A scene from the Belgian TV series “Chantal” Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice
Season 2 of the charming Belgian crime dramedy “Chantal” picks up where the first season left off. The way lead detective Chantal (Maaike Cafmeyer) handled that concluding hostage situation landed her in hot water with the brass and – even worse – the rich asshole who runs the town as his own fiefdom, Schiettekatte (Wim Opbrouck), who is the driving force behind her suspension. That puts “The Sheriff” reluctantly in charge of the department, to absolutely no one else’s satisfaction – especially his. Here’s the review of Season One to bring you up to speed or refresh your memory. The season also starts with a brief recap of prior events: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2025/02/chantel-tv-series-review.
This round gives us six episodes, opening and closing with two-parters and a pair of stand-alones in between. Chantal’s look and life remain quite disheveled, as she has yet to be accepted by the feds and higher-ups who view her initiative and opinions skeptically, despite the success she continues to deliver. The sexism is rather amusing, albeit frustrating for her to slog through, making it all the more gratifying when she outshines them. The tone remains largely playful, apart from a couple of serious developments for balance.
This season brings more of the same type of lightly-presented crimes, ranging from missing cremation ashes to major theft to killings, with a very low cumulative body count. The season’s running subplot is that Schiettekatte has decided to challenge the feckless mayor in the next election, which would spell disaster for the department and community. He’s itching to get even with the cops for how he was treated in Season One. Compared to before, there’s more script time for a number of supporting characters and their story arcs, letting the cast of (mostly) oddballs and eccentrics develop more than in their debut season. Chantal’s daughter Emma (Anna-Marie Missoul) and bar owner Muze (Zouzou Ben Chikha) make particularly good use of their increased presence.
Season 3 has just aired abroad, so it’s quite likely to cross the pond to our streaming shores. I hope it won’t be as long a wait for its US release as this was. Too much fun to defer.
“Chantel” Season Two, mostly in Dutch with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, July 15, 2025, with two episodes debuting weekly through July 29, 2025.
RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars
A scene from the Belgian TV series “Chantal” Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice
(l-r) Jacob Tremblay as Joe Kane and Nick Offerman as his dad Jerry Kane, in SOVEREIGN. Courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment
It is not kings but citizens as sovereign, as Nick Offerman stars as a father of a teen-aged son, played by Jacob Tremblay, in the true story-based thriller in SOVEREIGN, about these followers of the extremist, anti-government Sovereign Citizen belief system. The film also features Dennis Quaid, who plays a police detective, also a father but of a grown son who is training to become a policeman, who the father and son extremists encounter. This tale of two fathers is tense, moving and heartbreaking, as their world views come into conflict.
A little research uncovers that “Sovereign Citizen” is an actual far-right, anti-government world view, based on pseudo-legal beliefs derived from their interpretation of parts of the U.S. Constitution, a version of the Magna Carta and British common law. Those interpretations lead them to conclude that if they reject citizenship of a state or country, they can act as individual “sovereign” entities not constrained by normal laws, such as a requirement to have a driver’s license, and other rules of society.
The film itself gives scant few details on the extremist Sovereign Citizen belief system underlying these tragic events, leaving the film’s audience wondering and unclear on much of it, and in fact, doesn’t even use the term “sovereign citizen.”
Still, SOVEREIGN is very well-acted, well-made and a tense film that blends family drama and crime thriller elements in which things spiral down when opposing belief clash, but it is a film that can be grim and hard to watch. It was directed and written by Christian Swegal, based on a 2010 West Memphis, Arkansas, incident involving a father-son pair who adhered to far-right Sovereign Citizen ideas. In the film, ultimately, your heart breaks for this teenager, a good son to a misguided parent.
Nick Offerman is excellent in this film, and the same can be said for Jacob Tremblay as his dutiful son, in this tragic, true story-based drama/thriller. Jerry Kane (Offerman) is a single parent raising his son Joe (Tremblay) according to these extremist beliefs. Jerry makes a living by traveling around the country giving seminars on legal matters, like ways to avoid foreclosure, by following steps derived from Sovereign Citizen beliefs. Ironically, while Jerry is advising people on legal matters, particularly on real estate, he and his son are facing foreclosure on their rundown, modest ranch home.
