The movies we missed during the writers’ strike
On Nov. 9, 2023, the hard working members of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) ended their strike with significant gains, a deal valued at $1 billion! In solidarity with the writer’s and actor’s strikes, many of us journalists chose not to report on works that had been “struck,” i.e., films and television programs produced or distributed by studios that are members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Now that the strike is over, we have a lot of catching up to do. The following is a series of reviews for most major films released during the strike, limited to a few sentences because full reviews would be far too long—I don’t want to cause that much pain for our lovely Lamron editors.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
While the scale of this story is smaller, and the stakes for the world feel lesser compared to the first two films, this film is so much more emotional and moving than the other volumes. Bradley Cooper and Sean Gunn killed it as a Computer-generated imagery (CGI) raccoon with a character arc better than many other recent films, let alone superhero films… 4/5
Blackberry
This is yet another brand origin story biopic. But what this film has in spades that films like Flamin’ Hot (2023) and Tetris (2023) don’t, is a committed performance from leading man Glenn Howerton… 3/5
Fast X
Going in, I knew this would not live up to Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson going to space in the previous Fast and Furious installation. Regardless, it was undoubtedly fun seeing Vin Diesel’s uncanny, computer-generated beefy arm and Jason Momoa playing a hilariously unhinged villain… 2.5/5
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
What a picture—such an overwhelming experience, brimming with creativity and smart writing that understands how to make a good multiverse story with the source material. Not only lives up to the first film but, in my opinion, surpasses it!... 5/5
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
The Michael Bay films in this franchise are inferior to this film, both in terms of story and characters… but at least I remember seeing Bay’s films.…2.5/5
Elemental
While it doesn’t compete with the immense creative leaps that the Spider-Verse films have made for animation, the folks at Pixar still know how to deliver in terms of story and interesting concepts. This is a really cute, well-made movie… 3.5/5
Asteroid City
It was a fun, quirky, and moving film that only Wes Anderson could deliver. The entire cast steals the show as a collective (especially Jeffrey Wright)... 4/5
No Hard Feelings
This is a great example of the dying breed of studio comedies: a return to brutally sincere and honest raunchiness. I would love it if Jennifer Lawrence starred in more comedies… 3.5/5
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
James Mangold is a good director, but even he can’t save this “old action star returns after a long time to do action stuff one last time” movie masquerading as the third and “final” Indiana Jones movie. With that being said, Phoebe Waller-Bridge gave a fun performance, and the last act was genuinely unexpected and exciting. Still, if you don’t have Steven Spielberg on board as director, to begin with, why even bother?... 2/5
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One
Tom “I saved the movies” Cruise and Christopher “I swear I’m not Tom Cruise’s sidekick” McQuarrie did it again in a tense, fun, and intelligent action romp. But the title is still too long. …4/5
Barbie
A wonderful, extremely clever, quick-witted, and surprisingly existential film, with some spectacular production design and art direction. I would’ve loved to see more of Gloria and Sasha, but I’m glad for the time I got to see Allan; Allan is my spirit animal… 4/5
Oppenheimer
Everyone involved with the production of this film was firing on all cylinders: the actors, cinematographers, editors, directors, sound designers, and special effects technicians. This is one of the most tense and emotionally devastating films in years… 5/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
A hilarious animated film with a distinctive look that stands out in the animation landscape. The voice performances are so natural and filled with chemistry. This film really puts the “Teenage” in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… 4/5
Bottoms
The greatest high school comedy-satire since Heathers (1988). I didn’t expect to cheer at a bloody final battle in this film, but here we are….4/5
The Exorcist: Believer
Another bad Exorcist sequel. The only good thing about this film is that Ellen Burstyn got paid… 1/5
Saw X
This was a much-needed return from the franchise's low-point sequels and spinoffs. It was a better direction to have John Kramer, the protagonist, as more of a vigilante than a serial killer… 3.5/5
Killers of the Flower Moon
Another certified Martin Scorsese masterpiece. It angered me in the ways it was supposed to and contains some of Scorsese’s most impactful and beautifully-terrifying shots in his entire career… 5/5
Throughout the strikes, we witnessed many things: the most spectacular films of the past few years, a surprise hit, the conclusion to a heartfelt trilogy nearly ten years in the making, dumb movies, bad movies, and a resurgence in a genre that we haven’t seen this good since the mid-2000s. All in all, it was a normal few months for movies but productive ones for the people who made them happen.
Thumbnail Photo courtesy of Lamron Photo Editor FP Zatlukal