AUTHOR
JP NUNEZ is a longtime film buff and theology nerd with master's degrees in theology and philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. His favorite movie genres are horror, superheroes, and giant monsters.
JP NUNEZ is a longtime film buff and theology nerd with master's degrees in theology and philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. His favorite movie genres are horror, superheroes, and giant monsters.
You know, however, that the Church has not ceased to nurture great appreciation for the value of art as such. Even beyond its typically religious expressions, true art has a close affinity with the world of faith, so that, even in situations where culture and the Church are far apart, art remains a kind of bridge to religious experience. - St. John Paul II
Movie Reviews
nEWEST rEVIEW
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The Life of Chuck is the latest Stephen King adaptation from horror maestro Mike Flanagan, but surprisingly, this isn't a horror film. It's a drama with a touch of fantasy, and it's being marketed as a life-affirming story. Does the movie deliver, or is it a sappy disappointment? Click right here to find out.
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I've never seen the original animated How to Train Your Dragon, but the live-action remake caught my attention. I thought the trailers and the story looked pretty good, so I decided to give the film a shot. Did it live up to this franchise newcomer’s expectations, or is it just another lazy cash grab? Click right here to find out.
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The animated Hulu original Predator: Killer of Killers tells three stories set in wildly different times and places, but they all have one thing in common: they involve Predators hunting the deadliest human warriors they can find. Does the film live up to that intriguing premise, or is it just a soulless cash grab? Click right here to find out.
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From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is the new spinoff of the John Wick films, and to the surprise of no one, it’s another action extravaganza. Is the movie a worthy chapter in this expanding cinematic universe, or does it learn all the wrong lessons from its popular predecessors? Click right here to find out.
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Bring Her Back is the latest horror film to hit American theaters, and it promises a chilling story about two siblings who discover that their new foster mother harbors a dark supernatural secret. Does the movie live up to that intriguing premise, or is it just another lackluster scarefest? Come on in and find out.
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Karate Kid Legends is the franchise crossover nobody asked for. The film brings the original Karate Kid and the 2010 remake into the same continuity, and it introduces us to a brand new teenage martial arts master. Is it the soulless cash grab it appears to be, or is this movie actually worth your time? Click right here to find out.
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Like a lot of comedies, Friendship has one job–it has to make you laugh. The film doesn’t feature horror, action, or larger-than-life superheroes, so it stands or falls entirely on its ability to elicit audible sounds of glee from its viewers. Does the movie achieve that goal, or is it a joyless slog? Come right in and find out.
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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the latest entry in the long-running Mission: Impossible series, and as the name suggests, this might be the last one we ever get (until the inevitable reboot, of course). Does the movie stick the (potential) landing for this decades-long franchise, or has the magic finally run dry? Click right here to find out.
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Lilo & Stitch is one of the most beloved Disney movies ever made, so it was only a matter of time before we got a live-action remake of this animated classic. That time has finally come, and now only one question remains: Is this new version any good, or is it just another soulless cash grab? Click right here to find out.
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The Korean action thriller The Old Woman with the Knife pits an aging female assassin against a young up-and-comer, and even though the film hasn't received a huge marketing push, the little bit we’ve gotten promises impressive action and an intriguing story. It has the potential to be one of the biggest surprises of the year, but does the movie live up to its exciting potential? Come on in and find out.
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The new action comedy Fight or Flight puts a boatload of trained killers in a relatively confined space, and the result is just as wild as you'd expect. But does that admittedly familiar premise make for an enjoyable viewing experience, or is this just an overblown action misstep? Click right here to find out.
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The Norwegian body horror flick The Ugly Stepsister is being billed as a gruesome new take on the classic Cinderella story, and both fans and critics seem to be loving it. But does the film really live up to the hype, or is this just another pointless exercise in gratuitous grotesquerie? Come on in and find out.
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In The Surfer, Nicolas Cage plays an unnamed man who travels back to his hometown to catch some waves with his son, but the locals there won’t let them in the water. They make the titular surfer’s life a living hell every chance they get, and after a while, even the poor guy’s identity starts to come into question. It’s an intriguing premise for a film, but does The Surfer live up to its potential? Click right here to find out.
