by admin | Oct 11, 2025 | Articles, Moviephone Articles
(L to R) America Ferrera and Matthew McConaughey in ‘The Lost Bus,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
On Apple TV+ on 3 October is ‘The Lost Bus’, a based-on-truth thriller directed by ‘United 93’ and ‘Bloody Sunday’ filmmaker Paul Greengrass, which stars Matthew McConaughey (‘Dallas Buyers Club’).
“Inspired by a true story of survival.”
The movie also features the likes of America Ferrera (‘Barbie’), Ashlie Atkinson (‘The Gilded Age’), and keeping it in the family, McConaughey’s mother Kay (‘Bernie’) and son Levi (who makes his film acting debut with this movie).
Related Article: Matthew McConaughey to Star in Paul Greengrass’ Peasant Revolt Drama ‘The Rage’
Initial Thoughts
‘The Lost Bus,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Paul Greengrass can direct this sort of ripped-from-the-headlines drama with one hand tied behind his back; he’s proved time and again that he’s capable of wringing real emotion out of human chaos.
Fortunately, ‘The Lost Bus’ finds him fully in control of his faculties as a filmmaker, keeping the focus sharp and largely side-stepping cliches like a bus careening away from falling power lines.
Script and Direction
Director Paul Greengrass on the set of ‘The Lost Bus,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Written by Brad Ingelsby (no stranger to either taught, tense drama or against-the-odds stories having created such projects as ‘Mare of Easttown’) and Greengrass, the new movie doesn’t seek to sensationalize the devastating events of the Camp Fire that tore through the town of Paradise in California and its environs, but keeps its eye largely on the occupants of the bus.
Greengrass near documentary style keeps things compelling as the disaster erupts around the community, stopping in on the fire fighting forces trying to tame the deadly blaze and those in charge of running the school bus system that proves vital to the evacuation.
Cast and Performances
Matthew McConaughey presents a nominee for Oscar® for Actor in a Leading Role during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Naturally, the focus is on the two leads and the kids aboard the bus, who all give good, naturalistic performances. A lot of weight is given early on to Kevin McKay’s (McConaughey) frustrations in life and fractured relationship with his son, but that’s mostly to provide drive for him as he seeks to save his young charges then get back to his own child.
But one other performance deserves a shout-out: Ashlie Atkinson, who is superb as Ruby, the manager/dispatcher at the bus depot, who initially clashes with Kevin, but soon shows her own spine of steels as the crisis worsens.
Final Thoughts
It might be a fairly standard version of the heroic small-town true story, but in Greengrass’ hands it’s scary, impressive and watchable.
Kudos also to the effects team, who bring the various fires to such vivid life you might feel yourself getting warm.
‘The Lost Bus’ receives 80 out of 100.
‘The Lost Bus,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
What’s the story of ‘The Lost Bus’?
‘The Lost Bus’ is a white-knuckle ride through one of America’s deadliest wildfires as a wayward school bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) and a dedicated school teacher (America Ferrera) battle to save 22 children from the terrifying inferno.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Lost Bus’?
- Matthew McConaughey as Kevin McKay
- America Ferrera as Mary Ludwig
- Yul Vazquez as Ray Martinez
- Ashlie Atkinson as Ruby
- Levi McConaughey as Shaun McKay
- Kay McCabe McConaughey as Sherry McKay
- Kate Wharton as Jen Kissoon
Movies starring Matthew McConaughey:
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by admin | Oct 3, 2025 | Articles, Moviephone Articles
(L to R) Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield in ‘Play Dirty’. Photo: Prime Video.
On Prime Video on October 1st is ‘Play Dirty’, the new crime thriller from ‘Lethal Weapon’ writer and ‘Iron Man 3’ co-writer/director Shane Black, who here adapts the work of cult novelist Donald E. Westlake.
“Even robbers get robbed.”
Starring Mark Wahlberg (‘The Fighter’) as inveterate thief Parker, the cast also includes LaKeith Stanfield (‘Sorry to Bother You’), Rosa Salazar (‘Alita: Battle Angel’), Tony Shalhoub (‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’) and Nat Wolff (‘Paper Towns’).
