MICKEY 17

“Mickey 17” is the long awaited follow up to Bong Jon Ho’s 2019 “Parasite”, which won Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards. While “Mickey 17” never reaches the heights that “Parasite” did, it is still a great film featuring unique performances from Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo.  

“Mickey 17” plays to its comedic elements; it feels more in line with Bong’s previous films, “Okja” and “Snowpiercer”. The film balances its tone by utilizing the two performances given by Pattinson, jumping back and forth from comedy to action. Like most films from Bong Jon Ho, there are plenty of political underlyings for viewers to pick apart. In this film it comes in the form of Mark Ruffalo’s character, who spends most of their time acting as a Trump-like figure. Ruffalo is just a few steps removed from doing a full Trump impression the way Sebastian Stan did in “The Apprentice” last year.

While “Mickey 17” might not be one of the strongest films to come out of the South Korean filmmakers filmography, it is a good time and still works as one of the strongest films to come out during the first few months of the year. 

ONE OF THEM DAYS

“One of Them Days” does not feel like a movie that would come out in 2025; it feels like a product of the late 90s to early 2000s, in the best way possible. The film has a simple premise: two roommates need to make rent or they are going to be evicted from their apartment. The film stars Keke Palmer and musician SZA as a quirky duo making their way through the streets of Los Angeles as they navigate the struggles of early adulthood. 

The film makes the interesting choice of letting Keke Palmer play the “straight man” whereas SZA is the comedic relief character. Palmer has a more reserved and quiet performance, an acting style that audiences do not often see from here. 

“One of Them Days” stands out as one of the most unique, yet also straightforward comedies of the modern era. It has plenty of laugh moments and a charming story about friendship at its center. It is the ideal movie to put on at a party. 

COMPANION 

Sophie Thatcher makes her return to the thriller genre in the form of “Companion”, a film about the struggles of being in a relationship in an Artificial Intelligence world. Jack Quaid continues his streak of playing charismatic, yet unlikable boyfriend characters. 

“Companion” is a film that knows how to play to the genre conventions of science fiction, while still keeping the story grounded and human. The film often feels like a mix of “Ex Machina” and “The Stepford Wives”. 

Aside from the clever screenplay with all its twists and turns, Thatcher’s performance is the highlight of the film. On top of the already physical aspects of her performance, she knows when to lean into playing a robot and when to pull back and act more human in a way that feels freakishly natural. 

NOVOCAINE 

Since the rise in popularity of the “John Wick” franchise, there has been a steady trend of stylized action movies such as “Nobody” or “Bullet Train”. “Novocaine” is the latest film in that trend. Luckily, this action-comedy has a new twist on the genre, our protagonist played by Jack Quaid, simply cannot feel pain. 

“Novocaines” script is serviceable enough, the first 30-45 minutes make for an effective rom-com and the second half is a solid action-thriller. It is not reinventing any wheels, but is a good enough time to watch with a group of friends. The violence and action in “Novocaine” is certainly the most unique part of the film, as it often stretches into the point of body horror with just how badly Quaid’s character gets injured. 

BLACK BAG

“Black Bag” is the second film from Steven Soderberhg this year. Soderberhg reunites with screenwriter David Koepp to bring forward a slick spy thriller about a married couple.

“Black Bag” wastes no time, a note that more modern movies should take; it is a slick 93 minute thriller. It is quick, it’s clever, and all scenes lead into the next without any time to drag. The film does an effective job at making the audience sure of which characters they put their trust in. The film has smart dialogue, solid performances from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, alongside top notch production design. 

It is best to not give away too much about what “Black Bag” has to offer for its audience, but it goes without saying it is one of the smartest films to come out during this first half of the year. 

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When you break it down, Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” becomes a bizarre recipe of pop culture elements: start with a “Mission: Impossible”-style save the world premise, but set it inside a British Intelligence internal subculture that feels like a more adult version of TV’s “The Office.”

Next, execute the plot like a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, but filter it through the dark and moody classic Soderbergh visual style.

Finally, throw in some strong performances from a few familiar faces and a killer score from “Ocean’s Eleven” composer David Holmes, and you have a fun, fun thriller.

The film opens with an extended one-take shot that follows a mysterious figure through a dark night club to meet a contact. Eventually, after navigating various stairways, hallways, and club rooms, all swamped with suffocating sound and energy, George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) steps out into an alley and gets his mission: someone in British Intelligence has stolen a critical cyber-weapon named Severus, and he has one week to find out who.

The catch? His wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) is on the short list of suspects.

What follows is a Christie-like gathering of interconnected characters, in this case, a small group of people who all work for the agency. To sort out the potential culprits, George first stages a dinner party, where we meet a group of behind-the-intelligence types like Freddie (Tom Burke), Clarissa (Marisa Abela), James (Regé-Jean Page), and Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris), the agency’s psychologist.

It could have been the setting for the whole film, but the dinner scene only gets “Black Bag” rolling. Over several days, various interactions, and a few tense altercations, George works his way through his mission like a stiff, almost robotic British equivalent to Hercule Poirot.

But in spite of the Agatha Christie echoes, Soderberg lays on his own distinctive style, giving “Black Bag” a feel most mainstream viewers will associate with 2001’s “Ocean’s Eleven” remake. The action is sparse but impactful, and Soderberg manages to keep the viewer engaged as much with a chess-like conversation in a therapist’s office as with a tense sequence involving satellite surveillance. And the secret MVP might be Holmes, who keeps the pace with a series of percussion-heavy breaks.

All the performances are solid, including an always-welcome Harris, but Fassbender is especially fun, ramping up his usual stiff-backed posture to create a character in George that comes off like an accountant-turned-super assassin.

The only downside to “Black Bag,” at least to wider audiences, might be that Soderbergh’s film has just enough violence and scattered profanity to move the film into R-rated territory.

Regardless, coming at a slow time of year following a less-than-impressive 2024, “Black Bag” will be a welcome option to anyone looking for a movie worth watching in 2025.

“Black Bag” is rated R for scattered profanity, adult subject matter and sensuality, and brief episodes of violence.

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