Author: Matt Conway

Netflix has had quite a few successful original series, but none have reached the pop culture mainstream quite like Stranger Things. With the massive fandom following the 80’s science fiction throwback series, there is a lot of pressure for the second season to match the quality of the original. Somehow, Stranger Things Season 2 ups the ante, giving audiences an equally entertaining, yet more dramatically fullfilling endeavor. Season 2 picks up roughly a year after the original, with Will Byers nearing his one year anniversary of going missing. It appears that the supernatural forces previously effecting the town are back, and the gang must…

Sequels are always tough, especially with indie movies. Do you just make a rehash of the original or can a writer/director take what made the original work and change up the formula? Creep 2, the sequel to the 2015 cult hit, thankfully falls into the latter category, delivering a surprisingly thoughtful and funny twist on the original’s formula. Picking up where the original left off, the film follows Aaron, a serial killer who is starting to lose passion in his “work”. He soon enlists the help of Sara, a Craigslist job-seeker who suddenly gets more than she bargained for with Aaron’s dangerous…

Action movies are a dime a dozen these days, which makes it even harder for an actioner stand out. I certainly credit writer/director Jeremy Rush for trying with Wheelman, a film shot mostly through the perspective of a car. While it doesn’t ultimately divert from formula, its a well-engerinered and enjoyable diversion. Wheelman follows a getaway driver (his name on IMDB is Wheelman), who after pulling off a bank heist realizes he has been double-crossed. He must rush around the city to save his family and get out of this messy situation. The most notable aspect of Wheelman is its stylistic approach. Shooting an action…

As an avid Saw fan, I could not be more happy to see the series make a return with Jigsaw. Between its backwards moral stance and the over-the-top gore of the traps, the Saw films have been some of the most entertaining “midnight movies” to hit theaters this millennium. While Jigsaw shows the series is far past its glory days, there is some fun to be had with this eighth entry’s wild narrative. Acting as a prequel, sequel, and reboot, Jigsaw follows the continued case of the jigsaw killer. The case gets thrown for a loop when John Krammer, the Jigsaw killer, has evidence found against him despite being dead…

Ever since Hellboy: The Golden Army, fans have been clamoring to see more of everyone’s favorite demon hero. Rather than make Hellboy 3 directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman, Warner Bros. opted to reboot the franchise. Stranger Things’ star David Harbour will be starring as Hellboy, and the film is set to have a hard-R rating. Those are only a few of the changes that will be taking place with this reboot. During a recent interview with Independent, Harbour further elaborated on what will change between this Hellboy and Del Toro’s versions: “The Guillermo Del Toro-helmed movies were so fantastic in…

From its C-list cast to its brazenly dumb title, I was looking forward to Geostorm to be a return to form for the fun and mostly dumb disaster film, a genre that has the potential to be some of the most fun popcorn entertainment in cinema. While the film offers some unintentionally humorous moments along the way, its mostly a standard issue affair that audiences would expect to see from the SyFi channel. Geostorm takes place in a world where after a string of damaging natural disasters, a team of global scientists were forced to build a satellite to contain the storms. When…

Sometimes a movie comes around that is so bewildering and incoherent that it leaves its audience not quiet knowing what to say when the end credits role around. Despite featuring a talented cast and a qualified auteur behind the director’s chair, The Snowman fits that bill, being a wild misfire from start to finish. Based on the acclaimed Jo Nesbo novel, The Snowman follows Nordish detective Harry Hole, who is tasked with finding a mysterious killer who marks his area with a snowman. It quickly becomes a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, as Hole must go through a series of red herrings to find the…

Vince Vaughn has had a surprisingly diverse career, but I don’t think anyone could ever imagined him as an action star. In his latest starring vehicle Brawl in Cell Block 99, Vaughn not only gets that opportunity, but is actually fairly great in one of the year’s most entertaining films. Brawl in Cell Block 99 follows Bradley Thomas, a former boxer who is down on his luck after being laid off from his job. When he turns to a career of drug trafficking to support his pregnant wife, he is arrested for his crimes. Now in prison, he must fight to save his…

Jackie Chan is not only a legend when it comes to action, but is also one of the most beloved and likable Hollywood personalities there is. Appearing in his first starring role in seven years, Chan shines in The Foreigner, which is a solid modern actioner. The Foreigner follows Quan, a humble businessman whose life turns upside down when his daughter dies in a terrorist bombing. He will stop at nothing to get revenge, even that means involving himself in a massive political scheme. Chan is the heart and soul of this film, and I think he will surprise a lot of people…

Within the past few years, Bill Murray’s comedy classic Groundhog Day and its repeat the same day formula has created a genre. Surprisingly enough, its mostly been done successfully, with Edge of Tomorrow and Before I Fall being two near-great movies. Happy Death Day takes the Groundhog concept with a horror spin, but its laughably stupid execution derails it from the start. Happy Death Day follows Tree, a reckless college student who ends her unceremonious birthday with her death. However, she wakes up after her death, as she is stuck in a loop on this day. To break the curse, she must find and take out her killer. Joining a listless…