Related Article: LaKeith Stanfield, Jason Clarke & Trevante Rhodes will Lead ‘F.A.S.T.’
Initial Thoughts
Parker (Mark Wahlberg) in ‘Play Dirty’. Photo Credit: Jasin Boland/Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Once the king of the 1980s and 1990s action-comedy script sale, since turning his hand to directing, Shane Black has had a somewhat more mixed career. There have been definite highs (‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and ‘Iron Man 3’) and true lows (his most recent directorial effort was the ill-fated ‘The Predator’ back in 2018). And even when he’s hit the mark, the box office results have not been kind (‘The Nice Guys’ really deserved better).
With ‘Play Dirty’, he’s got some choice (if frequently adapted) source material in Donald E. Westlake’s Parker character, and while he manages to pull off a convincing, double-triple-quadruple-crossing crime caper, there’s a big problem sitting squarely at the top of the cast list.
Script and Direction
Director Shane Black at the premiere of ‘Play Dirty’. Photo: Prime Video.
Black, working here with Charles Mondry (2024’s ‘Road House’) and Anthony Bagarozzi (who co-wrote ‘The Nice Guys’ with the director), has cooked up a twisty heist thriller that draws from Westlake’s novels but isn’t a direct adaptation of any of them.
It’s certainly chock full of action, though the pacing suffers some when the filmmaker takes his foot off the gas (or the train pedal) to dig down into exposition, but that is largely carried by some great actors spouting swear-laden dialogue at each other. Oh, and no points for guessing that the movie is set during Black’s trademark Christmas season.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Stan (Chai Hansen), Parker (Mark Wahlberg), and Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield) in ‘Play Dirty’. Photo Credit: Jasin Boland/Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC.
The elephant in the room in ‘Play Dirty’s case is Mark Wahlberg, who brings about as much charisma to the lead role as some wet, peeling wallpaper. It’s even harder to stomach when you know that Black’s old pal Robert Downey Jr. was originally attached to star.
Still, the rest of the cast essentially act Wahlberg off the screen, with particular plaudits due the likes of Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, LaKeith Stanfield and Tony Shalhoub, the latter getting to show off his gangster side with aplomb.
Final Thoughts
Parker (Mark Wahlberg) in ‘Play Dirty’. Photo Credit: Jasin Boland/Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC.
While nowhere near a classic Shane Black offering (come on Prime Video, just buy the rights and let him reunite Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe for ‘The Nice Guys 2’!), it’s diverting enough, even if the lead character is something of a joyless chore rather than the sharp criminal of the books.
‘Play Dirty’ receives 70 out of 100.
Parker (Mark Wahlberg) in ‘Play Dirty’. Photo Credit: Jasin Boland/Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC.
What’s the story of ‘Play Dirty’?
An expert thief rolls out the biggest heist of his life as Parker (Mark Wahlberg), along with Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), Zen (Rosa Salazar) and a skilled crew, stumble onto a score that pits them against the New York mob.
Who is in the cast of ‘Play Dirty’?
Mark Wahlberg as Parker
LaKeith Stanfield as Grofield
Rosa Salazar as Zen
Tony Shalhoub as Lozini
Keegan-Michael Key as Ed Mackey
Nat Wolff as Kincaid
Chukwudi Iwuji as Phineas Paul
Thomas Jane as Philly Webb
Director Shane Black at the premiere of ‘Play Dirty’. Photo: Prime Video.
Other Movies Directed by Shane Black:
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by admin | Oct 2, 2025 | Articles, Moviephone Articles
(L to R) Daniel Day-Lewis as Ray and Sean Bean as Jem in director Ronan Day-Lewis’ ‘Anemone’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Opening in theaters October 3 is ‘Anemone,’ directed by Ronan Day-Lewis and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Safia Oakley-Green, and Samuel Bottomley.
Related Article: Daniel Day-Lewis to Return to Acting for His Son’s Movie ‘Anemone’
Initial Thoughts
(L to R) Daniel Day-Lewis as Ray and Sean Bean as Jem in director Ronan Day-Lewis’s ‘Anemone’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
It’s been eight years since the great Daniel Day-Lewis last appeared in a motion picture – ‘Phantom Thread,’ one of my least favorite Paul Thomas Anderson films – so the news of his return was rightly regarded with lots of anticipation.