What little the film shares with audiences on these extremist views in delivered when Nick Offerman’s character, Jerry Kane, talks about those concepts as he lectures his audiences, in his “legal” seminars and on a podcast where he is a regular guest, both with audiences already familiar with Sovereign Citizen beliefs. The film’s audiences would have benefited from a little more basic details, maybe with some text at the film’s start, explaining what Sovereign Citizen is. We do not get an exposition scene from the authorities (mostly police or the courts) in the film, because the authorities Jerry Kane encounters are as unaware of Sovereign Citizen as most of the film’s audience likely is.
While his father is traveling for his work, the home-schooled Joe Kane is left at home, so he is there alone, when a representative of the bank comes by to serve notice that foreclosure is looming. Joe accepts the official papers, and when the policeman with the bank representative tells Joe he has to clean up the house and property and maintain it so it can be sold, Joe dutifully does that.
Returning home, Jerry is irritated that Joe accepted the legal documents, but not unduly so. He has a solution, which is to go out on a speaking tour, collecting donations at each seminar. Usually Jerry leaves the teen home alone when he hits the road but this time he takes his son along to help, and his son’s dog too. Joe is thrilled to tag along with his dad, and is hopeful that they will raise enough money to make a payment on the mortgage and get to keep their home.
The father and son encounter Dennis Quaid’s police detective after a traffic stop, when dad Jerry is taken into custody for driving without a license and insisting on his pseudo-legal belief that his does not need one because he is “traveling” rather than engaged in commerce. While Jerry sorts out his issues with the law, teenager Joe is place in a juvenile group home and encounters kindly social workers that give him a glimpse of a different world. While still wanting to stay loyal to his father, the home-schooled Joe starts to dream of going to high school and of a different future for himself.
In many ways, Offerman’s Jerry is a good father, supportive of and encouraging to his son, although his extremist worldview blinds him to what might be best for his son Joe. Joe is a good kid, a dutiful son who loves his father, but is less certain about the Sovereign Citizen beliefs.
The film is also a kind of tale of two fathers, as Quaid’s character is also a dad, although of a grown son, Adam (Thomas Mann), who is training to be a police officer. While Offerman’s Jerry is warm and encouraging to his son, Quaid’s character is more inclined to criticism, even critiquing his grown son’s parenting skills with his own infant son. Both Quaid’s and Offerman’s characters have their strong beliefs about the world, one conventional and the other extremist, and both have loving sons who are eager to please them. But the fathers diverge in their interpersonal styles with those sons, just as they do in their worldviews, although not in the ways you might assume.
As events unfold with the bank and Jerry Kane’s belief system clashes with the way the world really works, things start to spiral down for both the Kanes, and tension builds in the film. A moment of violence both raises that tension to a high-pitch, and brings Quaid’s character back into their sphere, as the film rushes to its stark conclusion.
SOVEREIGN is a heartbreaking study of a father-son relationship impacted by extremist views, and a belief system (about which the film is unnecessarily vague) at odds with the real world, told in parallel with another father-son relationship. The story of the fathers and their sons is both gripping and moving because it is true, but ultimately, the film’s story is also a sad, grim experience, with tragic consequences all around.
SOVEREIGN opens in theaters in select cities and is available to rent or buy starting Friday, July 11, 2025.
This weekend’s big movie release, perhaps THE biggest of the whole Summer, may remind some folks of the song, “Everything Old is New Again”, which is itself over fifty years old. That’s because this flick’s subject matter, its title character, actually, is nearly 87 years old. But its influence and legacy have never left the pop culture landscape in all that time since 1938. Oddly, his first real foray into “big time” full-length feature films occurred forty years later, just in time to hit theatres before Christmas. Now that the Summer has been the usual domain for superheroics, naturally, this “re-boot/re-imagining” of his return flight, after a big “touchdown” twelve years ago, is only natural. The follow-ups to that 2013 film sputtered, so the force behind one of rival Marvel’s most popular trilogies has been given a chance to work his “movie magic” once more. The marketing art implores us to “Look up”, but you may want to lower your gaze a bit to screen level (unless you get stuck in the first row) for the sparkly shiny new epic of the “OG’ himself, SUPERMAN.
