Could Edgar Wright save a slumping box office? He gives it a good shot with a new version of Stephen King’s “The Running Man.”
We also review a weird teen Christ supernatural curiosity with Nicolas Cage as Joseph and a Berkeley-based studio’s first full-length feature, as well as a Cannes prize winner that we think has issues. We also point you to one sexy HBO Max series and a classy character-driven thriller on Netflix.
“The Running Man”: Remakes do work … sometimes. Often they’re pointless, a step down from the original and superfluous — 2025’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” for example, or 2024’s “The Crow.” Edgar Wright’s refurbishment of a 1987 cult classic that had Arnold Schwarzenegger fending off foes in a deadly game show contest more than works. The redo — like the original, based on a Stephen King novel — is actually better and far more entertaining than the first film. It also is in the wheelhouse of a filmmaker who is delightfully but obsessively infatuated with movies and who has given us repeat-watch treats such as “Shaun of the Dead,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “Baby Driver.”
In this futuristic parable, an oppressed, angry Moses-like character with granite abs claps back at a greedy, corrupt America. The scenario leads to the kind of high-octane cinematic rollercoaster ride we’ve been begging for. Buff Glen Powell dresses up, and down (he’s in a towel scene that’s sexy and hilarious) to play out-of-work dad Ben Richards, a raging bull resigned to becoming a contestant on a deadly reality TV contest in which three people try to outwit and maneuver masked killers. If one survives for 30 days — and no one ever has — he or she wins $1 billion. The game, of course, is rigged but it still appeals to the downtrodden masses who watch it and its P.T. Barnum-like Bobby T (Colman Domingo, having a ball here) and overseen by a slick, cold-hearted snake of a producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin going all out with a toothy, smarmy performance).
The bulk of Wright’s jaunty lark pits Ben against masked hunters led by an imposing Evan McCone (Lee Pace, giving a fearsome physical performance), the star of the reality show. The beautifully edited action sequences, including one with Ben dangling from a building and another that involves reclusive rebel Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera, a howl) are energetic and, like the entirety of the movie, come fully stocked with sly film references, top-tier production details, top-notch cinematography and numerous cameos. There’s even a clever homage to Arnie that’s just too good to give away.
Wright and co-screenwriter Michael Bacall hurl barbs at our reality TV culture as well as at authoritarians, which increase “Running Man’s” relevance. But really this is just an exceptionally well-made hot rod of an action film that powers over the finish line swiftly and sleekly. It’s a lightning bolt of pure moviemaking magic. Details: 3½ stars out of 4; opens Nov. 14 in theaters.
“Sentimental Value”: There is much to admire and respect about Joachim Trier’s (“The Worst Person in the World”) intricately mounted Bergmanesque familial drama. It’s a classy, classically structured look at the cathartic nature of art and filmmaking, which gets expressed through the prism of the uneasy reconciliation that takes place between a long-absentee director father (Stellan Skarsgård) with his two very different daughters. One is a lonely, troubled actress (Renate Reinsve) and the other a happily married mom (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). Trier and co-screenwriter partner Eskil Vogt take basic blueprints we’ve seen before and create a multi-storied example of cinematic literature come to wordsmithing life. They gradually and intelligently reveal the legacy and tragedy of a creative family and the alternately insufferable and enriching bonds they share. It is the death of Nora (Reinsve) and Agnes’ (Lilleaas) mom that returns Gustav (Skarsgård) to this fractured family home he now owns. He carts along with him a long-in-the-making screenplay and proposes that Nora, the daughter who shuns him the most, star in it. After all, he wrote it for her. She resoundingly rejects the project without reading the script, and the part migrates to an up-and-coming actor (Elle Fanning) surrounded vigilantly by handlers and publicists. Trier ribs the movie industry in key moments, and the barbs ring true even if they distract from central conceit of his film — the family’s realization that this father and daughter can only truly communicate through art. Where “Sentimental Value” comes up short is that while it’s full of overwhelming, warring emotions, the film itself feels a bit icy, never fully tapping into our emotions. That’s a stumble and prevents this impeccable, gracefully acted film from entirely succeeding. In every other way, though, it’s a miracle of craftsmanship. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters Nov. 14.
“The Carpenter’s Son”: It’s not easy being a father figure to Jesus Christ. It’s even more of a pain to be a rebellious teen Jesus. At least that’s what’s foisted on us in screenwriter/director Lotfy Nathan’s ambitious but practically unwatchable biblical story that gets tangled up in dysfunctional, angst-ridden family dynamics that play out for Joseph (Nicolas Cage) and Mary (FKA Twigs) and their anointed and targeted son (Noah Jupe) while in exile. Pious viewers will definitely find an axe to grind with all of “The Carpenter’s Son,” an altogether cringy and unintentionally funny quasi horror story inspired by “The Infancy Gospel of Thomas.” In addition to such dialogue gems as “Unhand my son!” and “You scream like a hog!” (exclamation points are mandatory here), viewers are treated to: a baby being tossed tossed into a fire; a gory, bashed-in head; gurgling tumors that sprout from stomachs; and, my personal fave, Jesus yanking a serpent straight out of the quivering mouth of a low-life demon. That happens not once but twice! Who needs a remake of “Anaconda” when you’ve got something like that to watch? The snake bit is indeed the highlight of this loopy film in which everyone overacts while delivering a freaky version of the Christ story that doesn’t, in the end, add much more to what we’ve known before. Details: 1 star; opens Nov. 14 in select theaters.
