FILMS from AFAR

Modern-day characters are plopped into a world of classic fairy tales and fantasy-horror movie images in this inventive tale that could've been better scaled back. Plot twists keep the story moving in Nightbooks, but ultimately there are so many threats to the characters' lives, so many "this is the end" moments, that you find yourself hoping for some resolution, any resolution, after about an hour. This isn't ideal for a child-centric tale: We should only root for their survival. Combined with intricately-rich set designs, especially a cool skyscraper of a personal library, and over-the-top adult baddies, the constant tension can be exhausting. Winslow Fegley and Lidya Jewett are both fantastic, and Krysten Ritter seems to be having a great time vamping in monster boots and stylish witch-wear. The script also has some creative and intelligent twists on the art of storytelling. When Natacha sighs, "writers -- so insecure" and Alex suffers writer's block or outwits his know-it-all audience of one, it can be laugh-out-loud funny. Writers will appreciate that in this world, telling stories saves lives (the film's tagline is "Write for your life"). But Nightbooks would've done well to take its own advice when Natacha suggests that every good story hints at the truth -- the more truth, the more powerful the story. When Alex finally confronts the sadness and pain that brought him to this haunted house, his grade school drama feels almost too pedestrian for the rest of the fantastical tale. His captivity has such clear lessons for him in the "real world" that it would've made more sense in the resolution if he had just dreamt the whole thing, underscoring both his inventiveness and the social-emotional growth he needed. Instead, the film could feel a bit too creepy for some viewers with its depictions of child abductions, psychological trauma, and torture. Some of the violence is also too graphic for a children's film, even while other effects -- long shadows, conspicuous lightning, candy-colored vomit, the rudimentary films-within-the-film that bring Alex's stories to life -- are deliberately more spoof than spook. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

There's really nothing quite like the experience of choosing whether Bear Grylls should eat a cockroach or a millipede off a tunnel floor. In You vs. Wild: Out Cold, one makes him vomit and the other seems to sit just fine. This is just one of many perils Grylls faces in this latest adventure. As always, the survivalist makes for a compelling watch because he seems invincible and undaunted by any challenge. This film feels a little faster-paced than others, with decisions popping up so frequently that when you want to go back and try different options, you have to follow a whole trail of previous decisions. This could prove fun for very young viewers, offering them much more than the listed 25 minutes of screen time, but it's also a little frustrating if you're just curious to see where an alternative choice would take you. No worry, though, because the journey is all the fun. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

This complex and sensitive portrayal of the quagmire around a government fund to compensate victims of 9/11 is bolstered by excellent casting and a measured pace. Like those tasked with disbursing the fund, Worth asks the impossible question of what an individual life is worth. But, as fund "Special Master" Ken Feinberg tells his law class at Georgetown, it's a legal question, not a philosophical one. That's where Keaton's Feinberg goes wrong -- in trying to treat the "claimants" (family members who lost loved ones in 9/11) -- objectively, as numbers in a formula. Keaton does a stellar job showing Feinberg evolve from overly-confident DC insider to compassionate, humbled crusader, and he's surrounded by an excellent supporting cast who also go through their own individual transformations over the course of the film. This is in addition to the casting of a dozen or so wholly credible "claimants" who give at turns tearful, at turns angry monologues almost directly to the camera about the loved ones they've lost. In an interesting choice, the faces of a couple of characters who go on to die in 9/11 are purposefully not shown, underscoring that the focus here is on the aftermath. This true story-inspired tale isn't an easy one to tell or to relive. It could even prove too difficult to watch for some families of 9/11 victims. Director Sara Colangelo (The Kindergarten Teacher) frequently plays scenes off each other, a technique at times overly obvious but still effective. For example, in one matched pair, Keaton's character is fending off lawyerly "wolves" seeking more money for their wealthy clients while his partner is in a room with a group of politely appreciative Spanish-speaking families of victims. The film recreates the emotion of those days, the way it felt the whole world was glued, speechless, to their television sets. Still, the film's power lies not in graphic images, though there are a few. Rather, the quiet force of Worth lies in its rendering of the suffering of every single person involved, except notably some politicians and DC power brokers. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

First love, especially an impossible one, always makes for compelling material, as do the contrasts this film's urban European setting allows for. From the opening scenes of Swedish drama JJ+E, we see the socioeconomic gap the film works to emphasize at every turn. A young blonde woman floats in her family's infinity pool high above the bay as a brown-skinned, floppy-haired teenager cruises graffiti-speckled city streets with his tough-looking buddies before leaping off a concrete wall into the other side of the bay. While these somewhat clichéd portrayals could have felt empty, the young actors -- particularly Mustapha Aarab as John-John and Jonay Pineda Skallak as his dodgy friend Sluggo -- bring soul and energy to them. Elsa Ohrn's Elisabeth feels more distant, which matches her character's background and grieving process, but makes her harder to warm to. The film builds as a typical, somewhat predictable teen romance until Sluggo's violent life encroaches on the couple's future. This was to be expected, as John-John's home life and friend group are given a lot more prominence than Elisabeth's throughout the movie. His diverse gang from the projects is depicted as rough-edged but loyal and tight-knit, and there's tension in seeing John-John perpetually teeter the line between good student and criminal. A night on the town with the group lets the camera see the two sides of Stockholm through their very different inhabitants' eyes. It's clear the romance was doomed on its own, especially considering Elisabeth's world's shallow dismissal of John-John, so the film's overly violent ending wasn't entirely necessary. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

