IN THE HAND OF DANTE follows the parallel lives of a New York author (Nick Tosches) in the 21st century who embarks on a violent journey after he is recruited by a mafia don to steal Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy written in the poet’s own hand, and Dante in the 14th century seeking inspiration to write his most important work – each man unknowingly connected through time and their obsessive quest for love, beauty, and the divine.
In select theaters June 12 and on Netflix June 24, watch the brand-new trailer for IN THE HAND OF DANTE.
The film is directed by Julian Schnabel, (BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) written by Julian Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg, based on the novel by Nick Tosches.
The cast includes Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Gal Gadot, John Malkovich, Sabrina Impacciatore, Louis Cancelmi, Franco Nero, Benjamin Clementine
The score for the upcoming Netflix series Man on Fire, composed by Max Aruj, blends propulsive action with a deeply emotional core. It was developed over a six-month process with a mandate to avoid the original film’s musical legacy. Central themes include “Creasy Investigation,” a driving baritone guitar–led motif, and “Man on Fire,” a sweeping piece tied to the series’ most powerful moments.
Based on A.J. Quinnell’s book series, Man on Fire tells the story of John Creasy. Once a high functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations, Creasy is now plagued with intense PTSD. Determined to overcome his personal demons, he sets out on a path to redemption. But, before he can adjust to this new life, he finds himself back in the fire, fighting harder than ever.
In addition to serving as composer on Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and the video game Screamer, Max contributed additional music to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible – Fallout and the series The Crown. When we last spoke with the Los Angeles–based composer in June 2021, Aruj was working on CRAWL and ICE ROAD. https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2021/06/interview-with-max-aruj-composer-of-ice-road-lansky-and-crawl/
Man on Fire will stream on Netflix on April 30.
The series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead role of Creasy, alongside Billie Boullet, Alice Braga, Scoot McNairy, Bobby Cannavale, and Paul Ben-Victor. Director Steven Caple Jr. directs the first two episodes of the series’ seven-episode season.
WAMG: It’s good to talk to you again. It’s been since, like, 2021.
MA: I know, a long time.
WAMG: The new trailer for this show, have you seen it?
MA: Wait a second, is there a new trailer?
WAMG: There’s a new trailer, it’s great! Have you seen the series yet?
MA: They’re wrapped. Oh, yeah. Because by the time I came on, they were already picture-locked, so I just got to score the whole thing straight up, really smooth. really streamlined, so it worked out great.
WAMG: I gotta tell you, congratulations on all your success in the recent years. I mean, when we last spoke, we were talking about Crawl, we were talking about Ice Road, and then I see you as composer on Mission Impossible, Top Gun, another Mission Impossible!
MA: And I see right next to you The Right Stuff poster, and that is a movie that we discussed when doing Mission, because McQ (Christopher McQuarrie) loves that movie, and loves that score.
WAMG: So let’s talk about Man on Fire. It’s really great! The score is terrific. Who did the vocals? How did you come about that? Because the vocals on that one cue are fantastic.
MA: Thank you for pointing that one out. This gentleman named Maroka Paris, who is a singer from Portugal, so, what I love about this whole process is that at the beginning, I worked with the Netflix team, and they said, let us know how we can help, what can we do, And we just kind of talked, and we said, what cool musicians could we work with? The story’s very intimate. The story’s very personal, and also, you know, there’s these big moments of action where the score explodes. And Sam and Ashley brought up a bunch of musicians, and Morocco was one of these singers that has this super unique tone and a really special approach to singing.
I listened to his music, and I thought, whoa, we have got to get that guy. And we reached out and spoke to him, and thank goodness he was available and interested. And then we spoke, sent in the tracks, and then we did a remote session with him, where we sent them the tracks, and we had video, and we got an audio feed, and we got to watch him sing. And it was one of my favorite moments, I think as a professional, because I heard his voice and I thought, whoa this is going to be so impactful and it was such a win for the whole team.
WAMG: I’m listening and all of a sudden, you hear these amazing vocals come in. Plus, there’s a lot of great percussion from another country.