But while Day-Lewis remains a riveting, magnetic presence on screen, the film itself, ‘Anemone,’ ends up somewhat of disappointment. Co-written by the actor with his son, Ronan Day-Lewis – who also makes his feature directorial debut here – ‘Anemone’ is painstakingly slow in stretching a thin, rather well-worn plot to two hours. The younger Day-Lewis pulls off some gorgeous imagery (as befitting his work as a painter), but aside from that and the acting by his father and Sean Bean, there’s not enough here to make this a welcome return for the three-time Oscar winner.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Actor Daniel Day-Lewis and director Ronan Day-Lewis on the set of ‘Anemone’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Maria Lax / Focus Features © 2025 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
‘Anemone’ opens with what chillingly looks like children’s drawings of the Troubles in Ireland and the conflict between the IRA and the British Army, immediately giving us an idea of the story’s backdrop. But the main narrative itself is revealed only sluggishly, as Jem Stoker (Sean Bean) leaves his partner Nessa (Samantha Morton) and her son Brian (Samuel Bottomley) on a quest to see his estranged younger brother Ray (Daniel Day-Lewis), who has exiled himself to a cabin deep in a remote forest for 20 years with virtually no contact from his family.
There’s a palpable unease between the two men at first, with the paranoid and incommunicative Ray only gradually opening up to his sibling. As the film continues, we find out – bit by bit – that Jem is deeply religious while Ray is not (with his own very good reasons, which he recounts in a long monologue as disgusting as it is bizarre), that both men were subjected to a brutal upbringing from their father, and that both also served in the military during the Troubles – with Ray in particularly wracked by memories that he can’t let go. But Jem is on a mission to bring his brother back with him in order to deal with a family situation that has reached the point of crisis.
(L to R) Ronan Day-Lewis and Daniel Day-Lewis at the premiere of ‘Anemone’. Photo: Focus Features.
In the end, that storyline is just not enough to sustain any momentum, and ‘Anemone’ begins to drag in all the wrong places, just as the critical revelations begin to fully come to light. There are lots of scenes of Ray or Ray and Jem walking through woods or along beaches, which only pad out the essential slimness of the narrative. And that narrative itself doesn’t necessarily tell us anything new that we haven’t seen in tales like this before, of absent, violent, or disengaged fathers, or of men traumatized by the institutions in which they were raised and the legacies they bequeath their sons.
Ronan Day-Lewis and cinematographer Ben Fordesman pull off a number of gorgeous, painterly compositions – while working primarily in muted greens, blues, and browns – but the director also shows his relative greenness behind the camera with some awkwardly showy moves as well. More hallucinatory sequences are mysterious seemingly just for the sake of it, while other scenes – like a massive hailstorm battering down on the characters – seem heavy-handed in their symbolism, as is the fact that the flower of the title, which Jem and Ray’s father used to grow, continues to bloom outside Ray’s cabin.
Cast and Performances
Sean Bean stars as Jem and Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Ray in director Ronan Day-Lewis’s ‘Anemone’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 Focus Features LLC.Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
‘Anemone’ is a small movie, with just five main speaking parts, but of course Daniel Day-Lewis is the main attraction here. And he brings all of his skills to bear in what is certainly an enigmatic, shape-shifting character. Ray Stoker is at times reclusive, misanthropic, cruel, and cold, with a hint of violence churning under the surface; but Day-Lewis subtly, masterfully peels back the hard exterior to show us vulnerability, hurt, and even love. His work meets the moment in a movie that needs him to essentially give it purpose.
Two often underrated actors get a chance to shine here as well. Samantha Morton’s role as the woman at the nexus of the lives of these three men is less well-defined, unfortunately, but Morton does what she can and creates a portrait of a woman for whom a hard life has not quite destroyed her heart just yet. And we have to give it up for Sean Bean, another great British actor who often doesn’t get the credit he deserves, as Jem, the grounded, decent, pragmatic counterweight to his impulsive and tormented brother. Spoiler alert: Bean also avoids the fate that usually befalls his characters in films, which is nice to see.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Daniel Day-Lewis, Ronan Day-Lewis and Sean Bean at the premiere of ‘Anemone’. Photo: Focus Features.