This version “draws a line in the sand” (the snow actually) with an opening that doesn’t recap the iconic “origin story”. No, they give us a few brief title cards concerning the rise of “Metahumans” during the time of “Gods and Monsters”. From there, we join Superman AKA Clark Kent AKA Kal-El (David Corenswet) plummeting into the frozen tundra after getting his a…cape “handed” to him by the armored assassin named the “Hammer of Boravia”. Seems that Supes had tried to block his homeland’s invasion of its peaceful neighbor Jarhanpur. It’s pretty much a return to the widely downloaded trailer as faithful dog Krypto arrives to drag Supes to the usually hidden Fortress of Solitude. Inside the gleaming towering crystals, he’s quickly checked on and patched up by a team of chatty robots. To facilitate his “healing,” the bots play a video message from his birthparents in his native Kryptonian, though much of the playback was corrupted when Kal’s spaceship crashed to Earth. Despite the robots’ protests, Supes is soon airborne on his way back to Metropolis USA. Ah, but someone in the snowbanks also observes his exit, the nanotech-enhanced villainess the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), who reports back to her boss in Metropolis, none other than the tech billionaire genius Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), CEO of Luthercorp. He’s also badmouthing Superman to a shadowy military council in DC, while also keeping a hand in that “foreign conflict”. But before he can engage in a “rematch” with the “Hammer,” Superman assumes his disguise of reporter Clark Kent and checks in with the staff of the “beacon of journalistic integrity”, the Daily Planet. He’s friends with everyone, especially veteran “newshound” Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). All the while, Lex puts his masterplan into motion, invading the Fortress, destroying Kal’s reputation, and creating a dimensional rift via black holes and “pocket universes” which could split the planet right down the middle. Even with some Methuman backup, can Superman, despite his “amazing abilities”, possibly swoop in and save the day?
With this big, sprawling epic, it may be best to first concentrate on the trio (or is it a quartet) at the heart of this tale. Which leads us right to the title character played by Corenswet, but also to that “alias” Clark Kent, who is almost “bird-like” in his fidgety mannerisms and quick replies to noisy questions from…y’know who. Corenswet spends most of his time as “big blue”, whose demeanor is typically bright and friendly, which makes him almost a “magnet” for kids and “everyday Joes” around the globe. But this hero is still trying to figure things out and is often frustrated by opposing forces and intense distractions. What really marks his interpretation is the fiery emotions that the previously portrayed cool and calm Kal-El had hidden away (though we saw his despair near the finale of the 1978 film). Corenswet shows us that burning desire to do “what’s right” while also giving a hint of his heartbreak when he can’t forestall tragedy. Plus, there’s that “big passion” for that “pesky reporter”, played with steely determination by Brosnahan, giving us a modern liberated spin on the feisty writers of classic films like HIS GIRL FRIDAY. Eschewing the often “damsel in distress” previous iterations, this Lois is very proactive, even leading the charge into battle and rallying reluctant aides. Plus, she’s no “shrieking violet” around “the cape” when an “interview” goes from “fluff” to a fiery ethical discourse, with no “moonlight flight” to soften bruised feelings. But who’s the real “monkey wrench” in this romance? Of course, it’s Luthor played with a seething bravado by the wild-eyed Hoult. This isn’t the clownish criminal kingpin of the past movies. Hoult makes him a hyper-focused tech titan, whose white whale is the flying “boy scout” usurping his well-earned glory. Still, Hoult shows us that he can “smooth out his edges,” whether conning some DC insiders and doing the “dog and pony” dance for TV. His supervillain is truly worthy of this greatest of superheroes.