MA: That’s right. So since they’re in Brazil in the show, we’ve really got to dig into those colors. So, for example, we used some samba influences, maracatu influences, which is African-influenced drumming. Ashea, which is kind of a combination of samba, reggae, and pop. And then, in terms of instrumentation, we got to use Kashishi seeds, timbales, cajon, Congas, frame drum…Hondero, and these weren’t necessarily all invented in Brazil, those instruments, but they’re heavily used in Brazilian music. So, it really started to feel special and unique to that location.
And then we also got to work with another wonderful musician whose name is Ayuri Oliveira. And he’s also in Portugal and plays some incredible Brazilian percussion, and when you get a good musician, in music, it becomes three-dimensional, because all of a sudden, these bills are popping, And these grooves are just combining in ways that make it feel like a living piece of music. So, I’m so glad you enjoyed that, and the percussion is something that, again, from the very beginning, working with the team was such a win.
WAMG: There’s so many emotional parts to your score… some powerful stuff. I was wondering, you had already said everything was locked in? By the time you went to score the film, had you seen some of the rough cuts, or was it completely done when you started scoring?
MA: I started basically August 1st of last year, and I worked until the end of January. So, I think everything was picture-locked, so when I started, I wrote some suites, and then they said, okay, we like these, but we’d love to see more. Then I scored the whole of episode 1 all in one go and then presented it to them, and in general, every concept worked. Because we have them named one way for 6 months, and then we change them at the last minute.
WAMG: When I was listening to it, I found my favorites were the real emotional, very melodic tracks,“My name is John Creasy” and then “She needs you…“
MA: With “My Name Is John Creasy”, that kind of descending melodic line we actually pitched for the titles as well. That was in the running, and the director said, I love it. But they wanted something a little more punchy for the titles, and I’m glad it landed where it did.
I’m so happy that everything went according to plan, because creating these variations from that piece I thought would work was well received, and it worked so well with picture, and just kind of gives just the right hug to the music that it needs to feel that emotion.
WAMG: So, it sounds like everybody was really receptive to what you brought to the table, what you brought to the series. Which came first, them saying, here it is, here’s what we want, or you, here’s my music, here’s what I have to offer.
MA: I watched it, and we had some initial discussions, and they said, we want you to come in with a vision. And at first, I was like, whoa, okay. I asked some questions where I was thinking, do you want it to be like this or like this? They responded and said, we want you to come in with your own ideas.
They gave me their vote of confidence, which really is the best way to start a project, because you just feel so supported, and then I did, and it was so fun and exciting. Episodes 1 and 2, we had a lot of back and forth. kind of working out a few of these creases, Uh, no pun intended.
And just making sure that all these moments were honored. But in general, the stuff for Poe, the stuff for Creasy worked really well off the bat, so I’m so glad.
WAMG: In these last few years, you’ve been working on Top Gun, you’ve been working on Mission Impossible but every time I’ve listened to one of your scores, they all sound so different. How do you avoid repeating when you’re trying to get that distinct, unique music palette for a new project? How do you go from not sounding like the Top Gun theme, or how do you go from not sounding like the Mission Impossible to this, because it doesn’t sound like anything you’ve ever done, quite frankly.
MA: Thank you. That’s a great question, and I think that question is starting to apply even more as I’m doing more, because now, I’m booking jobs where people will say, we love what you did in this thriller. We’ve also got a thriller. They don’t say, can you do the same thing?
But as I’m working on it, I might do a piece, and I think, you know what? Did I not kind of do this concept already? How can I enhance it? How can I reinvent it? And it’s hard. And people like Lorne Balfe are the master at when they start a new project, they have to think of new ideas, and think about how much he’s done, and always thinking, okay, how can I approach this with a new lens and a new perspective?
