Movie reviews of Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

The Force may not have been strong with J. J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker, the low-point in the sequel trilogy, but it works just well enough for me to feel good about recommending it. Review

6 Underground is Michael Bay’s violent, no-holds-barred interpretation of the Fast & Furious and Mission: Impossible-franchises, and, while it is not as entertaining as either of those franchises, 6 Underground works just well enough to make me even a little bit interested in a potential sequel. Review

Though by no means unique, I think that Marriage Story is a masterpiece and one of the very best films of the year. Review

Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir is an arthouse favorite that will not be accessible to most modern audiences. I am fascinated by this film, and I do admire a number of things about it, but I cannot recommend it. Review

This is a suspenseful, surprising, sharp, and side-splitting film. Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is filled to the brim with gloriously eye-catching production design and set decoration, witty, modern, and surprisingly political dialogue, and a star-studded cast having the time of their lives. It is a riveting and glorious crowdpleaser that is probably going to be regarded as one of the year’s most rewatchable films. Review

Thanks to Adam Driver's performance’s effective fits of frustration and righteous disbelief, Driver alone makes the information dumps fairly gripping. Review

Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is a mournful knockout. It is a reflective masterpiece with a sobering and sometimes both remorseful and tension-filled final hour... Review

James Mangold has crafted a funny, loving, and surprisingly moving film about fathers, sons, friends, colleagues, and mavericks. It is an almost irresistible film, and I have no problem admitting that I ate it all up. Ford v Ferrari is one of my favorite films of the year. Review

Though there are some nice and affecting new ideas in the plot Klaus feels formulaic precisely because the main character’s arc is terribly predictable and obvious. However, I do think that Sergio Pablos’ Klaus is one of the best-looking animated films of the year. It won’t blow you away, but it might warm your heart. Review

The visual effects are spotty and disappointing. But the biggest problems with this film originate from the script and the editing stages of production. The characters that Emmerich clearly wants to celebrate are all one-dimensional and indistinguishable. Review

Todd Douglas Miller’s Apollo 11 is really impressive. It’s a short and sweet but awe-inspiring documentary. Review

Although there may be some structural issues, this is a great crowdpleaser that succeeds in blending Soderbergh’s Magic Mike with the popular crime films from Martin Scorsese. Review

Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep is a satisfying sequel that succeeds despite the fact that Flanagan had to combine two storytellers’ distinctly different visions. Review

The plot may be thin and the Little Rock subplot is not as engaging as it maybe should be, but Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Zoey Deutch make sure this return to Zombieland is pleasant and amusing. Review

Tim Miller’s film is an underwhelming, unimaginative, and formulaic but serviceable sequel in a franchise that has been run into the ground and might as well be terminated. Review

This film rests entirely on Zellweger’s shoulders, but while it is true that her outstanding performance is compelling, she can only do so much to save the film, and, sadly, it wasn’t enough for me. Review

I think this is a crowd-pleasing and compelling but conventional tribute to an influential artist, actor, and comedian who I knew very little about beforehand. I was grinning from ear to ear throughout this film, and, at one point, it even made me misty-eyed. Review

Even though the cast is fairly star-studded, Wounds seems to me like a step backward for Anvari. The performers can only do so much when the film around them feels as ineffective, incomplete, and vapid as Wounds does. Review

Playful but never energetic or entertaining, Steven Soderbergh’s The Laundromat is a tedious and tired drama that almost makes Adam McKay’s The Big Short, of which this film is basically an imitation, look like a masterpiece. Review

Downbeat but tense, Vince Gilligan’s El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is a satisfying postscript to one of the greatest series ever made. Review

Although the writing is ridiculous, Ang Lee’s fairly bland Gemini Man isn’t as lifeless as I expected it to be. It certainly has its moments and, for the most part, the digital de-aging gimmick works. Review

Patrick Wilson is, admittedly, very entertaining to watch chewing the scenery in the middle of the claustrophobic and dizzying grass field, which is shot inventively by Vincenzo Natali and director of photography Craig Wrobleski. But, In the Tall Grass writer-director, Vincenzo Natali has, ultimately, overcomplicated a gruesome short story to such an extent that the film frustrated me greatly. Review

It is a disturbing and ominous but gripping character study disguised as a comic book film. Review

Unbelievable is an extraordinary show precisely because it masterfully juxtaposes and juggles their investigation with Marie Adler’s experiences. Review