As for the “standouts” in (as they used to say in the old DeMille-style flicks) this “cast of thousands”, I’ll mention the other superbeings that are introduced here. The trailers have presented a trio of flying friends who refer to themselves as the “Justice Gang” (not permanent). First off, Edi Gathegi is indeed terrific as Mr. Terrific, a science wizard with a somewhat surly no-nonsense swagger. All the nonsense really comes from the hilarious Nathan Fillion as the smirking, boastful Green Lantern rep, Guy Gardner. Plus, they’ve got some added “muscle” and ferocity in Isabela Mercid as the mace-wielding Hawkgirl. Back in the pressroom, Skyler Gisondo is quite the “playa” as chick magnet Jimmy Olsen, who still annoys Wendell Pierce’s Perry White by calling him “chief”. We get a side trip to Smallville to catch up with Clark’s Earth parents plyed with “cornpone” warmth by Neva Howell as “Ma” and Pruitt Taylor Vince as “Pa”, who’s quite touching during an early morning “heart-to-heart” chat with Clark on the “porch swing”. As for the “baddies”, de Faria is a somber “destruction device” as the cruel Engineer, while Anthony Carrigan elicits lots of sympathy as a reluctant villain, a “super pawn”, as the “Element Man” or Metamorpho to fans of Silver Age comics. Plus, we get lots of great “vocal cameos” for the FoS robots, while an “A-lister” shows up as part of the Krypton history.
And just who is the “defecting director” who made the BIG leap from the MCU to be half of the “guiding force” of DC Studios, while helming this “new beginning” from his own script (of course, the tilte character was created by the pride of Cleveland, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)? None other than St. Louis’s own James Gunn, who had helmed the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY trilogy along with THE SUICIDE SQUAD. Now, many purists might be concerned whether he would indulge in some bits of raunchy humor and sight gags, much like that latter film and his “Peacemaker” and “Creature Commandos” HBOMax streaming shows. Happily, he has produced a “family friendly” entertainment that balances moments of heart with witty satire (his take on internet trolls is hysterical). Perhaps the biggest surprise is how relevant the story is to the current state of the world. Luthor stirs up animosity toward Superman’s “outsider” origins, and like some other recent screen stories, fires up paranoid fears about Kal going “rogue”. Gunn has come up with two fictional countries in the “global conflict” subplot that are almost “ripped from the headlines”. And aside from the Engineers and the “Hammer”. Luthor has an elite quad of heavily armed “enforcers” called the “Raptors,” whose faces are almost covered (hmmm, who might their “real world counterparts” be). So bravo for deftly combining social commentary with a high-flying fantasy.
And big, big kudos for presenting the story in bright warm colors closer to its comic book roots, rather than the dark dreary tones of the last Superman screen series (we’re not in the “Snyder-verse anymore). Happily, Gunn gives an affectionate wink to the best loved movie Supes with the use of the John Williams theme on the soundtrack, and two 1978 characters with a “tech-bro” named Otis (Terence Rodemore) and a surprisingly essentional Eve Teschmacher (Sara Saampaio). Well, like many comic fans I do have more “issues” (sorry about that). I was reminded of a line from the nadir of 1990s superhero flicks, BATMAN AND ROBIN in which George Clooney, in cowl and cape, says, “Now I know why Superman works alone”. While he does get a “push” in the 70s and 80s movie series, this “caped wonder” requires lots of help. mainly from the Justice Gang and Krypto, which somewhat tossed the established trope of Superman as a “solo” crusader.I realize that this happens early in crimebusting career, but Supes makes so many odd choices in his actions and doesn’t appear to be using his “super smarts”. I’m baffled that they turned the usualy awkward nerdy Jimmy Olsen as a ladies man. Maybe I don’t get “the joke”. Speaking of which, gifted SNL vet Beck Bennett has almost nothing to do as Planet “news jock” Steve Lombard while Mikela Hoover’s Cat Grant dashes about it a huge platinum blonde 70s ‘do. Since we’re thrown right in the middle of the action, we’re denied the first meeting and eventual romance of Lois and Clark (mind you, the chemistry between Brosnahan and Corenswet is quite engaging). I wanted more moments of those two talking, but time must be made for the CGI destruction of Metropolis, and Gunn does bring this all in at under 130 minutes. No superhero bloat here. As I mentioned earlier, Hoult is so compelling and deserves a better resolution to Lex rather than a retread gag from an MCU epic. But, as the old joke says, ” It’s a good start”, I’m eager to explore this new DC movie universe that Gunn and his filmmaking team are plotting. Here’s hoping that they’ll guide a sensational sequel (and prequels and spin-offs) to this often spectacularly soaring SUPERMAN.