As we stated earlier, Daniel Day-Lewis is an actor one can always watch for his total submersion into whatever character he’s playing, and he’s lost none of that powerful presence in the eight years he’s been away. ‘Anemone’ is worth seeing if you are a DDL completist, while Ronan Day-Lewis certain has enough visual acumen to point toward a promising career as a filmmaker. Bobby Krlic (aka The Haxan Cloak) also contributes a haunting, guitar-driven score that adds a lot of atmosphere.
But by the time it reaches a climax that should be emotional but doesn’t quite get there, ‘Anemone’ doesn’t offer enough of a compelling reason for Daniel Day Lewis’ return, except for the fact that the film – like its subject matter – is a family affair.
‘Anemone’ receives a score of 50 out of 100.
(L to R) Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean at the premiere of ‘Anemone’. Photo: Focus Features.
What is the plot of ‘Anemone’?
A mysterious shared history has left brothers Ray (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Jem (Sean Bean) Stoker estranged for 20 years, with Ray living in self-imposed exile. But a family crisis forces Jem to track Ray down in his cabin deep in the woods and ask him to revisit the most troubling moments of their past.
Who is in the cast of ‘Anemone’?
- Daniel Day-Lewis as Ray Stoker
- Sean Bean as Jem Stoker
- Samantha Morton as Nessa Stoker
- Samuel Bottomley as Brian Stoker
- Safia Oakley-Green as Hattie
‘Anemone’ opens in theaters on October 3rd.
Daniel Day-Lewis Movies and TV Shows:
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by admin | Oct 1, 2025 | Articles, Moviephone Articles
Dwayne Johnson stars in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
Opening in theaters October 3 is ‘The Smashing Machine,’ directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Oleksandr Usyk, and Satoshi Ishii.
“The unforgettable true story of a UFC legend.”
Related Article: Dwayne Johnson and Director Benny Safdie Teaming Up for ‘Lizard Music’
Initial Thoughts
Dwayne Johnson in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
Not nearly as pleasurably anxiety-inducing as his previous films with brother Josh, Benny Safdie’s solo directing debut finds the filmmaker enabling star Dwayne Johnson’s push into the realm of ‘serious actor’ – and on that level, ‘The Smashing Machine’ is a success. The Rock rises to the occasion here with his measured, compelling, and complex portrayal of real-life UFC fighter Mark Kerr, showing vulnerability and humanity that he has largely not explored in his action-heavy resume to date.
As a film overall, ‘The Smashing Machine’ – based extensively on the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name – is less effective. It lacks context for Kerr’s story, which may leave viewers not familiar with the UFC or MMA bewildered, and it’s episodic in nature, weaving the highs and lows of Kerr’s career from 1997 to 2000 around his fraught, co-dependent relationship with girlfriend (and eventual wife, then ex-wife) Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt). Take away Johnson’s absorbing performance, and it’s a standard sports biopic with a weirdly muted energy.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Director Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson and on the set of ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
Safdie seems to take a lot of incidents and even lines of dialogue from ‘The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr,’ the HBO documentary, and his tendency to film in a cinema-verité style brings this film even closer aesthetically to the 2002 doc. The main difference, of course, is that this version features Dwayne Johnson as Kerr, and while we don’t get a lot of backstory on either him or his chosen field, we are nevertheless drawn into his struggle.
Kerr fights on several fronts even when he’s not in the ring. He’s a soft-spoken, gentle, kind man with a vulnerable center – he won’t even go on certain amusement park rides because they’ll hurt his ‘tummy’ – yet he’s also possessed of a deep inner rage that will explode out of nowhere and result in a bedroom door smashed to splinters on the floor. He doesn’t know how to handle defeat because he’s ‘never lost,’ even saying so in an interview before a match in Japan (where he frequently fought). Yet this is also a man who grudgingly realizes that he can’t win all the time, a realization borne out in the film’s final scenes.
