The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Reviewer Recommends (July 6th, 2025)

This series will highlight my weekly journey through previously released films, whether they are rewatches for me or new discoveries. Here are my picks:     

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

What is the most epic action flick ever created? John Wick: Chapter 4…confidently. Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have created a stunt worker and action film fans’ wet dream in the form of the John Wick franchise. Each film was bigger and bolder, and Chapter 4 upped the ante to a whole new level. This film is one of the most gorgeously shot films in modern cinema (so many shots are like beautiful paintings. The stunt work and choreography are second to none. There are so many compelling characters who each have thematic layers to the central journey of the titular hitman. Reeves delivers all the physicality you need with barely any dialogue to make Wick the ultimate badass. Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rina Sawayama are excellent additions who all make their own impact on the film. The three main action set pieces (the Osaka Continental, the Berlin club, and Paris) deliver some of the most amazing action ever put on a movie screen. John Wick: Chapter 4 IS that good.

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

What can eccentric filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos accomplish with a twisted anthology film? Kinds of Kindness brings Lanthimos back to his early roots of delivering strange, uncomfortable, and taboo dramas to everyday life. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons make for a compelling and dynamic duo as they anchor each of these three stories. Each story explores some of the darker aspects of humanity and how far people will go to receive satisfaction. Cuckolding. Cannibalism. Cultish organizations. Lanthimos and fellow screenwriter Efthimis Filippou know exactly how to push the buttons on their audience to get the most twisted and challenging reactions out of them. Shocking death is around every corner of this violent anthology film. This might not be the most accessible or simplistic story from Lanthimos, but it does deliver plenty of thoughts to take a step back and explore.

Shallow of Grave (1994)

How far will a trio of friends go to betray each other when a suitcase full of money is discovered in the room of their unexpected deceased new roommate? Shallow Grave is a provocative early thriller from acclaimed filmmaker Danny Boyle. This flat (shared by the trio) makes for one of the most unique contained settings for a thriller with its bold colors and open design. Boyle injects plenty of suspense and tension into this tight little thriller. John Hodge’s screenplay has just enough twists and turns to keep the audience on their toes. The trio of Kerry Fox, Chris Eccleston, and Ewan McGregor all deliver complex, layered, and unique performances and their chemistry with each other is off the charts. Harrowing, twisted, and shocking, Shallow Grave is a brilliant little film.

Cousin Bobby (1992)

What is the most intimate film in all of Jonathan Demme’s cinematic career? Coming off the heels of Silence of the Lambs, Demme delivers a compelling documentary about an inspiring minister in Harlem stepping up against adversity. Robert Castle is indeed the cousin of director Demme, and he is a civil liberties advocate for his diverse congregation in Harlem. Cousin Bobby captures the impact and influence of his minister who speaks the peaceful and supportive word of Jesus in the face of a country built on inherent racism. This is a lean cinematic experience but packs a big punch as it gives perspective to Castle’s career as well as painting him and Demme in a more familial setting. Equal parts biopic and equal parts action-oriented messaging, Cousin Bobby is the type of film that will have you reflecting on many things from religion, trauma, mental illness, and under-education.

Porco Rosso (1992)

How does a famous, talented pilot get turned into a boar? A wild concept but probably born out of the influences of being decades older. Hayao Miyazaki delivers a thrilling tale that balances the beauty of the natural world, romance, and thrilling dogfights in the sky. The action in Porco Rosso is next level with Miyazaki and crew delivering detailed and impactful frays in the sky and over the ocean. Rosso finds connection through this journey as he attempts to get the attention of a beautiful woman while defying so many other influences in the air to put a smug American in his place. The Italian flairs of the film make this such a wonderful experience due to the impressive animation that Miyazaki and his team constructed. Porco Rosso rises up on the wings of its aircraft as well as the great cast of characters and their dynamics with each other.

The Night Before (2015)

How many shenanigans can a group of three friends get up on Christmas Eve? Jonathan Levine’s holiday comedy finds Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie experiencing their last Christmas Eve together (a tradition since Gordon-Levitt’s Ethan lost his parents) before each of their lives and priorities change. The immense number of bonkers gags and taboo humor make The Night Before a holiday staple for the adult section of the Christmas evening. This central crew each have their own journeys to go on this evening which will include thieves, hard drugs, dick pics, and Miley Cyrus. The plot is not the most refined, but the humor certainly delivers and there is enough heart and soul to empathize with this original trio well enough. There are plenty of other standout performances including a scene stealing Michael Shannon as the intense and thoughtful drug dealer (or is he?). This is a nice gem to return to, especially for its 10^th anniversary.