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Thunderbolts*, the latest superhero adventure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sees a rag-tag band of former B-listers finally get their time to shine when they team up to stop a nearly omnipotent superhuman who's broken bad. Does their big break live up to its fun potential, or is this just a by-the-numbers comic book borefest?
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Until Dawn loosely adapts the popular horror video game of the same name, and it was directed by one of the best genre filmmakers working today. It has all the makings of a great horror experience, but does the movie live up to its potential? Or is it just another forgettable frightfest? Cone on in and find out.
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The new fantasy film The Legend of Ochi tells a very familiar, somewhat E.T.-esque story about a child and her fanciful new friend, and for a lot of film fans, that’s a nearly irresistible cinematic template. But does the movie live up to its great premise, or is it just another style-over-substance letdown? Come right in and find out.
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The 1930s-set vampire flick Sinners is beloved filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s first foray into the horror genre, and his name alone is enough to make this one of the most anticipated movies of the year. But does it live up to fans’ expectations, or is it just a bloodsucking blunder? Click right here to find out.
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Warfare comes to us from the odd-couple directing duo of Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, and it tells the true story of a SEAL platoon’s harrowing fight for survival when a surveillance mission in Iraq goes horribly wrong. Mendoza was actually part of that platoon, so this promises to be one of the most realistic war movies ever made. But does the film live up to that promise, or is it just another militaristic misfire? Click right here to find out.
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Drop is the latest thriller from horror comedy maestro Christopher Landon, and it follows a young widow on a date with a guy she met online. Someone is sending her anonymous AirDrop messages telling her to murder her date, and if she doesn't, they'll kill her son. Does the film live up to its hair-raising premise? Come on in and find out.
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The Amateur is a cerebral revenge thriller that promises to appeal to your intellect as well as your emotions, but does the film make good on that promise? Does this new spin on the longstanding revenge template work, or does it end up being just another John Wick ripoff? Click right here to find out.
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Jason Statham is back in A Working Man, an action thriller about a former Royal Marine who has to get back in the game when his boss’s daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers. Does this movie live up to its exciting premise, or is it a lackluster exercise in visual noise? Come on in and find out.
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Ash is a mind-bending sci-fi horror mystery about an astronaut who wakes up on a distant planet with no memory of who she is or why she’s there, and to make matters worse, she soon learns that her entire crew has been slaughtered. Does the movie live up to that intriguing premise? Or does it end up being an astronomical letdown? Click right here to find out.
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Magazine Dreams tells the heartbreaking tale of an aspiring bodybuilder whose dreams of success just might cost him everything. He’s even willing to give up his health to make it big, and soon enough, these sacrifices are bound to catch up to him. On paper, that sounds like an intriguing premise with universal appeal, but does the execution hold up its end of the bargain? Click right here to find out.
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It may be hard to believe, but The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is the first fully animated, full-length Looney Tunes film ever released in theaters. It’s a pretty big milestone for this storied franchise, but as always, the real question is whether the movie is any good or not. Does it do these beloved characters justice, or is it another bland, nostalgia-driven cash grab? Click right here to find out.
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After knocking it out of the park earlier this year with his arthouse ghost flick Presence, director Steven Soderbergh is back with the Michael Faasbender-led spy thriller Black Bag. Does the acclaimed filmmaker go two for two in 2025, or should you give his latest film a pass? Come on in and find out.
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There’s Still Tomorrow is an Italian dramedy set shortly after the close of World War II, and it follows a normal, everyday woman as she struggles to cope with the misogyny embedded deep within her culture, including a husband who’s both physically and verbally abusive. On paper, that sounds like a worthwhile premise, but is the film any good? Click right here to find out.
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Novocaine has an ingenious premise. It’s an action comedy about a guy who can’t feel pain, and as you can probably guess, that condition comes very much in handy when he sets off on his quest. But does it make for a good movie? That’s the big question, so come on in and find out if the execution lives up to the awesome premise.
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In The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psychotic nursing home patient torments his neighbors behind the staff’s back, and it’s up to one of the home’s residents to put an end to his reign of terror. Stephen King gave this movie a thumbs up, so naturally, it’s caused quite a stir in the horror community. But is it really worth your time, or should you give it a pass? Come on in and find out.