As far as concert movies go, Billie Eilish has put together a very pleasant hour with enviable accompaniment by the LA Philharmonic and others. Despite the title, Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles is more focused on the music of Eilish's new album with her brother-producer Finneas than her home city. They are staged by directors Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Osborne in an empty Hollywood Bowl arena set to moody red, blue, or gold-tinged lighting and featuring backup from the iconic LA Philharmonic and the LA Children's Chorus, as well as Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo on a bossa nova-inspired piece. Still, the focus is pretty much solely on Eilish, and fans will surely enjoy parsing her lyrics for biographical details and references. It's also a curious juxtaposition to have an orchestra and a children's choir accompany an album filled with so much personal angst. Between tracks, an animated version of the singer drives around LA in her silver convertible. Her movements loosely parallel the stories narrated in the album's lyrics and the musician's intros and outros to each performance. For example, animated Billie floats up to a cloud and sprouts wings on track 6, "Goldwing." She sees billboards of herself and faces paparazzi as she walks a red carpet, echoing songs about living constantly on display and being judged. The animations feel superfluous, but they're pretty minimal. Their most interesting use is as a sexy silhouette backlit by flashing, tunnel-like graphics on track 9 as Eilish croons about public scrutiny of her physique. Oddly, the animated character seems employed at times to convey emotion, but this wasn't really necessary considering Eilish's self explanatory lyrics and natural allure as a performer. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

One thing's for sure: this remake of the 1999 hit She's All That pays the earlier film a great compliment in relying quite so heavily on its formula. In ways large and small, He's All That works as a clear-cut updating of the original. Key plot points and characters are only slightly adjusted here, with the biggest changes being the gender-swapped makeover and a new social media world that didn't yet exist at the turn of the millennium. Fans will enjoy the self parodying cameos, especially an amusing Mathew Lillard as the sarcastic high school principal and Kourtney Kardashian as an insincere brand manager. Lillard steals what little screen time he has, managing to whip out some of his dance moves from the original and deliver a couple of chuckle-worthy lines. She's All That star Rachel Leigh Cook's presence is much more subdued by comparison. The film is trimmed to a tight 88 minutes and moves quickly, maybe even too fast to create much rapport between the leads. The camera certainly loves Addison Rae, an influencer playing to type here, and she comes across as genuine enough in her acting debut. Though Tanner Buchanan delivers his lines more credibly, she's the film's big draw. The cast is conspicuously more diverse than the original, including race and body size, which is a welcome addition to an otherwise predictable tale. Also new here: the extreme wealth of some of the high schoolers and their constant use of social media. The new "opting out" is protecting one's privacy or not having a smart phone, and the film critiques the superficiality of lives lived online, valued by image and followers, while "real life" passes by. The critique is gentle and pretty superficial itself, but it's a positive one for the film's target audience. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

This supernatural dramedy is predictable, but its two charismatic stars keep it from suffering as clumsy a death as its main character. Part of the problem is that the central idea of Afterlife of the Party is quite sad -- a 25-year-old dead by accident in the prime of her life -- yet the film does everything it can in its first half to play this as straight comedy. (Even Netflix's marketing of the film refers to her death as a "party foul.") Things noticeably improve in the second half as the script delves into what Cassie is leaving behind and allows its characters to actually feel something, but the disconnect in tone is noticeable. Victoria Justice and Midori Francis do a great job embodying best friends with contrasting personalities, even though they're straddled with fairly two-dimensional profiles. Cassie is also perpetually squeezed into glamorous, skin-tight outfits matched with perfect hair and make-up. When Lisa complains that Cassie is hanging out with people who "look filtered 24-7," it feels unintentionally ironic to the casting and styling of the stunning Justice, a former Nickelodeon star. Too bad the filmmakers didn't trust her to shoulder a less encumbered performance. She suggests here that she'd do a great job at it. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

