Movie reviews of Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

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

Haunting. For me, this is easily the best documentary filmmaking of its release year. Review

Madame Web is yet another example of a bafflingly ill-conceived Sony Spider-Man spin-off film, but this one feels especially hacked to pieces and set up for failure, which is a real shame because there is a lot of talent involved here. Review

Justine Triet’s expertly written Anatomy of a Fall works with language to great effect as it showcases what language means to relationships, systems of power, and legal processes. Review

It brings me no pleasure to say this, but it is about as sharp and enticing as soggy leftover french fries. Unfortunately, Robots is the kind of film that completely wastes talent and time. Review

The Truth has a soft, naturalistic, and emotionally intelligent touch, but this film feels more relaxed in its pacing than I expected it to be. Review

The final concoction is not enough to ultimately call this a ‘good’ entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, since this effort is far too bland, rushed, hacked to bits, and undeveloped to justify its overwhelming barrier to entry. It is, at best, a breezy guilty pleasure, and, at worst, it is just a mess. Review

Possession is creepy, deranged, comedic, and confusing. I do think it’s more of an art film about a separation’s chaotic descent into loss of self than a straight-faced and accessible horror film, so it isn’t for everyone, but I thought this was really fascinating in all the right ways. Review

There is a lot to chew on here for fans of the game and those interested in the complicated effort that goes into making a sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed video games ever made. Review

A near-masterpiece that I suspect will only grow to become even more admired as we look back on it, Poor Things is Yorgos Lanthimos at his very best. Review

Despite the early stages of the film that made me question the film’s global reputation, the second half of it turned me into a true believer due to the emotionally rewarding and affecting storyline, the sometimes gorgeous imagery, and the sweet- and kindness of its central message about the richness of gift-giving and the joy of mercy, openness, love, and artistry in full effect... Review

The dialogue and character-writing is so exceptionally done that you will probably recognize these characters from your own life, and you’ll probably see yourself in them as well — these are written in such a way that they always feel like fully-formed human beings. Review

Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now is puzzling in the best way possible. Review

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is safe, straightforward, maybe a little bit bland, relatively unoriginal, and it is an empty-calorie movie. Review

In Alle For Fire, the jokes rarely land with anything more than a thud or lead to anything more than a forced smile... Review