Arizona (2018) ***

 

There are 2 kinds of people: Those who like Danny McBride, and those who don't. I happen to like the guy. It has to be admitted, though, that he has very little range. He pretty much plays the same character in everything he does. In this one, that character happens to be a murderer.

When the housing/financial crisis of 2008 hit, Arizona was hit as hard as anywhere. They had the perfect setup for a crash – tons of suburban and exurban communities full of cookie-cutter houses decked out with granite countertops and Italian tile floors. The prices for these homes had been rising astronomically, but people kept buying, taking on more debt than they could afford, convinced that prices would only ever go up.

McBride plays Sonny, pressured on one side by an adjustable-rate mortgage that is becoming unaffordable and on the other side by a divorce, which puts him in the position of needing to sell a home that is worth less than what he owes on it. Sonny blames his realtor, Gary (Seth Rogen), and when an argument with Gary turns deadly, Sonny kidnaps the only witness (Rosemarie DeWitt).

As dark comedies go, “Arizona” is fairly fun if you are the kind of person who likes Danny McBride. The movie is unapologetically violent, and it should come with a trigger warning for people who lost their shirts during the 2008 housing crash.

3 stars out of 5

Song Sung Blue (2025) ****

 

Hey Kids! Want to see a movie based on the real-life story of a Neil Diamond tribute band?! Yeah, I didn't think I would either, but it turns out “Song Sung Blue” is a pretty good time, with some winning performances and a rousing soundtrack.

Hugh Jackman plays Mike Sardina, a musician and recovering alcoholic struggling to make a living with his guitar. The thing about the music industry is that so many people want to be in it that you wind up with loads of truly talented musicians living hand-to-mouth, playing whatever small gigs they can get. Mike seems destined to remain in this tier. Then, in 1987, he meets a fellow struggling singer named Claire (Kate Hudson), who points out that he looks and sounds a bit like Neil Diamond. The two put together a Neil Diamond tribute act that, with their charm and talent, eventually wins them some regional success, although life continues to throw challenges their way.

Mike and Claire are real, and this is their real story, with the usual artistic liberties taken. The film is actually based on a similarly-titled 2008 documentary about the couple. While the timeline is compressed, the most bonkers parts of the film are all true. For example, Mike and Claire did open for Pearl Jam and play with Eddie Vedder, and in fact it was Vedder who later lobbied Neil Diamond to allow the use of Diamond's music in the documentary. Directed by Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow"), “Song Sung Blue” is a big-hearted tribute to Diamond's amazing musical catalog and to people who keep getting back up when life knocks them down.

4 stars out of 5

Is This Thing On? (2025) ***1/2

 

Written by Will Arnett, directed by Bradley Cooper, and based on the life of a British comic named John Bishop, “Is This Thing On?” is a quiet, funny dramedy about a failing marriage, a failing life, and turning it all around.

Arnett stars as Alex, who is splitting up with his wife Tess (Laura Dern). Alex and Tess try to make the separation as easy as possible on their kids and their friend group. It isn't easy, as people have a tendency to take sides in these situations. Meanwhile, their bickering friends Christine (Andra Day) and Balls (Bradley Cooper) seem like the ones who should really be splitting up.

One night, on a whim, Alex signs up to do open-mike comedy, and he turns out to be good at it. His new hobby allows him to talk about his life, and the thrill of doing something creative gives him a newfound confidence and perspective. At the same time, Tess, who was once an Olympic volleyball player, is wondering if she peaked too soon.

“Is This Thing On?” is something we need more of: an unassuming, empathetic story about grown-up relationships. The emotions are real, the performances are excellent, and the comedy is actually funny.

3.5 stars out of 5

Joy Ride (2023) ***

 

When Audrey (Ashley Park) gets the chance to visit China to close a business deal, she takes along her friend Lolo (Sherry Cola), who invites her weird, K-pop-obsessed cousin DeadEye (Sabrina Wu). In China, the girls meet up with Audrey's college friend Kat (Stephanie Hsu), formerly a horny wild-girl, but now an actress famous in China for playing good girls and saving herself for marriage. The four wind up on an Odyssey to find Audrey's Chinese birth mother, and there you go.

It's not a bad setup for a raunchy, road-trip comedy, featuring Asian women instead of black women, college guys, or middle-aged dudes. I guess everyone needs their own road-trip movie, and now Asian girls have theirs. I found it distracting how focused on race the characters were, but maybe that's how it is when you're a minority. As a white dude in a place that is mostly white, it's easy for me not to think about race. Audrey and Lolo, as the only Asians in their small, Ohio town, were probably never allowed to forget that they look different from everyone else. As Audrey says in Beijing, “If I lived here, I wouldn't always be the 'Asian girl'. I could be the 'smart girl' or the 'funny, nice girl'”.

As road-trip comedies go, “Joy Ride” is reasonably watchable. Director Adele Lim is best known as a writer on “Crazy Rich Asians”, but here, in her directorial debut, she shows promise behind the camera. She gets decent performances from a talented group of comediennes, and she keeps the story humming along, bringing it together in an hour and a half, which is remarkably concise for a movie these days. “Joy Ride” is not going to change your life, but if you want an uncomplicated laugh, take the ride.

3 stars out of 5

Send Help (2026) ****1/2

 

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this film. I never saw a trailer for it, and the posters just featured Rachel McAdams on an island, covered in blood. Then I learned it is directed by Sam Raimi, who has done some truly great, original films (“Darkman”, The “Evil Dead” movies), but has also signed on for some Marvel Comics movies, so I had no idea which Sam Raimi would be showing up here. Turns out, “Send Help” is old-school Raimi – original, hilarious, in-your-face horror-comedy with a very sly sense of humor.

Rachel McAdams plays Linda Liddle, a nerdy office drone who is truly great at her job, but gets passed over for a promotion in favor of her boss's incompetent frat-buddy. Linda doesn't let it get her down. She talks to her pet bird, puts her nose to the grindstone, and vows to work even harder to earn her place. Then the company plane goes down, leaving Linda and said boss (Dylan O'Brien) as the only survivors on a tropical island. One other thing about Linda: she has aspirations to be on the show “Survivor.” Turns out she has made herself an expert on desert island survival. Even as she saves his life, though, her boss Bradley has trouble giving Linda the credit she deserves. The longer they are stranded, the more friction arises.

I won't give away any more than that. “Send Help” is full of surprises that I don't want to ruin. Raimi gets outstanding performances from both his stars, and McAdams ought to get an Oscar nomination. “Send Help” is funny, oddly-dark, and the best new movie I've seen so far this year.

4.5 stars out of 5