Opioids and Dawn are what Kerr battles the most, the former for the pain and wear of his profession and the latter for the pain and wear of co-dependency. In several instances, Dawn comes out into their living room to find him sitting in a stupor, staring at the TV. She’s no angel herself when it comes to substances, with Kerr stunned late in the film when she refuses to stay away from the goodies herself in support of his emergence from rehab. ‘You’re no fun anymore!’ she shrieks at him with almost deliberate cruelty, despite Kerr’s earlier descent into addiction being nothing less than harrowing.
(L to R) Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson and director Benny Safdie on the set of ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
The brawls inside the ring are less emotionally fraught but more physically brutal. Boxing may be the ‘sweet science,’ but UFC fighting is frankly nothing less than barbaric. Yet the fighters themselves are respectful to each other outside the ring, even friends, which provides its own touching moments.
Safdie shoots all this, as mentioned earlier, in a somewhat detached documentary style, but the compilation of incidents from Kerr’s life and career never take on an organic momentum of their own. That may be Safdie in part trying to avoid the usual rise-fall-return of most sports biopics (and biopics in general), which is commendable. But he still can’t avoid a number of the tropes and the film almost fights itself, trying to show a documentary restraint yet not quite reaching any real emotional heights – except in Johnson’s raw performance.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt star in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
‘Raw’ is really the right word for Dwayne Johnson’s performance (which does bring to mind the Safdies’ reinvention of Adam Sandler in ‘Uncut Gems’), and fans may be unnerved to see him sobbing at several points in the film. Wearing prosthetics to bury himself more in the role, Johnson visibly digs deep and delivers, even if the viewer is aware that he’s also thinking about his award-season run.
Emily Blunt’s Dawn Staples is a problematic and not especially sympathetic character; while Blunt throws herself into the part (their biggest fight, climaxing in a bathroom, is intense and even frightening), the character is difficult because she’s either subservient to Kerr or selfishly manipulative toward him. Dawn is both exasperating and the typical ‘girlfriend/wife’ we see in sports biopics, but the movie never quite burrows under her skin.
Much of the rest of the film – in keeping with Safdie’s seeming desire to replicate as much of the documentary as possible – is cast with real people from the world of MMA and UFC playing either themselves or fictionalized versions of other real people. Ryan Bader in particular is quite good as Kerr’s former friend Mark Coleman, bringing sensitivity, decency, and honesty to a character whose loyalty Kerr constantly tests.
Final Thoughts
Dwayne Johnson stars in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
As we said at the top of this review, the main focus of ‘The Smashing Machine’ – Dwayne Johnson’s transformative performance – is what works best. Which is a good thing, both for him and the movie, although no doubt debates will rage over whether this is a shameless bid for awards recognition from an actor whose chops – like those of fellow wrestlers-turned-actors John Cena and Dave Bautista – have not always been taken seriously.
Still, Johnson does step up, although in the end ‘The Smashing Machine’ itself is serviceable, occasionally fascinating, and intermittently moving. We’re not sure what the film says in the end: Mark Kerr was a UFC and MMA pioneer before they became cultural behemoths, and in a sense he was passed by as a result. But since that has been chronicled already in a documentary, does a narrative version have a point? That’s the barrier ‘The Smashing Machine’ struggles to break through.
‘The Smashing Machine’ receives a score of 75 out of 100.
(L to R) Director Benny Safdie, Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson on the set of ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
What is the plot of ‘The Smashing Machine’?
Legendary mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) battles addiction, injuries, and other challenges to his career, while also entwined in a dysfunctional relationship with his girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt).
Who is in the cast of ‘The Smashing Machine’?
Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr
Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples
Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman
Bas Rutten as himself
Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn
Lyndsey Gavin as Elizabeth Coleman
Satoshi Ishii as Enson Inoue
Dwayne Johnson stars in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.
List of Dwayne Johnson Movies:
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by admin | Sep 25, 2025 | Articles, Moviephone Articles
June Squibb as Eleanor in ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Opening in theaters September 26 is ‘Eleanor the Great,’ directed by Scarlett Johansson and starring June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Jessica Hecht, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Will Price, and Rita Zohar.