Red Sorghum (1987)

Where did the legendary cinematic career of Zhang Yimou begin? Yimou’s penchant for leveraging gorgeous colors to make arresting visual experiences started with Red Sorghum. The vibrant reds pop right off the screen in this unexpected cinematic world surrounded by war. A young woman is thrusted into running a winery after the unexpected death of her arranged husband. This film captures the vibrant life of this community who runs the winery. Yimou also doesn’t pull punches in displaying the horrors and destructive powers of war either. Humor, romance, and violence clash in Yimou’s history film that is an engaging and effective drama.

Beowulf (2007)

What a wild idea it was to take an epic poet of early civilization and turn it into a wild and bloody action blockbuster? Beowulf is a timeless tale of Old English that inventive filmmaker, Robert Zemeckis, thought would be the perfect story for his run creating motion capture animated features. There is a strange uncanny valley for this 2007 film but there is still some cool fantasy world-building and action. Ray Winstone portrays the titular hero with all the gruff and masculinity you could expect from such a barbaric hero. A stacked cast with Angeline Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright, Brendan Gleeson, and more fill out this impressive cast animated over in this fantasy world. These creatures will haunt your nightmares, and the action and brutality will thrill you. Far from perfect, Beowulf is still an exciting cinematic experience.

Velvet Goldmine (1998)

What film captures the shift in culture of British rock music in the late 60s and 70s so perfectly? Velvet Goldmine. Todd Haynes crafts a gorgeous looking film that leverages apt production design, costumes, and make-up that bring the style and culture to life. Exploring Queer culture through a gorgeous and artful lens with a punk rock edge is quite the specific approach yet Haynes captures that atmosphere and personality so perfectly. The cast is electric as well with Christian Bale as a young journalist (and audience stand-in) who searches for mystery and enigmatic artists from the time (Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor). This web of twists and turns is compelling and thought-provoking, but it is when Haynes gives in to the music that this film truly soars on the back of iconic musicality.

Pretty Woman (1990)

What is one of the most iconic romance stories brought to the silver screen? As the iconic Roy Orbison classic says…Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts is one of the single most charming performers to ever grace the big screen and her starring turn as a young sex worker is iconic. Her smile. Her laugh. Her spunk. Roberts owns every bit of it with her beauty, grace, attitude, and magnetism. A greying Richard Gere makes for the perfect businessman type is enthralled by this magnetic woman. He goes on his own journey to become a better man and more empathetic businessman and that is all due to the joy brought into his life. There are plenty of iconic moments of romance as well as class conflict (some surprising depth in this charming romance). Pretty Woman is iconic and beloved for a reason.

Wrong (2012)

What is happening inside the mind of Quentin Dupieux? This is one of the most unique and interesting filmmakers working today. His approach to storytelling is dark, twisted, and unexpected. Wrong is not going to click with everyone because of its weird, choppy, and unexpected execution. On the surface, this is about a man who lost his dog. What occurs from here are some crazy interactions with all the people around him from his work colleagues to his neighbors to his landscaper. The humor is so strange and idiosyncratic. If you reach that frequency, you will find something weird and hilarious in almost every scene. Bonkers and weird, Wrong is the strangest day you will experience in a film and it is something hilarious and odd for sure.

Defending Your Life (1991)

Who is legitimately one of the most skilled comedy filmmakers of all time? Albert Brooks. This man understands humanity so deeply that he can commentate on so many aspects of the human condition. Defending Your Life is a crown jewel of his filmmaking career with creativity, thematic work, and humor all delivering on a deeply resonate level. Brooks himself is hilarious as he makes poignant and biting commentary on humanity. Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, and others add layers to the experience with their committed and engaging performances. The creative expression of Purgatory with this Judgment City is impressive and fully realized. The approach to judgment and navigation of our lives is so creative and fully realized on screen. Brooks has made plenty of great films and this feels like his approach matured and refined.

Blood on the Sun (1945)

Who wants some pre-WWII espionage to sink their teeth into? Blood on the Sun is a thriller that centers on an American journalist (James Cagney) who releases an article outlining the imperialistic intentions of Japan (which would put them on a collision course with the United States during WWII). The Japanese government surely is not happy and a whole web of murder, sabotage, and other underhanded actions turns this journalist’s life upside down. There is solid suspense, a tad bit of romance, and thrills. There is even an all-out brawl between Cagney and one of the antagonists which makes for the highlight of the film. A cat-and-mouse game worth playing for sure.