“In Your Dreams”: Berkeley-based Kuku Studios earns a bigger seat at the Netflix entertainment table (the series “Go! Go! Cory Carason” is already a hit) with its first full-length feature, touching and inventive charmer that espouses a time-honored message about embracing life’s blemishes rather than striving to have everything perfect. The expertly animated adventure also gives us two relatable lead characters, Stevie (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her little brother Elliot (Elias Janssen). They journey by bed (a magical moment that recalls “Peter Pan” and even “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”) into a dreamworld where they intend to ask the legendary Sandman about saving their parents’ (Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) crumbling marriage. Along the way, they visit a breakfastland that suddenly turns into a nightmare (one of the film’s most innovative sequences) and learn to appreciate each other as well. Director/co-screenwriter Alex Woo and co-director/co-screenwriter Erik Benson don’t break new ground, but do know how to tell an appealing, family-friendly story. Details: 3 stars; drops Nov. 14 on Netflix.
“The Beast in Me”: Prickly Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes) finally gets her writer’s block unstuck when dapper, infamous real estate kingpin Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys) — a prime suspect in the suspicious disappearance of his ex-wife — moves with new wife (Brittany Snow) into a posh gated community near Aggie’s huge but hollow house. He takes a slithery interest in her. Aggie, though, is a mess, virulently blaming the death of her son in an accident to a local kid and isolating mostly at her home. When her upcoming book proposal stalls, Aggie gets her creative mojo back by latching onto a Hitchcockian-like deal-with-the-devil opportunity to collude with Jarvis, who pops up unannounced late at night at her house, as does a drunk FBI agent (David Lyons). This eight-part Netflix series makes for a sophisticated binge with a slate of intriguing but challenging characters whose moral compasses are way out of whack. It certainly bears an impressive pedigree, since its showrunner is Howard Gordon (“24,” “Homeland”), and the creator is Gabe Rotter, a onetime producer/writer for “The X-Files.” This is a cerebral thriller of the highest order, and that’s reflected in the writing, acting — Danes, Rhys and Snow are all deserving of accolades — and the direction. Details: 3½ stars; drops Nov. 13 on Netflix.
“The Seduction”: In this very French and lusty six-part series on HBO Max, a sordid backstory gets dug up on how Isabelle de Merteuil (played by Glenn Close in the 1988 film “Dangerous Liaisons” ) went from a naive young woman in a convent to a master manipulator. Glossy with sumptuous production details, this is one hot and wicked treat. It begins with poor Isabelle (a stunning Anamaria Vartolomei) getting hoodwinked into losing her virginity by enormous cad Vicomte de Valmont (hottie Vincent Lacoste). After Isabelle realizes she’s been fooled into marrying him on the fly, she partners up with Valmont’s aunt (Diane Kruger) who educates her on the kinky sexual games she needs to play to get ahead in 18th-century Parisian society. Isabelle will stop at nothing to maneuver her way up, including marrying an older guy who’s a big bore in bed and getting her vengeance on a sexual predator (Lucas Bravo) with a big ego and little else. Director Jessica Palud loosens up the buttons on this whole affair and never lets things lag in creator Jean-Baptiste Delafon’s bad people behaving badly period piece with a take-command performance from Vartolomei. Details: 3 stars; first episode drops Nov. 14 on HBO Max with one episode dropping weekly until Dec. 19.
“Trifole”: At just around the 60-minute mark, director/co-screenwriter Gabriele Fabbro flips a tonal switch, turning what started out as a sweet sentimental family drama about shiftless 28-year-old Londoner Dallia (Ydalie Turk) bonding with her deteriorating truffle-hunting grandfather Igor (Umberto Orsini) who’s on the brink of eviction in Italy’s Piedmont area into an absurdist, much darker story. Does it work? While I appreciate what the talented Fabbro was shooting for, I’m wondering if maybe more foreshadowing would have smoothed out that transition. Regardless, this is a gorgeous, touching film that transports you in swelling operatic fashion, per Fabbro’s tradition. It’s best experienced on the big screen. Details: 2½ stars; opens Nov. 14 at the AMC EmeryBay in Emeryville.
“Murder at the Embassy”: Amiable if entirely forgettable, this sequel to 2023’s “Invitation to a Murder” carries on the snooping of Miranda Green (Mischa Barton) who gets summoned in 1934 to help figure out who killed someone inside the British Embassy in Cairo. The suspect list isn’t too long and to solve the crime the intrepid Ms. Green ventures outside embassy walls and even discovers some hidden passageways and some Nazi intrigue. Director Stephen Shimek and screenwriter Mark Brennan don’t overexert themselves by any means with this cozy mystery that could have used a whole lot more fizz to it. Barton is a pleasant presence but picking up a Miss Marple mystery would be more satisfying. Details: 2 stars; available to rent Nov. 14.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.