Related Article: 20 Best Movies of Scarlett Johansson’s Career Ranked from Worst to Best
Initial Thoughts
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Rita Zohar as Bessie in ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Like many actors before her, Scarlett Johansson moves from in front of the camera to behind it for her directorial debut, ‘Eleanor the Great.’ And there is talent there: Johansson’s direction is mostly unfussy and she largely stays out of her own way in laying out this intimate comedy-drama.
She’s also aided immensely by another tremendous performance from 95-year-old June Squibb, who’s as irascible and steadfast as she was in her knockout 2024 starring vehicle, ‘Thelma.’ But both the director and her leading lady are let down in part by a script that makes a fatal Hollywood mistake – and all in service about what is occasionally a profound story of loss and remembrance, told in the shadow of the Holocaust but dangerously coming close to undermining it.
Story and Direction
Scarlett Johansson, June Squibb on the set of ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Eleanor Morgenstern (June Squibb), 94 years old, is widowed yet living contentedly in Florida with her best friend, Bessie (Rita Zohar). But an abrupt change in circumstances forces Eleanor to move to New York City, where she initially moves in with her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and her grandson (Will Price), a scenario with which no one is particularly comfortable.
Feeling adrift and distant from her family, Eleanor wanders into a support group for Holocaust survivors – and begins to tell the story of Bessie, herself a survivor who never shared her experience with anyone but Eleanor, as if it was her own. She attracts the attention of a young journalism student named Nina (Erin Kellyman), who is making a film about the survivors, and soon becomes a friend and mentor to Nina and even meets her father, a local New York news anchor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) – all while her ill-conceived lie takes on a life of its own.
Scarlett Johansson on the set of ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
And that is where Tory Kamen’s script goes wrong: in pretending to have lived Bessie’s life, Eleanor creates a terrible problem that didn’t need to happen. She could easily walk into that survivors’ group, apologize for being in the wrong room, but still offer to talk about her friend Bessie – and perhaps even be welcomed. There’s another version of this movie in which she does that. But her mistake – lying that she herself is the survivor — feels less organic than contrived for the purposes of making this movie, which gives the movie an air of being deliberately manipulative even as it struggles with its tone.
That’s not to say that Johansson and her actors don’t get a number of good moments out of this material. They do, particularly in Eleanor and Bessie’s early scenes together, and later when Eleanor is desperate to salvage the relationships she fosters in New York. The film does also have some poignant meditations on grief and the role of family, and it’s also a nicely realized New York City movie in a year that’s seen some good ones already. But the seriousness of Eleanor’s mistake, and the needlessness of it, clashes with both the darkness of Bessie’s story and the more lighthearted aspects of the film.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman as Nina, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Roger in ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Jojo Whilden. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
The cast here is quite strong – and Johansson adds a note of real gravitas by casting real survivors as part of the support group – but this is June Squibb’s show all the way. Despite the script’s problems, which threaten our empathy with Eleanor, Squibb overcomes that with her wit, her candor, and her mix of compassion, heartbreak, and stubbornness, giving this actor another impressive notch in her incredible career renaissance.
Ejiofor and Hecht are good in somewhat underwritten roles, but the other standout is Erin Kellyman as Nina, who is dealing with her own sense of loss and trying to find her way in the world as a young woman. Her intelligence and charisma shine through.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) June Squibb as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Great’. Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
We’ll certainly give Scarlett Johansson kudos for tackling difficult material as a first-time director, and for the inarguable decision to cast June Squibb. But the weight of the subject matter is at odds with the film’s overall tone and aesthetic, plus there are other aspects of the story – like whether Eleanor can rightly be left on her own – that are glossed over. ‘Eleanor the Great’ has its moments, and might even produce some laughs or a lump in the throat, but great it’s not.
‘Eleanor the Great’ receives a score of 65 out of 100.
June Squibb as Eleanor in ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
What is the plot of ‘Eleanor the Great’?