I think the challenge of it is that when you book a project, you’ve got to deliver quickly. So that means you have to write original material very quickly, and then the next part is, it needs to sound original sonically with either new instruments or new sounds that no one’s ever heard before, so you really have a lot to do super quickly. And in this case, on Man on Fire, I was thrilled that both elements of those were received well. I was always thinking throughout the project, it’s going so smoothly, like, when’s the other shoe gonna drop? And then it never did!
WAMG: It’s a great score! There are certain scores that can stand entirely on their own, outside the context of the movie like Star Wars. There’s certain iconic movie albums that you could listen to outside of the movie. There doesn’t even have to be a film yours is one of those scores. This is a great score just to listen to. Are you, as a composer now, writing for the visuals, or are you writing so the music stands by itself?
MA: That’s the goal, is that someone can listen to it and be moved, and have no clue about what the series is. They should hear notes, and they should feel a sense of loss and longing. And a rousing sense of heroism, or trying to find some heroism within yourself. And if the audience or listener can feel that, then that’s the goal, you’ve won, and especially with a well-written series, every episode has been crafted and sculpted. So, if you write a good piece of music, it will mimic a good character arc. It just naturally will happen, and so if you write a good theme and melody, if you put that up against episode 7 in the climactic moment, it needs to work, because if it works there, then you work backwards and backwards. And it will just take on a life of its own, even without picture, so it takes practice to do that. I feel like only just understanding how to do that, because I don’t think that it’s automatic being able to do that at all.
WAMG: When do you know that a scene doesn’t need music? Is it difficult to leave a scene silent as a composer?
MA: Let’s just put ourselves 10 years ago when the producer and director are coming into your studio for every meeting and you will watch a reel, so let’s just say 20 minutes and you will craft that stuff together, and then you will come upon a scene where you’ll talk to each other, and you’ll say, I don’t think this needs music here, because we just had such a moving cue before, and then we go right into an action scene after. So, this 2-minute dialogue scene, let’s do it without music. And then you will have remembered and decided together as a team that that works. I think when everyone is remote, and everyone is off on their own, It’s just more natural when you’re sitting by yourself to think, Should this have music here? And the answer is, it could. but you know, the scene is well written, it doesn’t need it, we know where the characters have come from, we see where they’re going.
So a lot of the time, I would score more scenes than I needed to, and then on the dub stage, at the very last second, we’d say, you know what, we don’t need this here. And the post supervisor, Paul Goldman (co-producer) was brilliant in saying, we don’t need this here, and he would be cutting out music along with the whole team, and I thought, this is what we want, because we don’t need to over-score all these intimate scenes. If it works without it, that’s what we’ve got to do.
WAMG: The last time we spoke, you were composing the score for the video game, Wrath of the Druids, and now you’ve done the score for The Screamer, which got great reviews. A lot of composers go back and forth. For instance the Game Awards held in December have become huge now. They have 3 Music categories (outstanding original scores, licensed soundtracks, and original songs in gaming), and the composers getting nominated are big names (Bear McCreary, Lorne Balfe). Even the Grammy Awards – The Academy now hosts a dedicated Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media category. Do you find that you’re still approaching that just the way you would any score for any projects?
MA: I think, as I’m getting better and better when I was scoring those cut scenes, because the length of a scene or of a piece, or a game really matters, so I started to learn very quickly that almost every cutscene had three parts to it. There was a beginning, middle, and end. So as soon as I understood that, I tried to boil the scene down into these really simple parts, so that I could maximize the effect of the music, just knowing that we’re going to bring the audience in, then there’s the body of the scene, and then in the last part of the scene, there was some climax. or some conflict that would yet be resolved, or that is resolved. So I think once I understood these scenes, I was just flying, and I knew how to approach each one of them.
WAMG: Your YouTube page, especially for people who love film scores and want to be composers, is great to watch. Before, you got a score, you bought the record album, and that’s all you got out of it. What advice do you have to people who might want to become composers?https://www.youtube.com/@maxaruj3831
I think practice is always the number one thing. You know, when you’re practicing an instrument like piano, you can practice 12 hours a day. With brass, you can’t practice that much, but with composition, one should see it like an instrument, so you should be practicing and writing pieces and setting goals for yourself. 7 days a week. When you’re starting out, there’s plenty of things you need to do, but what I love is that now, once I’ve gotten the wheel going and I’ve made some amazing connections and worked on some amazing projects. Now I’m almost back to the basics of it, it’s all about the writing.