In the gritty, explosive action-thriller She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton stars as newly released ex-con Nate. Marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) at all costs. Shy, precocious, and wary of her father, Polly is swept up in Nate’s dangerous plight as they flee to evade the corrupt sheriff and brutal leader of a gang who will stop at nothing to protect his criminal interests. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive — and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means in this intense, moving story about loyalty, strength, and redemption.
In theaters on August 1, check out the new trailer now.
Egerton is currently starring in Apple TV+’s series SMOKE as well as the Netflix film CARRY-ON.
Directed by Nick Rowland, the filmmaker has directed episodes of Cuffs, Ripper Street and Hard Sun for BBC One. His debut feature film, Calm With Horses, premiered at TIFF 2019 and went on to be nominated for the Sutherland award at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival, before its general theatrical release in 2020.
SHE RIDES SHOTGUN’s screenplay is byJordan Harper and Ben Collins & Luke Piotrowski and based on the book byJordan Harper.
Michael Musi as Farid and Madison Walsh as Jo, in the Canadian crime drama TV series “Something Undone.” Courtesy of MHz Choice.
The crime drama from Canadian TV, “Something Undone” starts with an unusual premise. Farid and Jo (Michael Musi, Madison Walsh, who were also co-writers of the series), a pair of true-crime pod-casters come across a 30-year-old sensational murder in a small Newfoundland town in the house of a family of five, with Satanic-type symbols scrawled on its walls.
The case was closed on the decision that the father killed his wife, kids and self. But Farid and Jo suspect that’s not the whole story. Farid goes to the town and is met with hostility (and more) at every turn. Few are willing to answer his questions. The police chief takes a “nothing to see here” approach, claiming the old file can’t even be found.
Meanwhile, Jo is obsessing over her own personal history and issues. She’s on medications for mental health problems including alcohol abuse, and digs deeply into the suicides of her mother and granny for answers to her own fragile psychological state. She and Farid are at odds over the value of her treatment and the dangers of her drinking, further complicating both of their efforts. The action alternates between the two, linked by their erratic attempts at communication.
Farid concludes the heinous crime had been whitewashed, unfairly pinning the blame on the father. He learns there were similar killings in the area around the same time that were never solved. The town depended heavily on tourism, and didn’t want visitors to be deterred by any perceived dangers. Dredging up the old story is seen as a new threat to that part of its economic base by most of the locals. An unseen hand appears to be keeping a lid on the facts, and punishing anyone who provides information to the journalist.
The story stays suspenseful throughout its 10 hour-long episodes, but empathy for the protagonists is hard to maintain. As Farid and Jo clash and fail to support each other’s burdens, they grow more annoying than sympathetic. One saving grace is the excellent performance by Billy Campbell as a local religious do-gooder with a questionable past.
Those of us who crave closure should consider this caveat. The series aired in 2023. Though there aren’t big cliffhangers, it leaves dangling plot points most would want resolved. As of this writing, it’s unknown if a second season or follow-up tele-film are in the works. I hope either will come to pass.
“Something Undone” Season One begins streaming MHz Choice on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
RATING: 2 out of 4 stars
Madison Walsh as Jo in the Canadian crime drama series “Something Undone.” Courtesy of MHzChoice
When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.
SMURFS features an all-star voice cast including Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Marshmello, with Kurt Russell and John Goodman.
Directed by Chris Miller, SMURFS opens in theaters on July 18.
WAMG is giving away to our St. Louis area readers eight (8) family 4-packs of passes.
The special SMURF-Tastic advance screening is on B&B West Olive Creve Coeur 10 this Saturday, July 12th at 11:00 AM. (tons of free activities and prizes for the kids)
EMAIL michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com to enter. WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman! All of St. Louis turned out downtown at The Arch to celebrate Independence Day with the Man of Steel.