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Mickey 17 is the latest effort from Bong Joon Ho, the award-winning writer/director of the 2019 worldwide hit Parasite, and it follows a man whose job is to die over and over. The film tackles weighty themes like greed, death, the value of human life, but as always, there’s just one question: Is it any good? Click right here and find out.
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Last Breath is the feature film version of a 2019 documentary with the same name, and it tells the real-life story of a harrowing deep-sea rescue. When a saturation diver gets stranded at the bottom of the North Sea, his teammates have to pull out all the stops to save him before it’s too late. Does the movie succeed in bringing this thrilling story to the big screen? Come on in and find out.
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The PTSD-centric dramedy My Dead Friend Zoe follows an army vet who sees her dead best friend everywhere she goes, and it got rave reviews when it premiered at the SXSW Film Festival last year. I’ve been dying to see this film ever since, and now that I finally have, there’s only one question: Does the movie live up to the hype, or is it another overrated dud? Click right here to find out.
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Based on a Stephen King short story of the same name, The Monkey is horror auteur Osgood Perkins’s highly anticipated follow-up to his 2024 horror hit Longlegs. Does it capture the same magic as that Nic Cage-starring serial killer flick, or are you better off giving this one a pass? Click here to find out.
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Despite Steve Rogers’s absence, the Captain America franchise is still going strong. Steve’s longtime sidekick, Sam Wilson, takes up his friend’s mantle in Captain America: Brave New World, and film fans everywhere are dying to know if Sam’s first big-screen outing in the stars and stripes is a hit or a miss. Click right here to find out.
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Even though I love horror, I’m typically not a huge fan of slashers. Granted, there are some exceptions, like the Scream franchise, but those are relatively few and far between. So does Heart Eyes join that exclusive list, or is this Valentine's Day horror comedy just another by-the-numbers slasher bore? Click here to find out.
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Shocking revelations. Violent revenge. Important allegories. Companion has all of that and more, but as always, there’s one question that looms above them all: Is this cinematic cocktail any good? Should you spend your hard-earned time and money on this film, or are you better off giving it a pass? Click right here to find out.
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Love Hurts throws fan-favorite actor Ke Huy Quan into a John Wick-esque scenario where he has to unleash the elite assassin he’s tried to bury deep beneath his new identity as a realtor, and as the movie’s name and February release suggest, it puts a unique Valentine’s Day twist on that familiar formula. It’s a premise with all the potential in the world, but does the film live up to that promise? Come on in and find out.
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A family moves into a new house. Weird stuff happens. They realize that the place is haunted. We’ve seen that basic formula countless times before, but Presence is unique. It puts a novel spin on the time-honored haunted house blueprint, so it inevitably raises a question: Does this new approach work? Come on in and find out.
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On the surface, that might sound like a really generic werewolf story, but Wolf Man takes a somewhat novel approach to its time-honored monster. Once the creature attacks, the rest of this movie takes place over the course of a single night, and it juxtaposes two different kinds of horror. For starters, even though the characters find shelter, the werewolf that attacked them still wants its dinner. It stalks them periodically throughout the film, so we get plenty of traditional lycanthrope action.
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I’m not the target audience for Wicked. I’ve never seen the original Broadway play, and to be honest, I’m not a big fan of musicals in general. In fact, when I first heard they were adapting this play for the big screen, my reaction was little more than a bored yawn. I had no intention of ever seeing it, but that all changed when the movie started to garner some buzz. It eventually became so big I just had to check it out for myself, and you know what? I’m happy I did.
[I]f you’re looking for an old-school, straightforwardly Christian vampire flick, Nosferatu might leave you disappointed. The truth and goodness in this film are at times interwoven with a few less-than-savory elements, and that’s probably going to turn some viewers off. But for my money, it’s not nearly enough to ruin the movie. This is still a stunningly executed tale of good vs. evil with a slightly more personal twist
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I don’t play many video games these days, but when I was a kid in the ‘90s, I used to love them. I had both NES and Sega Genesis, and some of my favorite games were Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I still remember all the joy I used to get from running through the loops, picking up rings, and defeating the evil Dr. Robotnik, so it should come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of the Sonic films as well. I love the first two movies, and coming into 2024, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was one of my most anticipated films of the year.