I think for any aspiring composer, what I can say is that it really is you need to do networking, but let’s say you get the project, then you have to be able to write all these different genres and teach yourself other genres and new genres you may have never even heard of. So, it’s just about practice.
WAMG: What do you have coming up?
MA: First of all, we do have Man on Fire videos that are being made right now, so, those will be coming out in a couple weeks and we worked with an amazing editor named Dallas Crane, who spearheaded this whole process, so I’m really thankful for him.
And next, I’m actually working on a thriller right now which is kind of wild and exciting. They have a deadline coming up. I’m doing a first pass, but not gonna rush, because we’re going to revisit it after this deadline.
And I’m also working on a video game. It’s a VR game, actually. And as I was saying, I had to learn an even new genre for this project. It’s so humbling starting a new project and you’re thinking, oh my god, I thought this music was really easy to make, but it’s not. That keeps you engaged and challenged and excited, so I’m thankful for it.
Max, it was a pleasure, once again, to speak with you. I love the score and I think people will really like the music. I think people who love the movie will also like the series.
Check out this delightful trailer for the upcoming animated feature SWAPPED.
Swapped is a buddy comedy about a small woodland creature, voiced by Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan, and a majestic bird (Juno Temple).
When these two natural sworn enemies of The Valley suddenly swap bodies, they must team up, while walking in each other’s feathers and fur, to survive the wildest adventure of their lives.
Testa’s books are truly magical. Her other works include Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peanuts, and CoComelon.
Directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled), the story is scripted by John Whittington (The Lego Batman Movie) and writing partners Christian Magalhães and Robert Snow (DuckTales, WondLa). John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews will serve as producers.
SWAPPED also stars Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer and Justina Machado and debuts May 1, only on Netflix.
“Are we the good guys?” – Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been friends since they were in elementary school, and now they’re bringing that friendship to Netflix. The duo are reteaming for the new crime thriller The Rip, from writer-director Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces, Copshop, Boss Level). Also coming along for the ride are Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Calle; the film is produced by Artists Equity, the studio-led studio that Damon and Affleck founded in 2022.
If you think you’re going to walk in and figure this one out while watching, I must say, you probably aren’t. The story has more twists and turns than a Monaco race track, and you catch on pretty quick that nothing is as it seems. The pacing is smooth, the dialogue is tight and economical, the action does NOT disappoint either. It may be a Netflix movie, but it really could have killed at the box office. I like Carnahan’s movies, and this is amongst his best. The chemistry with Affleck and Damon has not diminished with time, and the supporting cast all pull their weight with them. It’s definitely the edge-of-your seat action one wants from a crime drama, and the settings all feel like they could stand up to much bigger budget movies.
Beware: spoilers ahead, so if you don’t want to know too much, save the below for later.
THE RIP follows Damon – Lieutenant Dane Dumars – and Affleck – Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne – as Miami cop partners who find themselves in a sticky situation after their team finds $24 million stashed away in a safehouse. Required by law to count the money before leaving the scene, the cops and their team must survive the night — and each other. Plus the team is already on edge — and under FBI investigation — after the murder of their captain, Jackie Velez (Lina Esco).
And they find the police informant in the house, Dumars and Byrne’s first instinct is soon proven correct: The money is from the cartel.
Desi (Sasha Calle), the home’s owner, is an unwitting pawn in the organization’s game. The cartel paid Desi to place buckets of cash in the attic of her new home, inherited from her recently deceased grandmother. With plenty of funeral and medical expenses to pay, it was an offer the young woman couldn’t refuse. Partner turns on partner, bullets start flying, and the cartel is on the prowl. When threatening phone calls start coming through and the house is hit with a barrage of bullets, the team naturally blames the cartel. But a nighttime chase quickly resolves that question. Byrne finds common cause with the cartel lookout who was communicating through the porch light. He even helps him run off the real culprits and coordinates a phone conversation with his cartel chief (Sal Lopez), who convinces Byrne and Dumars that the cartel didn’t fire a shot.
