Movie reviews of Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is as visually breathtaking as the first film and arguably even more impressive in its inventiveness and attention to detail in animation style and blending of these styles. Review

Though not exactly original, Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot is a relatively exciting and inspirational crowd-pleasing feel-good movie firmly focused on self-realization and, simultaneously, fighting to have your culture be seen by a significant American conglomerate with a narrow and — perhaps even close-minded — focus. Review

Yeah, perhaps it would’ve flowed somewhat better if it were broken up (and certain characters given more of a sustained presence), but, even as it is, it is quite gripping in its most important developments and sequences. Review

Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman is not the scariest Stephen King adaptation yet. Rather it is a relatively unoriginal but still competently made atmospheric scarer that will make you consider checking under your bed and inside your closet again. Review

The well-paced and relatively charming AIR is full of excessively nostalgic needle drops to keep things snazzy and engaging. Review

Davis Guggenheim’s Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a wonderfully edited tell-all about the titular star’s ups and downs that highlights what kept him grounded, how he combated his condition in the nineties, and the people who now keep him on his feet. Review

I think there is a phenomenal 90-minute music documentary here if you were to strip the touring performances and the more generic content from it, but even as it is, it is quite good precisely because it allows us to see raw moments in which the titular artist is vulnerable and honest. Review

In spite of it perhaps being a tad overlong or a little bit messy, this trilogy-capper, whose themes resonate deeply with the other two volumes, nails exactly what has always been so powerful about these films. Review

It’s not the type of biographical thriller that’ll end up nabbing Oscars, but it is far more fun to watch than your average biopic. Review

The horror elements are generic, visually unconvincing, and stale, the twists feel relatively predictable, and the film feels much too slow. Agron’s performance is fine, but, outside of the performance and the film’s message, Clock is a relatively bland and forgettable psychological horror film. Review

Dexter Fletcher’s Ghosted had all the right ingredients to make a real hit. Unfortunately, the film never comes together in a satisfying way. Review

Rather than taking the attractive premise in an exciting direction, the film goes for a romance subplot that doesn’t work and a crime family subplot that doesn’t hold your attention. Review

It is a wicked and intense horror film that doubles as a bloody entertaining pregnancy scare nightmare. Review

The very charming Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is another hit from Game Night directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who have a lot of fun with the material all the while showing a lot of affection for it. Review

Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 is, admittedly, quite long and overwhelming, but, throughout the runtime, the film’s direction, writing, stunt work, and acting keep on building and building until they’ve raised the bar to such a height that the film stands tall as one of the best and most intoxicating action films in recent memory. Review

Although Scream VI doesn’t quite live up to 2022’s entry or the first two Craven films in the series, it is still an undeniably entertaining meta-murder-mystery movie. It’s a good sequel, but it isn’t much more than that, in large part because it doesn’t have as much to say as the excellent 2022 legacyquel did. Review

Those who like to devour true crime films whole should find enough to chew on in Boston Strangler to have an exciting evening, but if you like to assess and analyze these films comparatively, you’ll quickly notice just how much it owes to David Fincher’s Zodiac, which it sometimes lifts entire scenes from. Review

This is a well-budgeted and relatively nice-looking sci-fi dinosaur B-movie concept with an excellent actor in the lead role. It is clear as day that it was reworked quite a bit and perhaps even butchered in the editing room, and there are some really questionable choices made here and there, but it is watchable. Review

As a film, it feels too much like a generic international Bond flick to truly stand out. As always, Idris Elba’s central performance ensures that even though the material is merely lukewarm some scenes absolutely sizzle. Review

While Knock at the Cabin is somewhat of a step forward for M. Night Shyamalan when compared to both Glass and Old, I would not classify it as a return to form. Review

In spite of how modern the film is, Johnson and Merrick’s Missing ultimately doesn’t feel as fresh as the previous hits that have made this gimmicky modern genre so popular (including Searching). Review

Ryan Coogler caught lightning in a bottle with the sublime first Creed film, which I don’t think either of its sequels has gotten close to being as effective as. Review

Solid performances from Winston, Mackie, Russo, and, especially, Harbour help to make this unoriginal haunted house film work relatively well. Review

Dave Franco’s Somebody I Used to Know is not as funny as it thinks it is and it isn’t as original as you may have hoped it would be. But it features a solid cast doing good and charming work, as well as fallible, realistic characters. Review