From the Daily Planet to Krypto to the Fortress of Solitude, St Louis was treated to a dazzling drone display that was out of this world as fans cheered on Big Blue!
Celebrate Saint Louis partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures to create the vibrant drone show, designed by Fantasy Drone Shows, with 400 drones and 11 images to promote the anticipated release of DC Studios’ hugely anticipated new film SUPERMAN set to release in theaters on July 11, 2025. The drone show took to the skies prior to the annual tradition of fireworks.
St. Louis fans were able to celebrate hometown hero, director James Gunn, and his highly anticipated SUPERMAN… leaving all of St. Louis saying… LOOK UP!
Written, directed and produced by St. Louis’ own James Gunn and starring David Corenswet in the titular role, the all-new epic action adventure film SUPERMAN will be releasing only in theaters and IMAX nationwide on July 11th. “Superman,” DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.
“Celebrate Saint Louis has always been a hometown tradition—and this year, we’re proud to bring exciting new experiences to the riverfront,” said Tim Meers, Chair of Celebrate Saint Louis. “We’re especially looking forward to honoring St. Louis native and filmmaker James Gunn with a Superman-themed drone show just ahead of the launch of his new Superman movie.”
In one week on July 11, the entire world will look up.
“Superman,” DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. DC Studios heads Peter Safran and Gunn are producing the film, which Gunn directs from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
The film stars David Corenswet (“Twisters,” “Hollywood”) in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (the “X-Men” movies, “Juror #2”) as Lex Luthor.
Get tickets now for #Superman – Only In Theaters and IMAX
WAMG is giving away 10 pairs of Fandango Codes to see the film in theaters.
EMAIL michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com to enter. WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
Fandango Promotional Code (“Code”) is good for up to $30 off the purchase of 2 movie tickets (up to $15 per ticket including ticket price and associated fees and charges, up to $30 total) to see Superman at participating Fandango theaters in the US.
The film also stars Edi Gathegi (“For All Mankind”), Anthony Carrigan (“Barry,” “Gotham”), Nathan Fillion (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “The Suicide Squad”), Isabela Merced (“Alien Romulus”), Skyler Gisondo (“Licorice Pizza,” “Booksmart”), Sara Sampaio (“At Midnight”), María Gabriela de Faría (“The Moodys”), Wendell Pierce (“Selma,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”), Alan Tudyk (“Andor”), Pruitt Taylor Vince (“Bird Box”) and Neva Howell (“Greedy People”).
“Superman” is executive produced by Nikolas Korda, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars Winther. Behind the camera, Gunn is joined by frequent collaborators, including director of photography Henry Braham, production designer Beth Mickle, costume designer Judianna Makovsky and composer John Murphy, along with composer David Fleming (“The Last of Us”) and editors William Hoy (“The Batman”) and Craig Alpert (“Deadpool 2,” “Blue Beetle”).
DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment/The Safran Company Production, A James Gunn Film, “Superman,” which will be in theaters and IMAX® nationwide on July 11, 2025, and internationally beginning 9 July 2025, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
“I want to meet more sharks and explore this beautiful planet. While I’d like to be able to continue that, you never know when you’re gonna go. But if it happens from a shark, I’m putting myself in these extreme situations. So definitely don’t blame the shark.” – Ocean Ramsey
As filmgoers everywhere are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s JAWS, there’s another film about these magnificent creatures that’s airing on Netflix.
From the Academy Award®-winning director of My Octopus Teacher comesSHARK WHISPERER, a provocative and visually arresting documentary that dives into the murky waters of modern conservation, where science, activism, and spectacle collide.
At its center is marine conservationist and social media lightning rod Ocean Ramsey, whose viral videos of swimming freely with sharks have sparked global fascination—and fierce debate. Driven by a desire to leave the cage and decode shark language up close, Ocean strives to connect with these predators on an unprecedented level— hoping to challenge the negative perception of sharks. To her supporters, she’s a fearless advocate giving a voice to misunderstood predators. To her critics, her mission blurs the line between saving the planet and seeking the spotlight.
Through intimate character study and breathtaking underwater cinematography, the film explores the tensions between advocacy and ethics, media influence and ecological integrity. With insight from marine biologists, indigenous knowledge holders, and fellow conservationists—both supportive and dissenting—it paints a nuanced portrait of a polarizing figure and the broader questions she provokes.
One of the best documentaries of 2025, this incredible story is not just a story about sharks. It’s a story about how we choose to tell stories—about nature, ourselves, and what we’re willing to risk to be heard. The film is balanced with the pros and cons of going into the oceans with the sharks, including the account of a 25-year old surfer, Colin Cook, surfing off of Oahu’s North Shore, who was attacked by a tiger shark and lost his left leg. He was rescued by another surfer, Keoni Bowthorpe, who is credited as one of the cinematographers of the documentary.
Wanting to prove they’re not monsters, Ocean, who can hold her breath for 6 ½ minutes while free-diving, was instrumental in getting the law passed in Hawaii making it illegal to kill sharks. Attacks are rare and most sharks swim right past swimmers, divers and surfers all the time.
Two of the big highlights that will leave the viewer in awe, along with grabbing for a kleenex, is Roxy the shark, who has the saddest of stories and the 20 ft. great white that Ocean encounters and catches a ride with, as if it’s a pet dog. Even two dolphins make a visit acting as escorts.
One of the most endearing parts of what Ramsey and husband Juan do is give the sharks they interact with names. Whether it’s their intention or not, the names draw viewers in and it gets us invested in what happens to not only these sharks, but all sharks. From Roxy to Kahili, Nikki and Tank, we now are emotionally attached.
Director of the underwater photography is Keoni Tetawa Bowthorpe, edited by Sam Rogers, and filled with a lovely score by Roger Goula and Sam Thompson, SHARK WHISPERER is a brilliant documentary about what we need most in the world today – HEROES.
Directed by J.P. Stiles, Harrison Macks and James Reed, this is a must-see for everyone. Even the end credits are filled with joy, from the beautiful cinematography of the sharks, an update on Colin Cook and his journey back to the water, to Ocean’s and Juan’s wedding surrounded by their “friends.” SHARK WHISPERER is extraordinary.
Hard to believe that the big Summer holiday, the Fourth of July, is almost here (and it’s on a weekend, too). Well, if you can’t hit the road or hop on a plane, the local multiplex is your best option for a tropical getaway on a secluded island. Now there’s a slight problem with this dot in the ocean. While flies and mosquitoes can dampen the fun, the pests here are much, much bigger. And very aggressive. And hungry (perhaps even “hangry”). Yes, we’re back in the movie franchise established way back in 1993’s JURASSIC PARK. After two “trilogies”, Universal’s ready for a bright, shiny “reboot” with an all-new cast trying to survive in this familiar foliage. Films are always a bit of a gamble, so is “seven” the “lucky number” for JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH?
This entry starts with a flashback from 17 years ago, as a research team in big, clunky haz-mat-like suits is scurrying about their lab. Looks like they’re tinkering with the dinos (always a big “no-no”), and as is usually the case in these stories, things go terribly wrong. After a few title cards explaining that the dinos we saw out in the world (Europe, the States, etc.) are succombing to unfamiliar climate and viruses, and that the general public has grown weary with the beasts (how fickle), we’re in the “present day” (really five years after the last JW flick). An exec for the pharmaceutical giant ParkerGenix, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), is stuck in NYC traffic as a dying Brontosaurus is lost near the Hudson. Ah, but he’s soon joined by the woman he was rushing to meet, “covert operative” Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson). Kreb makes his pitch: he wants to enlist her “team” to make a secret trek to the “forbidden” island home (travel is banned there) of the last thriving dinosaurs and collect blood and tissue samples (the dying nearby creatures are not “workable”). The “extracts” will be the basis of a heart disease “wonder drug”. He does insist on an addition to her team (aside from himself). They swing by the soon-to-be-shuttered dinosaur museum to collect expert paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey). Soon the trio zip down to a port in Ecuador to meet Zora’s team leader, Duncan Kinkaid (Mahershala Ali), who will take them in his high-tech boat to the home of “big lizards”, Ile Saint-Hubert. Along the way, they rescue a family whose sailboat was capsized by a school of aquatic dinosaurs. After a harrowing encounter just off the island’s coast, the family is separated from the “covert” team. As Krebs tries to grab a set of three samples (beasts based on the land, sea, and “air”), the family tries to make their way to a long-deserted village. But, when the mutated (circle back to the pre-title scene) dinosaurs go on the attack, the quest for science (and big “pharma-bucks”) becomes a desperate struggle to survive until a possible rescue. This is no relaxing “va-cay”…
