has layered in the vrooming noises of a gas engine shifting through its various gears.

 

 

I’ve heard that Restore Point has been compared to Logan’s Run (1976) and Minority Report (2002). I’d agree that there are elements that you could cherry pick from those films that would come close to what was within the Restore Point narrative, however, this film is not a derivative of either. If we’re making comparisons, though, I feel that Altered Carbon (2018-2020) also needs to be in the conversation. That being said, the Altered Carbon series explores that very dystopian future that could result from the technology explored here. Restore Point has some similar themes with backups and restoration, but that’s where you have to draw the line. This was a fresh story, and I appreciated that.

 

 

The visuals within Restore Point were also amazing. The futuristic architecture was stunning and gave a nice contrast to the historical structures that date back hundreds of years, even now.

 

Restore Point worked well as a futuristic crime procedural with elements of intrigue and an exploration of moral gray areas and existential crisis. The stakes were clear and the sense of urgency to solve the case before events caught up brought plenty of suspense. I thought the ending was well done and I was smiling when the credits rolled.

 

Restore Point will be releasing in theaters nationwide on Thursday, February 8, 2024.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None 

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None 

Metascore – 74% 

Metacritic User Score – None 

IMDB Score – 6.6/10 

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5 

Trust the Dice: Parental Rating –PG-13

 

Movie Trailer: