The Stop Button

Faster (2010) D: George Tillman Jr.. S: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Maggie Grace, Carla Gugino, Tom Berenger, Matt Gerald. Depressingly (because director Tillman just cannot hack it) bad car action picture about the Rock hunting down those who wronged him before he went to prison. Thornton is the cop on his trail, Jackson-Cohen is the hit man who comes between them. There’s no good acting until Annie Corley shows up, but Jackson-Cohen’s particularly godawful.

Hit Man (1972) D: George Armitage. S: Bernie Casey, Pam Grier, Lisa Moore, Bhetty Waldron, Sam Laws, Don Diamond, Bob Harris, Candy All. Mean, sometimes cruel revenge picture about Casey coming down to L.A. from Oakland to bury his brother. He soon finds out things aren’t what he assumed and he needs to take care of a variety of baddies. Solid acting from pretty much everyone but white Mr. Big Diamond. Grier’s a standout, Laws is hilarious, and Casey’s a great lead.

Pride (2014) D: Matthew Warchus. S: George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer, Bill Nighy, Dominic West, Andrew Scott, Faye Marsay, Jessica Gunning. Charming historically-based comedy-drama about a group of eighties queer Londoners deciding to raise money for striking miners, regardless of whether they’re welcome. Excellent performances, fantastic production design, careful direction, and strong dialogue. The only thing wrong with it is the length (it’s too short). West, Gunning, and Scott give the standout performances, but everyone’s outstanding.

Rampage (2018) D: Brad Peyton. S: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jake Lacy, P.J. Byrne, Demetrius Grosse. Entertaining enough video game “adaptation” about Special Forces commando turned primatologist Johnson’s favorite ape getting doused with a DNA-change agent and turning into a giant monster. Harris is the disgraced scientist who can help, Morgan (with a bewildering “cowboy” accent) is the G-man who believes in the good guys. Great special effects, solid acting, blah finish.

Sinners (2025) D: Ryan Coogler. S: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson. After working as gunsels in 1930s Chicago, twin brothers Jordan (and Jordan) return home to Mississippi to open a juke joint. They’re trying to get the band together and reconnect with the loves left behind. But then it turns out vampires are real. And they love music. Great picture, start to finish. Writer-director Coogler handily surpasses his influences.

Skyscraper (2018) D: Rawson Marshall Thurber. S: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Byron Mann, Pablo Schreiber, Hannah Quinlivan. Former FBI strike team commando Johnson and Navy doctor commando Campbell are marrieds visiting a hi-tech skyscraper in Hong Kong. Johnson’s doing security consulting, Campbell’s taking the kids to see the pandas. A bunch of terrorists show up. Not good, but could be worse–Johnson’s effortlessly sturdy running through CGI chaos–and it’s always nice to see Campbell.

Unforgiven (1992) D: Clint Eastwood. S: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Jaimz Woolvett, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Anna Thomson. Eastwood’s final Western is a lush, deliberate, brooding examination of violent men and those they inflict violence upon. Eastwood and Freeman are bad men turned farmers looking for an easy payday to turn their lives around. Hackman is the vicious, cruel sheriff standing in their way. Beautiful filmmaking and the richest performances. Very smart script from David Webb Peoples.