Witty and troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein moves from Florida to New York City following a devastating loss. She soon tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own, while befriending a 19-year-old journalism student.
Who is in the cast of ‘Eleanor the Great’?
- June Squibb as Eleanor Morgenstein
- Erin Kellyman as Nina
- Jessica Hecht as Lisa
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Roger
- Rita Zohar as Bessie
- Will Price as Max
(L to R) Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb on the set of ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
List of Scarlett Johansson Movies:
Buy Tickets: ‘Eleanor the Great’ Movie ShowtimesBuy Scarlett Johansson Movies on Amazon
by admin | Sep 22, 2025 | Articles, Moviephone Articles
(L to R): Alexei Shostakov/ Red Guardian (voiced by David Harbour), Yelena Belova (voiced by Florence Pugh), Kamala Khan (voiced by Iman Vellani) and Blade Knight (voiced by Todd Williams) in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’, exclusively on Disney+. Photo: Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
Landing on Disney+ on September 24th is the new Marvel Animation limited series ‘Marvel Zombies’, which spins off from the zombie-filled episode of ‘What If…?’ and loosely adapts the comic book run.
“Who will save us from our heroes?”
Created by Zeb Wells (who serves as head writer and showrunner) and director Bryan Andrews, ‘Marvel Zombies’ features the voices of Iman Vellani (‘The Marvels’), Elizabeth Olsen (‘Avengers: Infinity War’), Florence Pugh (‘Thunderbolts*’), David Harbour (‘Black Widow’), Simu Liu (‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’) Kari Wahlgren, Awkwafina (‘Crazy Rich Asians’) and Dominique Thorne (‘Ironheart’).
Related Article: TV Review: ‘What If…?’ Season 3
Initial Thoughts
Blade Knight (voiced by Todd WIlliams) in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’. exclusively on Disney+. Photo: Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
While Marvel’s Disney+ output has been somewhat hit-and-miss, the Marvel Animation team has been enjoying much more success, and ‘Marvel Zombies’ certainly counts as one of those.
It may not be perfect, but it’s certainly a lot of gory, darkly-hued entertainment.
Script and Direction
Caption (Center): Zombie Okoye (voiced by Kenna Ramsey) in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’, exclusively on Disney+. Photo: Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
Zeb Wells has enjoyed unusual power in the Marvel world, overseeing much of the animated output, but with good reason –– he and his writing team have crafted sharp, clever takes on the MCU, with ‘Zombies’ as no exception.
It’s not for the faint of heart and certainly dives into some dark areas (don’t get attached to all the characters, even some well-known ones), but it delivers the Young Avengers action many have been waiting for on the big screen, albeit in bite-sized chunks.
Bryan Andrews’ direction is also solid. Though the animation might not be the most advanced, it’s certainly stylish enough and gets the job done.
Cast and Performances
Zombie Captain America in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo: of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
Featuring the usual mix of MCU veteran performers and some talented voice types who imitate others, this is a great showcase particularly for the infectious enthusiasm of Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan and the usual great work of Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova. Kudos also to Simu Liu, whose Shang-Chi really goes through it in this story, and to Todd Williams, who voices a very different version of Blade from any we’ve seen before.
Final Thoughts
(L-R): Kamala Khan (voiced by Iman Vellani), Blade Knight (voiced by Todd Williams), Alexei Shostakov/ Red Guardian (voiced by David Harbour) and Yelena Belova (voiced by Florence Pugh) in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo: Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
‘Marvel Zombies’ is by turns full of action and drama, some impressive set-pieces and ideas, and emotionally fun performances from MCU actors and others.
It’s funny despite the post-apocalyptic storyline, and with just four episodes, doesn’t outstay its welcome.
‘Marvel Zombies’ receives 80 out of 100.
Zombie Thanos in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2024 MARVEL.
What’s the plot of ‘Marvel Zombies’?
After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
Who stars in ‘Marvel Zombies’?
Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov
Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
Awkwafina as Katy Chen
Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop
Randall Park as Jimmy Woo
Todd Williams as Blade Knight
(Center): Zombie Okoye (voiced by Kenna Ramsey) in Marvel Television’s ‘Marvel Zombies’, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
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