Movie reviews of Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

Twisters is an exciting Hollywood blockbuster disaster film that is packed with pretty much everything you could ask for, including a super entertaining performance from one of Hollywood’s rising stars, who manages to give the film a needed boost of energy and charisma right when it starts to feel too much like a retread. Review

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a messy end to the DCEU. It features a jumbled overall narrative, a bunch of actors that have been wasted, a tonal mishmash, and so many jokey references to better superhero films that it ends up feeling like the film is shooting itself in its own foot — or, should I say, fin? Review

The key strengths of A Quiet Place: Day One are the core performances, its moments of great poignancy and beauty, and the ways this film feels connected to the sensibilities of its primary filmmaker, Michael Sarnoski. Admittedly, I don’t think it comes close to being as effective as the first film in the series... Review

Despite its well-trodden narrative elements and its overall predictability, Gareth Edwards’ The Creator succeeds thanks to touching character moments, a capable cast, great sci-fi action filmmaking, and jaw-droppingly good visuals. Review

An extremely entertaining and charming romantic dark comedy... Review

It is a biblical and mythological revenge coming-of-age saga soaked in gasoline that includes intriguing and important politics, gorgeous visuals, great performances, and memorable set-pieces. Review

But despite its structure and its obvious and convenient ending, I will say that I did enjoy this a fair bit. Although I do think the narrative underserved David Corenswet, I thought Lucy Boynton and Justin H. Min brought a charming and realistic on-screen presence... Review

It’s a more than worthy sequel with breathtaking VFX and action, as well as a gripping narrative. Review

The Fall Guy works as a tribute to stunt work. But the film also works wonderfully as an engaging and likable action-comedy romance by allowing its stars to do what they do best. It also happens to be arguably David Leitch’s best work as a solo film director. Review

It is an exhilarating film from start to finish whose only false notes are the overwhelming amount of times it jumps around in its non-linearly unfolding narrative. Review

It is a film where I have complex feelings about its intentions and its deliberate vagueness, but, at the same time, it is also undeniable, at least to me, that it features great filmmaking and performances that, along with its thought-provoking aspects, help to make it one of the most memorable films of the year thus far. Review

Doug Liman’s Road House remake is by no means offensively bad, and I can understand if a lot of people will have fun with it as a disposable popcorn movie. But fans of the original will probably struggle with the additions and exclusions to the original narrative. Review

Betttinelli-Olpin and Gillett definitely understood the comedy inherent in the premise, and the film works as another example of them carving themselves their own little corner of modern horror filmmaking in America. Review

Peter Farrelly’s Ricky Stanicky has a terrible title and some contemptible main character behavior, but it also includes a titular character performed so well that it singlehandedly saves the movie. Review

Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a fun but hollow monster mash-up. Review

This is a film that is occasionally quite funny and which features several enjoyable performances, but which is also blatantly overstuffed. Review

Quicksand is an unconvincing, boring, and poorly executed dud. I hope that the filmmakers and actors land on their feet after this and get to do something that better highlights their talents. Review

Looking back at Nightwatch, Ole Bornedal’s English-language remake of the Danish horror favorite Nattevagten, it is, on its own, a relatively unremarkable horror-thriller film albeit with a surprisingly stellar cast, who were saddled with this unfortunate mishap. Review

David Lynch’s Dune adaptation is a fascinating misfire that can, however, still be somewhat enjoyed as a curiosity, even though it is somewhat of a mess. Review

While it makes for a relatively decent star vehicle for Millie Bobby Brown, this film, which is built around a jarringly lip-glossed-up fantasy heroine, is not riveting or original enough to overcome its issues. Review

All of Us Strangers is a gorgeously realized, supremely well-acted, emotionally intelligent, eye-opening, and empathetic film. Review

While the ingredients may work on paper — or in theory — in execution, it is a fairly dull and generic affair, with the arachnid being one of the only distinctive elements about it. Review

Dune: Part Two is epic transportive science-fiction filmmaking of the highest order. Review

A disturbing vortex of darkness obscured by mundanity, it is an impressive, masterful, and powerful piece of art filmmaking but if you think it sounds hellish or repetitive, then you’re not exactly wrong. Review