Movie reviews of Jeremy Lebens

Godzilla vs. Kong is the very definition of a crowd-pleaser, shot with epic size and destruction that delivers on the monster mayhem by the truckload. Director Adam Wingard makes for a worthy MonsterVerse entry, despite the film's plot making zero sense and the human elements being essentially non-existent.

Nobody is John Wick with a more comedic tone, capitalizing on the talents of star Bob Odenkirk, without ever skipping an action beat. Director Ilya Naishuller delivers on the over-the-top and gruesome action, while writer Derek Kolstad pads the film with colorful characters and a seedy world to live in.

Zack Snyder's Justice League is his most ambitious film yet, bursting with equal parts of passion and heart. Those unmoved by his work will want to avoid this one as it's 100% one man's unique and full vision without alteration. It's not perfect, but it's a game-changing behemoth of a blockbuster that will unlikely be unmatched for quite some time.

Robin Wright's Land is a worthwhile directing debut, allowing Wright to focus on her own performance and chemistry with co-star Demian Bichir to make for a tale of redemption by way of nature and kind souls.

Doug Liman's Chaos Walking is a bonafide sci-fi stinker, squandering the talent assembled in a mediocre adventure flick that's all noise and no focus. Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley have moderate chemistry that carries the film through its endless journey of discovering what it truly means to think freely.

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry is an up-close-and-personal documentary, focusing on star Billie Eilish as she navigates the road to stardom and celebrity at such a young age, with the help of her supportive friends and family. Director R.J. Cutler keeps things feeling raw and undistracted as this lengthy film covers all of the bases.

Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah is an eye-opening look at the betrayal of Black Panthers Chairman Fred Hampton by an FBI informant. Stars LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya give compelling performances in a film that's not just about fighting "the man" or taking down "the system", but instead about how we all become a cog in the never-ending machine of power and injustice.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Our Friend is a touching drama about friendship and perseverance, with three spectacular and deep performances by Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel. Our Friend will make you both laugh and cry (and cry some more) with ease.

John Lee Hancock's The Little Things is a slow burn detective drama that gets by on a rock solid performance by Denzel Washington. It's well-lit and feels like a movie from another decade, which makes it an interesting disappointment that we aren't use to seeing these days.

Depressing and bleak, George Clooney's The Midnight Sky is a performance-driven sci-fi think piece that spends too much time inside of its own head. Clooney's direction is sound, which when paired with a handful of solid performances, makes this a surprising misfire as the script struggles to conjure up anything remotely interesting, including a dud ending that's beyond predictable.

Ric Roman Waugh's Greenland is a grounded disaster flick that spends more time on its characters than its set pieces. Gerard Butler gives an engaged performance, while the film's action provides an entertaining end-of-the-world thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Witty and fun, Freaky is a promising blend of body swap horror and slasher cliches. It might not be as effective as the Happy Death Day movies, but I certainly appreciated its R-rated approach and unflinching blood and gore. Vince Vaughn is a treasure, Kathryn Newton is a bad ass and director Christopher Landon has yet again cemented his name as one of the most exciting horror filmmakers working in the industry today.

Performance-driven and quiet, Thomas Bezucha's Let Him Go is a slow burn Western by location, but really just a drama about identity, never letting go and the strength of family. The action is minimal and mostly stuffed into the final 15 minutes, but I didn’t mind the buildup.

Jacob Chase adapts his short film Larry to a full-length feature with Come Play with technical skill and a clear understanding of how to capture scares effectively. Unfortunately, the plot is thin and stretched out past its expiration date, leaving for a film that doesn't know what to do with its running time, despite featuring curious creature design and a cast of more-than-capable performers.

Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead's Synchronic is a tightly-scripted time travel film that wastes not a single moment. It's exciting and unexpected, capturing time through a reflective and thematically rich perspective. Anthony Mackie gives the single best performance of his career in what is easily one of the best films of 2020.

The Empty Man subverts all expectations, delivering an exceptionally made slow-burn thriller that tugs at the very fabrics of reality through David Prior's distinct writing/directing and a dedicated performance from James Badge Dale.

Michael Matthews' Love and Monsters is that rare overly-positive take on the apocalypse, blending together humor and light action/adventure to make for an emotional journey. Star Dylan O'Brien gives a charming and notable performance.

On the Rocks is light-hearted and sweet, capturing an energetic relationship between a daughter and her father thanks to the on-screen chemistry between Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. Writer/director Sofia Coppola keeps things simple, delivering a story that feels familiar, yet benefits from its lived-in approach.

Robert De Niro remains oddly engaged throughout most of The War with Grandpa's running time, which makes the film slightly amusing at times, but mostly a test of patience and one's tolerance for pain. War often requires great sacrifice and with that comes great loss. Do yourself a favor and accept defeat on this one.

Brandon Cronenberg's Possessor is a stylish hybrid, blending together high-concept sci-fi with full-blown body horror. It's frightening, disturbing and intriguing all in one -- thanks to Cronenberg's unflinching vision, Andrea Riseborough's committed performance and a series of gore-heavy sequences that will implant into your brain for years to come...

John Hyams' Alone is a razor-sharp thriller, capitalizing on its cat-and-mouse premise and wooded location to make for a film that feels familiar, yet packs a heavy punch. Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca turn what could've been just another kidnapped vs abductor showdown into a slick slice of horror fun.

Andrew Cohn's The Last Shift is a promising debut feature for the writer/director. Richard Jenkins and Shane Paul McGhie display good chemistry, filling in each respective role with enough substance to warrant watching their relationship unfold, but the film lacks a closing punch, deflating on itself during the last act.

William Olsson's Lost Girls & Love Hotels captures the vibrant life of Tokyo with lush cinematography and a dense, yet distant performance from Alexandra Daddario. The film moves at the pace of a snail and winds up just as lost as the film's protagonist, struggling to make its point, despite showing technical skill on behalf of Olsson and his crew.

Antebellum is ambitiously framed and impeccably shot, acting as part blunt reflection and part trippy time-loop hybrid. It's messy, shocking and needed all the same. Hats off to both Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz for going all the way with it.