“Send Help” Review

Year: 2026, Director: Sam Raimi

OP-ROB RATING; STARTER

An inventive, low-stakes, B-movie thriller that lets Rachel McAdams shine. What makes “Send Help” an easy thumbs-up is its approachability. The remote island survival story of a socially-awkward, frumpy analyst and her arrogant, nepo-baby boss is just a fun template. The plot is adequately taught and twisty for a great in-flight viewing. Film-buffs can also enjoy bits of vintage Raimi with plenty of “Evil Dead” references lying in wait. “Send Help” is not a “serious” film, nor does it try to be. Most of the effects look pretty bad. But cleaning them up would detract from the kitschy charm.

“Sinners” Review

Year: 2025, Director: Ryan Coogler

OP-ROB RATING: BENCH

Two movie conventions I detest: vampires, gratuitous sex. Emphasis on either makes it difficult to move up the OP-ROB ladder. “Sinners” is a double-whammy. That said, this is by no means a bad movie. Miles Caton is especially riveting as Sammie, the earnest guitar phenom caught in a “From Dusk Till Dawn” style nightmare. “Sinners” is also a rare big-budget passion project from a young director. The research and attention to detail are palpable. If Coogler takes home “Best Picture”, I won’t be mad. Nonetheless, this adventure drips too much blood from fangs and sweat from bodies for my appetite.

“The Limey” Review

Year: 1999, Director: Steven Soderbergh

OP-ROB RATING: BENCH

Heavily-stylized revenge noir that ranks near the bottom of Soderbergh’s work in my book. Terrence Stamp commands on-screen as Wilson, an old-school, Cockney, career-criminal visiting LA to discover what really happened to his daughter, who died in a car “accident”. Luis Guzmán supplies a memorably zesty performance as Eduardo, a friend of Wilson’s late daughter and tag along to the investigation. What drags “The Limey” down is its milquetoast story. Predictability makes the 89 minutes feel bloated. Soderbergh also deploys a distracting foreshadowing technique multiple times, giving us a glimpse of 15-20 seconds past present and then jumping back.

“Mystery Train” Review

Year: 1989, Director: Jim Jarmusch

OP-ROB RATING: STARTER

For “location feel”, Jim Jarmusch is among the best. This movie takes place in Memphis, and succeeds at making us feel like we are getting an authentic view of the “Home of the Blues”. None of the filming locations look staged or exclamatory (think of Washington D.C. movies that flood you with scenes around the Capitol or panning shots over the National Mall, for the opposite idea). Three zany stories unfold within a dilapidated hotel clerked by a perfectly cast Screamin' Jay Hawkins. This is a fun movie with quirky characters and a bluesy flourish.

“All Quiet on The Western Front” Review

Year: 2022, Director: Edward Berger

OP-ROB RATING: ALL-NBA, RODMAN

Delivers across the board: Directing, Acting, Sound, Cinematography, Storytelling, and Set Design. Everything is polished. AQOTWF looks and feels like an epic filmmaking feat. It is also not a movie that you enjoy. Admired characters die in gruesome, unglorious fashion. We follow Paul (Felix Kammerer), who desperately, and then numbingly tries to survive an intermittent barrage of bullets, shells, and gas. It’s a cold, mucky, dreary, loud, and altogether harrowing ride. Moments of serenity are interspersed, but those are not the focus; AQOTWF is a great, if unpleasant capturing of what made the book so definitive of “The Great War”.