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: “Lurker,” a new psychological thriller now playing in theatres, sees an obsessed fan drawn, like a moth, to the flame of fame.
CAST: Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Wale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri, and Sunny Suljic. Directed by Alex Russell.
REVIEW: The thin line between fandom and obsession is examined in “Lurker,” a new show biz thriller starring Quebec-born actor Théodore Pellerin and “Saltburn” star Archie Madekwe.
We first meet Matthew (Pellerin) when he’s working at a retail store frequented by celebrities. When up-and-coming singer Oliver stops by, he’s so impressed by Matthew’s take on his music and influences, he invites the awkward shop clerk to hang out at his Hollywood Hills home.
Seduced by the power of fame, he becomes a hanger-on, doing joe jobs around the musician’s home until Oliver asks him to become a photographer on a documentary essaying his creative process. Matthew loves basking in Oliver’s reflected glow, and, despite his insecurities, makes himself an integral part of the entourage.
When a newcomer becomes Oliver’s shiny new dime Matthew feels isolated until the singer behaves carelessly, opens himself up to blackmail, and gives Matthew a way back into the inner circle.
As a story of shifting power dynamics and the allure of fame, “Lurker” is tense, edge of your seat stuff as Matthew’s behavior shifts from fan to desperate and obsessive hanger-on.
Pellerin plays Matthew as a star-struck cypher, a blank slate, waiting to be colored by Oliver’s fame. His identity, or lack thereof, is so closely tied to his relationship with Oliver, that when that bond is broken, he’s lost and unpredictable. That quiet volatility gives “Lurker” an unnerving edge.
Madekwe brings pop star swagger to Oliver, a guy with a deep emotional connection to his music, but few of the interpersonal skills to make meaningful connections with people. As Oliver’s relationship with Matthew crumbles, he uses his hip aloofness like a cudgel. Madekwe’s casual cruelty cuts to the quick but sets up an interesting character reversal when Matthew’s blackmail plot changes their power dynamic.
Despite muddled storytelling as the film approaches its end credits, “Lurker” is still an interesting, incisive commentary on fame and power with, unlike so many other movies about pop music, great tunes that cleverly comment on the action. When Oliver sings, “What’s the difference between love and obsession?” he’s not simply waxing poetic, he’s tunefully, and authentically, getting to the heart of writer-director Alex Russell’s story.