“The Rip came out of a deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami Dade police department,” Carnahan explains. “It’s inspired in part by his life and then, by my enduring love for those classic ‘70’s cop thrillers that really valued the character and interpersonal relationships and became touchstones of that era — films like Serpico and Prince of The City and more recently, Michael Mann’s Heat.”
The viewer will discover that there are details in the movie drawn directly from officer Chris Casiano’s true story that inspired the film. The final piece of tension emerges from a procedural detail: will the rip’s final total match the count performed by the Tactical Narcotics Team? It does, to the dime: $20,650,480.
Dumars says goodbye to Desi, and reveals the truth behind his tattoos. They’re not a somber reminder of his duty, necessarily. They’re a memorial to his son. “Are we the good guys?” was the last thing his son said to him; “We are and always will be” was the last thing he said to his son.
Shot masterfully by cinematographer Juanmi Azpiroz, the film is filled with gunfights, car chases, and rooftop shootouts. This is The Rip. You won’t want to miss it.
With all the manic activity, preparations, shopping, and general “hub-bub” that fills the holiday season, most of us have precious little “downtime” to reflect. If you do get a “breather” you might pause to mull over your relationships with family and friends. And perhaps not all those memories are seen through “rose colored glasses”. Yup, regret can be an unexpected source for the end-of-the-year blues. This new film proclaims that those “pangs” can even affect the very-rich and famous. That includes iconic Hollywood “A-listers”, like the title character of this movie. And the “m-word” certainly applies to him because there are few movie stars that have been at the top of the box office longer than that “leading man” with the “matinée idol looks”, Mr. JAY KELLY.
Naturally, when we first meet Jay Kelly (George Clooney) he’s on a movie set, wrapping up his final scene. Right at his side is his devoted longtime manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), as they hear “Cut!”. Back at his lush estate, Jay meets with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s preparing to join some school friends on a train trip through Europe. Jay tries to convince her to cancel and hang out with him between acting gigs. She declines just as Ron delivers a big bombshell: the director that gave Jay his “big break”, Peter Schnieder (Jim Broadbent), has died. Jay then recalls their last get together when he passed on Peter’s last film project. After attending the funeral, Jay runs into his old acting-school buddy, Tim (Billy Crudup), who suggests that the two get a drink at their old dive bar hangout. Things turn sour when Tim recalls how Jay got a role he had wanted, Their reunion ends in a fistfight on the sidewalk. The next day, Ron does damage control as Jay hits him with a bombshell. Rather than work on a new project with a hot directing duo, he’ll go to a Tuscany film festival that wants to honor him with a career award. But Jay doesn’t want another piece for his mantel. He makes a few clandestine calls, and finds out Daisy’s travel itinerary by following her BFF’s credit card trail. With Ron in tow, along with his long-time publicist Liz (Laura Dern), the “Kelly crew” flies to France where they board Daisy’s train. Along the way, Jay reconnects with the “common folk” while drifting in and out of memories before the big event in Italy, where he’ll encounter more folks from his troubled past.
So Clooney as a long-time, decades-spanning screen icon…not much of a stretch, sure. The guy has enough charm to spare, or at least for a couple more years. But here he peels back the sparkle to show the melancholy at Jay’s core. We see the sadness edging out that boyish twinkle in his eye as Clooney projects an unexpected vulnerability when Kelly realizes that time may not heal all wounds. His pairing with Sandler as the put-upon “wrangler” Ron is most inspired. Yes, Ron’s devoted to Jay, but Sandler shows us how the countless frustrations are boiling to the surface, ready to dour some hot steam into that suave mug. And he shows how his own family is losing the “tug-of-war” with Kelly. Dern’s great as another senior member of the “crew” who has his own regrets concerning her past with Ron. As Liz, Dern channels the staccato line delivery of those classic movie workin’ gals.The supporting cast is very impressive, including Patrick Wilson as another star in Ron’s “stable” (their Dinner “confab” is a highlight), Stacy Keach as the “rough around the edges” reminder of Jay’s boyhood, and Riley Keough as the elder Kelly daughter who is immune to papa’s “too late” attempts to reconnect. But the big standout may be the superb early-in-the-story turn by Crudup as the affable at first, old method acting buddy who suddenly bares his fangs on the startled “old pal”.
