{"id":14185,"date":"2025-05-11T16:24:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T20:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/?p=14185"},"modified":"2025-05-11T16:24:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T20:24:27","slug":"weekly-movie-roundup-119","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/?p=14185","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Movie Roundup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, I watched 7 movies:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt8484012\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sword of Trust\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-1.jpg 1666w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt4712076\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-1-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Long Dumb Road\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-1-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-1-693x1024.jpg 693w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-1-768x1135.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-1.jpg 817w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt6566830\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-209x300.jpg\" alt=\"Most Likely to Murder\" width=\"209\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-712x1024.jpg 712w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-768x1104.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-1068x1536.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-1424x2048.jpg 1424w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-1-scaled.jpg 1780w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li>There&#8217;s a lot to like in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt8484012\/\">Sword of Trust<\/a>, with a strong performance from Maron and an improvised feel that often lends the movie a likable, laidback quality. That doesn&#8217;t always work in its favor, however, as the movie can sometimes lean into naturalism at the expense of jokes and any plot development. But it&#8217;s a fun idea with some playfully observed characters.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt4712076\/\">The Long Dumb Road<\/a> is an amiable enough road trip, with interesting if not always likable (or even fully drawn out) characters, though its lack of direction doesn&#8217;t always feel like an asset.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>It&#8217;s an interesting tactic, making your central character an unlikable dimwitted manchild, but that might be the most interesting thing about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt6566830\/\">Most Likely to Murder<\/a> has some fun with observing that character, and to its credit allows him some growth, but that still means hanging out with a dumb likable character for the whole movie.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1567437\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-1-202x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Voices\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-1-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-1-689x1024.jpg 689w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-1-768x1142.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-1.jpg 1009w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0099697\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-205x300.jpg\" alt=\"Graveyard Shift\" width=\"205\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-205x300.jpg 205w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-699x1024.jpg 699w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-768x1124.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-1049x1536.jpg 1049w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-1399x2048.jpg 1399w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-1-scaled.jpg 1748w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 205px) 100vw, 205px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0078199\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/6-1-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Same Time, New Year\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/6-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/6-1.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0057427\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Trial\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-692x1024.jpg 692w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-768x1137.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-1383x2048.jpg 1383w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/7-scaled.jpg 1729w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li>I&#8217;m not sure if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1567437\/\">The Voices<\/a> is too quirky or not quirky enough, but despite some fun moments and a good performance from Reynolds, this dark comedy never entirely worked for me.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>Stephen King himself has called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0099697\/\">Graveyard Shift<\/a> his <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2016\/02\/stephen-king-what-hollywood-owes-authors-when-their-books-become-films-q-a-the-dark-tower-the-shining-1201694691\/\">least favorite adaptation<\/a> of his work. While I think there have been worse\u2014some of which King has even taken a more active hand in\u2014this one is definitely not very good. The movie belabors its setup, then it squanders any scares it might have left with confused action and lack of character development.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0078199\/\">Same Time, Next Year<\/a> would probably feel hokey and contrived even it didn&#8217;t also feel so dated. The two leads, Burstyn especially, do their best to elevate the material, but there&#8217;s only so much character the conceit of the movie will allow.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>Orson Welles&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0057427\/\">The Trial<\/a> is visually stunning and inventive and absolutely feels to its core Kafkaesque, but that can also lead to it feel confusing and claustrophobic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I also enjoyed a re-watch of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0993842\/\">Hanna<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, I watched 7 movies: There&#8217;s a lot to like in Sword of Trust, with a strong performance from Maron and an improvised feel that often lends the movie a likable, laidback quality. That doesn&#8217;t always work in its favor, however, as the movie can sometimes lean into naturalism at the expense of jokes &#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/?p=14185\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14185"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14186,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14185\/revisions\/14186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}