Despite some uneven pacing and a few meant-to-be-funny clunkers, this comedy squeaks out the laughs thanks to a blend of quirky characters and surreal situations. Lil Rey Howery and John Cena make a surprisingly funny duo in Vacation Friends. Howery and Orji play straight couple to Cena's and Hagner's wacko shenanigans. The latter pair bring chaos, disaster and mind-altering antics wherever they go, including two drug trips that make for a couple of out-of-control and memorably entertaining sequences. Howery's perennially put-upon good guy is the most relatable of the bunch, but Cena's mysteriously "weird but impressive" skillset (detecting the precise moment when a bird will poop or communicating with Mayan shamans) also add up to an endearing character. His military connection with Marcus's father-in-law is also amusing ("Permission to s--t my pants, captain." "Permission granted."). The film won't be for everyone, and jokes about infertility, cancer, human trafficking, child abduction, and drug trafficking could rub some people wrong. But Vacation Friends has its moments and, maybe more surprisingly, its charm. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

Bob Ross is having a moment, and this film both capitalizes on his continued popularity and critiques the multi-million-dollar business built up around him. Produced by Melissa McCarthy, her husband Ben Falcone, Steven Berger, and regular partner Divya D'Souza, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed offers some revelations about the beloved celebrity, including details concerning his hair and a possible affair. But the main claim of those interviewed is that Ross's former business partners, Annette and Walt Kowalski, unethically undermined competitors in the TV painting business and made away with sole rights to Ross's name and image after his death. The fact that these are now owned and lucratively exploited by someone other than Ross's family, and in a way that would seem to contradict much of what Ross stood for and wanted himself, is an understandable source of heartache for his loved ones. It's also a juicy narrative hook for the film. But the man also deserves a film focused more on his who he was, what made him tick, what he accomplished during his life, and what he meant to people, which is a lot judging by the testimonials here. The documentary's interest for the global audience of Ross fans may actually be limited by its dogged focus on the Kowalskis and the missing pieces of this puzzle (more than a dozen interviews were declined, we're told, including the Kowalskis). His legion of fans should know about this saga, but the film could have struck a better balance. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

This heartwarming tale is held together by a strong central performance from Hawaiian-born actress Cravalho. The film touches on the very real issue of teens being unhoused, but not in a didactic way. In fact, Cravalho (best known as the voice of Moana) infuses Amber with such energy as a well-adjusted, cheerful, and kind young woman, despite her hardships, that you can't help liking her. The film and Cravalho do a crafty job pulling you in so that you're invested when things take a turn for the worse, which they definitively do in this story based on the YA novel Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick, who also wrote The Silver Linings Playbook. Some audiences will be drawn to All Together Now by the high-profile supporting actors, namely Carol Burnett and Fred Armisen. Neither has an especially standout role, and Armisen in particular feels under-used. The iconic city of Portland, Oregon, is also under-exploited as the setting. Two other recent releases come to mind as making more of their Pacific Northwest backgrounds: Netflix's drizzly Washington-set The Half of It and Disney's quirky Portland-set Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Lyrics on the soulful soundtrack notably echo the storyline. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

This is a slick, suspenseful, big screen-style action film that seems primed for a franchise. The superpower storyline allows for a parade of visually explosive effects, and the tale's compelling characters with real-world problems add appeal. Embedded in these characters, in turn, are broader themes about the obstacles that Black people -- and especially young Black women -- face in America. Two young Black female characters ultimately save the day, and Project Power references Henrietta Lacks, the Black woman whose cells were involuntarily harvested and used in medical research for decades. Despite more than a few implausible sequences, Fishback is very credible as Robin, playing the teen as tough and brave, yet profoundly vulnerable and nearly defeated. She's the real discovery in this film, though Foxx is solid as the flawed hero and Gordon-Levitt adds humor, including a funny running joke of him practicing his "tough guy" lines, Clint Eastwood-style, in the mirror. The setting is another character: New Orleans is treated as a bit of an underdog that needs standing up for, its past devastating floods earning repeated mention. "You know what happened last time we were counting on guys in suits to look out for New Orleans," Frank quips at one point. He's not wrong. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.

This is a fascinating and entertaining tale that's more about Russian history than Russian hockey. If you're looking for the latter, try Red Army, the 2015 documentary by the same Russian American director, Gabe Polsky. Red Penguins' narrative arc neatly parallels both Boris Yeltsin's presidency and the emotional experience of the Americans involved in the Russian hockey team -- from the excitement of reinventing a beloved national franchise at the dawn of Russia's '90s-era democracy, to the thrill of puzzling out a new culture with wildly successful marketing campaigns, to the eventual realization that rampant corruption and criminal activity would cut the entire venture short. The story isn't told exclusively from the Americans' perspective, and the Russians interviewed -- including journalists, a reputed mafioso, former KGB agents and military officers, and people involved with the hockey team -- offer mixed recollections of the same experiences. Polsky does an impressive job exploring his sources' personalities, and perhaps even probing their authenticity, leaving the camera on them as they react to their own stories, often with evident emotion concerning the relationships, people, hopes, and dreams left behind. Read the full review at Common Sense Media.