This is the latest work of one of the medium’s most interesting filmmakers, Noah Baumbach, who crafted the script with actress Emily Mortimer, who also plays Jay’s hairstylist Candy. This is a more grounded story than many of his more fanciful flicks like his WHITE NOISE, but not nearly as emotionally raw as MARRIAGE STORY. He gives us an interesting “insider’s view” of the industry, with riffs on several current stars and their scandals (now, who might those directing brothers be). Plus, Noah does dip his toe into fantasy with his unique flashback “transitions”. Suddenly, Jay will work through a day and be plunged into a major mistake from his past (he’s on his first movie set, he’s at a therapy session with one of his kids). We get some nice comic bits with the cute train passengers who adjust to the big star quickly. Oh, and that location works, especially in Tuscany, is quite dazzling. Though this can get a bit too fluffy and “navel-gazing”, the story does make its point concerning the consequences of putting your career first since in the non-soundstage world, we don’t get a second “take” to make things right. That’s a good lesson for moviegoers and movie stars like JAY KELLY.
In this high-speed modern age, it’s hard to recall a time when much of the country was nearly inaccessible. No airports or interstate “super-highway” systems existed, just a little over a hundred years ago. Well, somebody had to “clear the way” for the ever-expanding US population as it headed west. So, what were these hard-toiling workers like, emotionally. What were their desires, and how did they carve out a life for themselves, and, eventually, their families? This new film, based on a recent celebrated literary work, tries to answer those questions as it focuses on one such man in the early part of the previous century. After several grueling hours of laying track, did he close his eyes, and drift away into a slumber filled with TRAIN DREAMS?
That laborer at the heart of this story is Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), who relates his humble beginnings as a young orphan arriving via train to Idaho in the late 19th century. Most of his early memories revolve around the railroad and the surrounding forests. He sees Chinese immigrant rail workers being driven out of town, and even gives a water-filled boot to a dying man near the bottom of a ravine. In his teenage years, he hops on to a locomotive that takes him far away from his adopted family, to Washington state. After a long stint as a logger, he settles in a small town and meets a lovely young woman at a church function. Robert and Gladys (Felicity Jones) begin a romance that culminates in marriage. They build a home near a stream on the edge of the woods far from their village. Robert is happy, but he’s haunted by dreams of an incident in which he failed to intervene in an attack on a Chinese co-worker. Soon the couple welcome a daughter, Kate. But Robert soon leaves once more, to work on the railway expansion hundreds of miles away. He keeps to himself, but befriends a colorful old explosives excavator named Arn (William H. Macy). When that job is completed, Robert rushes back to his cabin for a happy reunion. Sadly, fate has other plans. He must decide whether to drift from job to job or try to put down roots near the site of his great, heartbreaking loss.
In the lead role, Edgerton must make Robert compelling without reciting much dialogue. And he certainly succeeds, making his tired eyes a window into the stoic man’s soul. We can almost share his aches and pains as Robert toils to make a better life for his family. This gives an extra emotional wallop as Edgerton conveys his joy (falling in love, playing with Kate) to his sorrow (that tragedy and the horror of the work camps). Many of the most powerful moments are the scenes shared with Jones, whose Gladys is the bright, shining light in Robert’s dreary drudgery. It’s surprising to see her as the main catalyst to the relationship, catching him “off guard”. Jones’ beaming gaze at him informs us of her passion for the new life she has begun as wife and mother. Another terrific actress, Kerry Condon, also brightens Robert’s life as a new-found friend who begins a job at a nearby forest preserve. Their interplay is quite engaging, as she describes her own love of the solitude of nature. As is the case in his superb supporting work, Macy makes the most of his scant screen time as the lazy bur lovable “blaster” who makes Robert the “sounding board” for his philosophy, while generating laughs as he tinkers with faulty equipment (“Stand back, boy…aw, c’mon now!”).
