We look back at one of the biggest hits of 2022, “Smile”, and review what it sure to be one of the best films of 2023, “BlackBerry”.
BlackBerry
A pair of interesting trailers dropped this week, and we discuss them at the top of the show. With a sequel coming soon, We reflect back on how Bird Box took the world by storm — and how much we did not care. And for those who have not seen the trailer for Meg 2, rush to check it out. We saw it and were dumbfounded and amazed.
Then it’s on to our featured new movie review.
It is hard to believe just how popular the BlackBerry was. It is even more surprising that its rise and fall happened within the past quarter century. Starring Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel, the film about the world’s first smartphone, the titular BlackBerry, promised some entertainment.
The film exceeds all expectations with great writing and outrageous characters.
BlackBerry is less about the phone and more about the people behind it. There is some nostalgia, but the movie offers much more. It is an early contender for one of the year’s best movies.
In our horror spotlight, we take a look at 2022’s surprise horror hit Smile.
Horror is constantly looking to its past to tell new stories. Smile is one of the most formulaic ones out there. It works, however, thanks to great performances, scary moments, and fantastic imagery. We discuss its near-perfect finale, how it deals with mental health, and how even old-school storytelling can be a breath of fresh air.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Last week, we talked about a couple of compelling new releases, Artifice Girl and Sisu.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
Episode 369: ‘Find Your Friends’ (2026)
Aside from Art the Clown, what has Damian Leone contributed to horror? We also come dangerously close to gatekeeping while we discuss what extreme horror is. Plus a discussion on the 28 Years franchise somehow leads to a talk about The Bride.
We spend a good amount of time talking about Find Your Friends. About 98% of it is spent on the film’s writing. It does not take long to realize this is not a good thing. There have been plenty of movies that have led to a discussion about the writing. There has been nothing like this one.
The movie clearly deals with sensitive subjects. But it does it in a way that downplays the circumstances, the victim, and its heady themes. It is so bad that we have to constantly reiterate how we are not shitty men. (Who knows? Maybe we are. But that’s a different matter.)
How bad was the writing for Find Your Friends? So much so that we were constantly filing in story beats to make it make sense to us. And even then, we were still frustrated by what we had seen. This movie had all the ingredients to tell a powerful story about how women are treated. It instead was content to erratically work towards its admittedly wild finale.
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
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Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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