After four years away from the MCU (the home of “never say never”) and a brief detour into the “Wes Anderson-verse”, Ms. Johansson is back in full action heroine “mode” as the “gun for hire” who secretly has a “heart of gold” (no surprise). She’s quick with a snarky quip, but can leap right into the chaos, kicking lots of scaly tail. Somewhat regulated to the “in distress” role is Bailey, a grizzled glass-wearing geek (a fantasy breathtaking “brainiac”), who tries to keep out of the “line of fire” while taking the time to gaze lovingly at the gentler behemouths (he did study under Dr. Alan Grant, y’know). And there’s an Oscar-winner (twice) getting in on the monster mash-ups. Ali is given a bit of a tragic backstory (broken family), but mainly he’s a modern update on the rascally sea captain who loves his boat nearly as much as a hefty cash commission. He makes a fine comic partner with Bailey. Since every party needs a “p##per”, this trip has the wonderfully “weasely” Kreb played with an unseen “twirling mustache” by the glowering Friend. Oh, let’s not leave out the “rescued” (not really “stowaways,” I suppose). Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is the concerned, though confused patriarch Rueben, who just wants some quality time with his daughters, college-aged Teresa (Luna Blaise) and adorable pre-teen “snacker” (loves that licorice) Isabella (Audrina Miranda), who is adorable even as she’s in constant peril. The dinos are enough of a handful, but Rueben has to also contend with Teresa’s slacker, goofball “bae” Xavier (David Iacono), who does wonders with the abrasive role.
They’re all told where to run (and what the “green tennis ball” represents, “monster-wise”) by a director who is no stranger to big studio “IP”, Gareth Edwards. After all, he made GODZILLA work for mainstream US moviegoers, and was behind the brightest light in the post-George Lucas space flicks, the superb prequel ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY. He does bring some fresh energy to the scenes of the beasties in full-attack mode, while still taking a moment to give a “shout-out” to earlier entries (mainly the 1993 OG). Unfortunately, he’s somehow hampered by the disjointed screenplay by (speaking of OG), the adapter of the first two films in the series, David Koepp (he worked on the first Spidey, too). The time in between attack never really holds our interest, despite giving a sad backstory to both Zora (she just lost her partner during a “gig”) and Duncan (who takes a moment to gaze sadly at a faded photo of his son), while Henry tries to convince them to do the “right thing” with the samples (who doubts them). The biggest problem with the story’s structure may be the inclusion of the shipwrecked family. They never really “mesh” with the “mission crew”, which may account for why they’re quickly separated from them after they crash land on the island. Perhaps it was thought that these “average” Joes and Josephines, without firepower, would be easier to put in jeopardy and appeal to moviegoers. The cutting back and forth gets somewhat irritating, much as a TV show would flip from the “A story” to the “B story”. Now it does lead to the big nighttime finale that brings everyone together for another explosive showdown with a new dino “big bad”, the mutant “Distortus rex”, whose look owes a lot to another franchise, mainly the Xenomorphs from ALIEN. Certainly the effects on the critters continue to impress, it’s great to listen to strains of the classic John Williams score, and the carnage hasn’t been toned down to be more “kid friendly”, though I found the relentless “product placement” extremely distracting (make sure the logo is readable on that dangerous floating wrapper). Fans of these flicks will enjoy the usual mayhem and “narrow escapes”, but many may wish for something less formulaic (though this is a big improvement over JWD) than the jungle “jump-scares” of JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH. Now keep your hands inside the boat…
2.5 Out of 4
JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH is now playing in theatres everywhere