With his sophomore feature, director Clint Bentley carefully crafts a somber saga of early American life in the West. He also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation of the Denis Johnson novella with Greg Kwedar, which eschews showy histrionics in order for Robert to tell his own story of love, loss, and regret. There’s a dream-like quality to the early scenes of young Robert collecting lifelong memories that will shape his later years. Adding to the dreamscape of the title, Bentley presents images and sequences that could be fantasy or fact, as Robert deals with his own fractured history. All this is enhanced by the rich, luminous cinematography of Adolpho Veloso (tough to go wrong with that lush scenery). For those film fans in need of a quiet, contemplative respite from the usual “rapid_fire”, bombastic movie fare, TRAIN DREAMS is cinema serenity.
3 Out of 4
TRAIN DREAMS streams exclusively on Netflix beginning on November 21, 2025
While we’re awaiting the big year’s-end animated sequel from the “Mouse House”, here’s quite a tasty CGI (mostly) appetizer you can stream at home. Fledgling Kuku Studios , with assists from Netflix and Sony Animation Studios (yes, the Spider-Verse folks) have produced quite a charming bit of lyrical whimsy that focuses on family dynamics via the imaginary world dotting the “dream-state”. Sure, it sometimes veers into nightmare territory, but more often several rousing fantasy adventures occurs IN YOUR DREAMS.
We’re first introduced to the story’s main character, a pre-teen girl named Stevie (voice of Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) during a pleasant daydream set in the not-too-distant past. She’s having lots of fun making a French toast breakfast in the kitchen, along with her lovably goofy musician Dad (Simu Liu). Soon after Mom (Cristin Milioti) joins them, the dream shifts into chaos with the sudden arrival of a baby brother. Stevie awakens in the present day as she is distracted while making breakfast by the antics of her now eight-year-old wannabe magician kid brother Elliot (Elias Janssen). Mom and Dad are nearby having a pretty serious discussion (the thin walls allow Stevie to get the gist). Mom is heading to Duluth (several hours away) to interview for a higher-paying job, since Dad’s music career has somewhat stalled. Could this prompt a big move. Unfortunately, Dad wants to remain in the old house, so could this lead to them breaking up? Fortunately, Stevie is given a task to take her mind off her worries. She’s going shopping with Elliott to find a book he can write a report on for his class. At a second-hand shop, Elliot innocently brings home a tome from the “off-limits” back room (that dreamy clerk did say it’s priceless). The dusty ole’ storybook is all about “the Sandman”. As if prompted by its subject, Stevie has a weird dream that Elliot’s bed behaves like a flying horse. Or is it a dream? Before she can figure things out, the duo are whisked to a land of living breakfast foods where Elliot is reunited with his thought-to-be-lost favorite childhood toy, a stuffed giraffe named Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson). Somehow he leads them to the land of the Sandman (Omid Djalili) who gives Stevie a chance to make all her dreams come true. Can this be the only way to keep her family together?
