I appear on “CTV News at 11:30” with anchor Andria Case to talk about the weekend’s best movies and shows including the Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony,” the Kristen Stewart stoner comedy “The Wrong Girls” and the Prime Video series “Sterling Point.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 11:37)
I join CTV Atlantic’s Stephanie Tsicos to talk about the biopic “Tony,” the dino drama “The End of Oak Street,” the kid’s flick “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” and the stoner comedy “The Wrong Girls.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with anchor Zuraidah Alman to talk about the biopic “Tony,” the dino drama “The End of Oak Street,” the kid’s flick “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” and the stoner comedy “The Wrong Girls.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 15:06)
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “The Wrong Girls,” a new stoner comedy starring Kristen Stewart, and now playing in theatres, a case of mistaken identity throws the lives of codependent best friends into chaos. “Two girls. One wrong move. Zero clue what to do.”
CAST: Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, LaKeith Stanfield, Kumail Nanjiani, Geena Davis, James Weaver, Alex McAtee, Kate McKinnon, Cate Blanchett, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Maggie McLean, Dylan Meyer. Written and directed by Dylan Meyer.
REVIEW: A testament to the dual powers of friendship and very strong drugs, “The Wrong Girls” is a trippy throwback to the anything goes style of stoner comedies like “Pineapple Express” and “Half Baked.”
Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat are perpetually stoned roommates and best friends Frankie and Molly. Frankie, quit Stanford and now eeks out a living as a delivery person who can’t be bothered to ditch her joints before dropping off packages at people’s homes. At the same time, a spread sheet for Molly’s most recent project has disappeared, leaving the BFFs short on their rent… again.
In a case of mistaken identity Frankie comes into possession of a briefcase filled with vials of powerful experimental psychedelic drugs. After sampling them, they not only trip out hardcore, but also develop telepathic and psychokinetic abilities, allowing them to read their cat’s (voiced by Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani) minds and move things with their thoughts. “I have no idea why you thought it would be a good idea to take the drugs,” says Dr. Chapman (Kate McKinnon). “You are dumb as rocks, and you should be dead.”
Their newfound abilities place them in the sights of operative named Not Metal Head Dave (LaKeith Stanfield) and a group of Danish killers eager to get their hands on the drugs. “We’re very important fugitives. We’re runaways.”
Loudly and proudly silly, “The Wrong Girls” features opinionated cats, bad choices, giant spliffs, psychedelic freak outs and an a-list cast of kooks and killers, but its strongest asset is its portrayal of female friendship. Stoner comedies have long been the domain of the dudes, but Stewart and Shawkat’s off-the-charts chemistry and great comic timing, not only bring these chaotic women to vivid life but also add some emotional stakes to the absurd story.
“The Wrong Girls” is a stoner comedy with all the good and bad that comes along with the genre but even its rough spots go up in smoke courtesy of Stewart, who has never been looser on screen, Shawkat and the steady hand of writer/director (and Stewart’s real-life spouse) Dylan Meyer.
SYNOPSIS: In “Blink Twice,” a psychological drama directed by Zoë Kravitz, and now playing in theatres, disgraced tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) invites cater waiter Frida (Naomi Ackie) to join him and his friends for an idyllic get-a-way on his private island. “Are you having a good time?” he repeatedly asks her as champagne flows, and she is… until, in the blink of an eye, she has a startling revelation.
CAST: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Geena Davis, Alia Shawkat. Directed by Zoë Kravitz.
REVIEW: A dark psychological thriller with elements of rage, humour and danger, “Blink Twice” is a confident, if scattered, directorial debut from Zoë Kravitz. A violent riff on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’s” memory erasing, it asks the question, Is it best to live with only good memories, burying the bad so deeply they never resurface?
A fantasy island trip gone wrong, “Blink Twice” takes a while to get where it is going, to let the Twilight Zone-ness of the situation sink in. It’s decadent and drug fueled, set to a soundtrack of dance tunes and King’s constant query, “Are you having fun?” Nothing matters except hedonism, and soon (NO SPOILERS HERE), but not soon enough, we find out why.
At this point “Blink Twice” flicks the switch. What begans as Jordan Peele style exploration of the ultra-wealthy, of the lingering, intergenerational effects of trauma and violence against women, becomes a revenge drama tinged with horror. After a long lead up, however, the transition feels rushed as the true cruelty of the party island, and the men who run it, is revealed.
Kravitz and co-writer E.T. Feigenbaum have a lot on their minds, but more isn’t always better. From the apology tours of cancelled celebrities and sexual violence against women to the price of trauma, white patriarchal privilege and gender disparity, it touches down on a litany of hot button topics. Add to that a private island with a Jeffrey Epstein vibe and a misbehaving billionaire and you have an overload of Twitter/X trending topics. With so much happening, “Blink Twice” feels like it is hop-scotching around its themes and doesn’t add much new to the discourse of any of them.
Still, as tightly packed as the movie is—no shrinkflation here—Kravitz keeps the pace up, nimbly navigating her way through to the film’s finale with style to burn. The direction trumps the storytelling, as Kravitz knows how to stage effective scenes that will entertain the eye and, perhaps even move you toward the edge of your seat.
She is aided by strong performances from the three leads, Ackie, Tatum and “Hit Man’s” Adria Arjona. Tatum is all charm as the romantic lead (for a while anyway) before revealing his true nature in a terrific turn-around for the character.
Ackie and Arjona enjoy the best-written roles and make the most of them. As Frida, Ackie (last seen playing the title role in “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody”) is relatable as someone who finds themself in an unimaginable situation, before tapping into a newfound iron will.
Arjona takes a role that could have been one-note—a reality show warrior with her eye on the billionaire’s affections—and makes her multi-faceted, kick-ass and very funny.
“Blink Twice” doesn’t entirely work, but as a story about the nature of memory, it is memorable enough to earn a recommendation.