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I have to let you know that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is very much a stand-alone story, so if you’re not familiar with the world of Middle-earth, don’t fret. You won’t have any trouble following the narrative. Sure, we get a few hints here and there of what’s to come in The Lord of the Rings, and there’s some cool fan service at the end, but none of these moments are terribly important to the movie. They're just fun treats for longtime Tolkien fans, so you don't need to understand the references to enjoy the film.
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NEWEST Article
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Despite featuring almost no on-screen blood or gore, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is often considered one of the most brutal horror movies ever made, and rightly so. Its unique brand of terror hits you like a ton of bricks, but through that seemingly gratuitous violence, the film shines an important light on what it means to be human.
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On the surface, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may seem like little more than a fun fantasy adventure, but if we dig a bit deeper, we’ll see that it contains a world of meaning. The movie embodies one of the most foundational principles of Catholic morality, so let’s dive into this important chapter of the MCU and see what important lessons it has to teach us.
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Upgrade isn’t just a fun sci-fi horror flick. It’s also a surprisingly deep meditation on the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, and for Catholics, that topic is incredibly timely. Pope Leo XIV expects AI to be one of the primary concerns of his pontificate, so let’s take a deep dive into this underappreciated gem and see what it has to say about this challenging new technology.
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For much of its runtime, Oldboy seems like a typical revenge flick in the vein of John Wick and The Crow, but the third act turns that genre blueprint completely on its head. This actually ends up being a deep and thematically rich anti-revenge film, so let’s take a deep dive into one of the most acclaimed movies of the twenty-first century and see how it conveys its important message.
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A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is well known in horror fan circles for its pro-woman message, but this movie isn’t just about abuse and mistreatment in general. It’s about sex trafficking, and it sheds important light on what this heinous crime really involves. Let’s take a deep dive into this modern vampire classic and see what important lessons we can learn from it.
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As its name suggests, The Wild Robot centers around a sentient android, but don’t let that fool you. Despite the sci-fi trappings, this film is all about humanity. It’s a cinematic parable about what it means to be human, so let’s take a deep dive into this modern masterpiece and see just how it embodies a timeless truth.
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The 1933 giant monster classic King Kong is best known for its (at the time) groundbreaking special effects, but there's a lot more to this movie than just the visuals. It's also a thematically rich allegory about the dignity and value of women, so let's dive into this seminal film and see how it conveys its timeless message.
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The Girl with All the Gifts isn’t just one of the best zombie movies in recent memory. It’s also one of the most meaningful. It uses its horrific story to convey a timeless message about the value of human life, and if we pay close attention, we can see that it not-so-subtly highlights one of the most heinous human rights violations of our generation: abortion.
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“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Romans 7:15, 19) With those words, St. Paul poignantly encapsulates one of the most horrific truths of the human condition: the universality of sin. No matter how holy we are, no matter how much we want to follow Jesus’ command to “be perfect” (Matthew 5:48), we all fall short.
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...the Jubilee Year calls us to celebrate God’s mercy and embody His mercy in our daily lives, and as a movie buff, I’d like to examine a film that perfectly encapsulates that idea: Sam Raimi’s 2009 horror comedy Drag Me to Hell. This may not be the first movie that comes to mind when you think of the Jubilee (or anything Catholic, for that matter!), but if you take a close look at its message, you’ll find that the fit is surprisingly snug.
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As 2024 gives way to 2025, it’s only natural that we look back at the year’s biggest highlights. Everybody from political commentators to sports pundits to music aficionados has some sort of “best of” list, and as a movie buff, I’d like to spotlight my favorite films of 2024. These were the movies that thrilled me, entertained me, and moved me the most, so without further ado, let’s dive right in.
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It’s a really interesting idea for a horror film, but it might leave you with a few questions. Mr. Reed poses some thought-provoking arguments against Christianity, and while Heretic never presents these arguments as definitive, the movie doesn’t definitively refute them either. We just get a few hints of what the Christian response might be, so it’s up to us, the viewers, to flesh these ideas out a bit more.
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