This film is truly an entrancing tale with splendid dollops of “eye candy’ that will dazzle animation lovers of all ages (there’s even a few seconds of 2D-style classic “line art”). Big congrats to Erik Benson and Alexander Woo on their feature film directing debut and on the heart-tugging, witty script they co-wrote with Stanley Moore. In that aspect they’ve crafted a most sensitive approach to a great fear of family fragmentation with empathy and maturity. But they haven’t been stingy with the laughs. Baloney Tony may be the big breakout comedy star due to his bouncy, “floppy” physicality and the infectious energy in the vocal work from Robinson. Ah, but those visuals…particularly in the dream settings, with the Sandman’s desert-like domain highlighted by a grainy castle inspired by M.C. Escher (stairs in every possible direction). I was also impressed by the land of breakfast treats, from their sprightly intro to the later “dark turn” with “zombie donuts”. Much of the film’s strength comes from the steady pacing, allowing us to drink in the themes without manic “in-your-face” extreme reactions. But when things kick into action mode, the movie soars, much like the amazing over-the-city and above the clouds flight of Elliot’s bucking-bronco-bed. Also worth savoring (hit that rewind) is the hilarious montage of nightmare trope (“naked in public”, “unprepared for a test”, “teeth falling out”, etc.). All the excellent animation acting (the natural gestures and bouncy double and triple-takes) are given extra “oomph” by the subtle music score by John Debney. Sure, it’s not a big epic blockbuster, but family audiences will savor the wonders and everyday warmth (lots of laughs and heart) of Stevie’s journey throughout IN YOUR DREAMS.
3 out of 4
IN YOUR DREAMS is now streaming exclusively on Netflix
“There is no one else like him. Nobody. He’s been famous longer than just about anyone alive, and he’s never lost who he is.” – director and two-time Oscar winner Angus Wall.
For those of us who grew up in the 1980’s listening, on cassette, to Eddie Murphy – there was nothing else like it. RAW and DELIRIOUS was and still is COMEDY GOLD. Decades later, so many of his phrases are just as repeatable and memorable as they were in 1983 and 1987.
From stand-up prodigy and Saturday Night Live phenom to beloved Hollywood icon, Being Eddie chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of the genre-defying star through exclusive interviews with Murphy himself and his comedy peers, offering an intimate portrait of this once-in-a-generation talent.
But wait… there’s more. Check out his hit “Party All The Time”!
It goes without saying that there is only one Eddie Murphy. No other teen comedian shared a stage with Jerry Seinfeld at 17, and joined the cast of Saturday Night Live right out of high school. No actor has ever played a cop, a doctor, and a donkey — and dominated every facet of Hollywood he’s touched. Fewer still have been an A-list celebrity for over four decades, and never succumbed to its darker side. Murphy’s unusual combination of explosive charisma, focused ambition, raw talent, and deep-set circumspection puts him in a league of his own, and is on full display in Being Eddie, directed by two-time Oscar® winner Angus Wall.
The documentary gathers comedy and Hollywood legends like Dave Chappelle, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Reginald Hudlin and more to celebrate the Oscar®-nominated actor and his nearly 50-year career that’s seen him break barriers, invent genres, and inspire generations of talent. For the first time ever, Murphy invites the public into his home to revisit his breathtaking body of work, all the while revealing the dazzling interior life that has long driven — and grounded — this once-in-a-century star.
“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.
Looking for something fun and unusual to stream – check out the K-pop and animation phenom that is KPOP DEMON HUNTERS.
When they aren’t selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.
The animated film, which is now streaming on Netflix, comes from Sony Pictures Animation (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. The Machines), is directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, and features a script by Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Kang, and Appelhans.
Watch the trailer for the film that premiered June 20 on Netflix.
Collider said in their review: Great World-Building, Catchy Songs, and Impressive Performances Make Netflix’s Surprising New Film Unmissable. “It’s a beautifully bonkers fantasy premise that works, thanks to gorgeous animation and choreography, fun lore, a set of talented voice performances, and catchy tunes.”
Variety’s review:‘ K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Review: High-Concept Toon Is as Catchy as the Korean Music Phenom That Inspired It. “Because the nimble, genre-hopping movie is set in the world of K-pop, it may not even occur to fans that they’re watching a musical — although it’s kind of hard to deny as you catch yourself singing along.”
See what fans are saying over on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/1lg0bvl/what_do_you_guys_think_of_kpop_demon_hunters/ “Just finished watching it. Love it. And I’m not even a k-pop fan.” “It was amazing. Great animation, I loved most of the songs, and the vibe was off the charts.” “Its entire production is gorgeous. This is one of those movies that makes me desperately want to buy a Blu-Ray copy to own forever. “
