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Film Review: “People We Meet on Vacation”

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Film Review: “People We Meet on Vacation”

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Warning: Full spoilers for the film follow.

Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that Netflix movies are, with some notable exceptions, almost completely forgettable. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times the streamer has created a film that managed to stick with me the day after I watched it. I’m happy to say that People We Meet on Vacation, the romantic comedy based on the novel by Emily Henry, is one such. I found it a perfectly enchanting, deeply touching, and often surprisingly hilarious film that had me laughing and crying.

In other words, it’s the perfect rom-com. When the film begins, Emily Bader’s Poppy Wright is a travel writer but, despite her rather lavish lifestyle and the fact she can go anywhere she wants on her magazine’s dime, feels disenchanted with her life. Thus, she leaps at the chance to attend the wedding of her friend, David (a criminally underused Miles Heizer), whose brother used to be Poppy’s best friend. A series of flashbacks show the beginning and growth of their friendship, while in the present the two of them struggle to remember what brought them together, all while trying to figure out just what it is they feel for one another. Eventually, of course, they realize that what they want most is one another, and they end up falling in love.

I think it’s fair to say that there’s tremendous chemistry between Blyth and Bader. From the moment Poppy and Alex meet it’s clear these two people are fated to be with one another, whether as friends or as something else. While Poppy is a bit of a wild child and a free spirit–someone who has a very flexible understanding of what being on time means and is quite happy to eat a very messy breakfast burrito in the car of someone she’s just met–Alex is the quintessential homebody, someone who just wants to move back to their small Ohio town and raise a family. As it turns out, though, there are rich depths to both of them, depths that are only really revealed each year when they reunite for their vacations.

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The film is at its best in the past, when we see these two good friends getting to know one another, simply enjoying being away from the world and all of its pressures. Different as they are, there’s clearly something strong and deep between the two of them and, though neither one of them wants to admit it, that something is more than just friendship (though, as time will tell, that friend bond will be key to their burgeoning romantic feelings for each other). These scenes manage to be both poignant and often deeply hilarious, particularly the moment when Alex, after deciding to go skinny-dipping with a potential romantic interest, allows his clothes to get washed away in the river, leading him to walk the rest of the way back to camp naked. It’s a moment that allows Blyth to show off some of his comedy chops, and the movie is better for it.

Finally, we get to the infamous trip to Italy which brought their long-standing friendship to a screeching halt, thanks to a pregnancy scare, an almost-kiss, some awkward babbling from Poppy, and Alex’s impromptu proposal to his on-again/off-again girlfriend Sarah. This is classic rom-com miscommunication, and it works pretty well. Bader really captures Poppy’s sense of confusion as she tries to work through her confusion, a dynamic that will persist until very nearly the film’s end. It’s only once she kisses Alex in the present, though, that the pieces start to click together.

At first, I was a little conflicted about the film’s resolution, which sees Poppy essentially giving up her career as a successful journalist to quasi-settle down with someone who is, as another character puts it, a bit like limp lettuce. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that wasn’t really an accurate read of what happens in the film. To be sure, Poppy is the one who gradually comes to realize that her career isn’t satisfying in and of itself, while Alex has always been happy being what he is: a small-town dude who likes living in his hometown. However, we’ve known from the jump that she’s not particularly happy with her life or, frankly, with some of her life choices. For some, being a free spirit and jetting around the world is a source of empowerment and joy; for Poppy, though, it seems to be something else, an escape from an emptiness inside of her she doesn’t quite know how to put into words.

The thing of it is: these two characters make the most sense, and are happier, when they’re together. No matter how hard they try to get away from it, and no matter how much they’ve managed to hurt one another (largely inadvertently) over the years, the truth is they bring out the best in one another. More to the point, they are quite simply enough. And, having seen them together in so many wonderful scenes–whether dancing as only two straight people hopelessly in love with one another can dance or taking care of one another when they’re sick–we actually believe they have what it takes.

While People We Meet on Vacation is quite touching and, contrary to what other critics have claimed, filled with at least glimmers of emotional insight, it’s also quite funny. This will come as no surprise to those of us who had a field day watching Bader shine in the batshit fun that was My Lady Jane, but she’s even more in her element here. Whether it’s spilling the aforementioned breakfast burrito all over Alex’s car or acting like a total weirdo when she’s encountering other people on vacation, Bader simply owns the moment. Blyth, likewise, is the perfect straight man, his intense style of performance perfect for someone like Alex, who feels thanks deeply but often has trouble expressing them (he is a man, after all).

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I do have a few quibbles with the screenplay. I would’ve liked to see more of Poppy’s friendship with Alex’s brother, David, particularly since that bond is important enough for the latter to invite Poppy to his wedding. As it is, the screenplay doesn’t really give us any insight as to when they met or how they became close or even whether they’re that close at all. I also would’ve liked to have seen more of Poppy’s parents, particularly since they’re played by two geniuses like Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck. Still, these are relatively minor quibbles.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that People We Meet on Vacation is one of the truly great rom-coms, I do think it’s one of the better ones. There is genuine emotional insight here, about how we sometimes are our own worst enemies, sabotaging what could be beautiful and satisfying relationships because we’re afraid we’re not enough. It’s funny and sweet and, at the end of the day, that too, is enough.

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Movie Reviews

Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’ movie review

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Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’ movie review

Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’

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The action is relentless in the complex thriller In Cold Light, a tense combination of crime and fugitive tale and family drama. It is the third feature and first English language film by Maxime Giroux, best known for a very different kind of film, the critically acclaimed 2014 drama Felix & Meira.

The tension and high energy of In Cold Light almost overwhelm the film, but are relieved, barely, by moments of character development and introspection that keep the audience pulling for the restrained and outwardly cold main character. 

Speaking at the film’s Canadian premiere, director Giroux admitted he found creating an action film a challenge. Part of his approach was using very minimal dialogue, especially for the central character, letting the action speak for itself, and allowing silence to intensify suspense. Giroux has said he likes the lack of dialogue and speaks highly of the importance of silence in cinema; he prefers using “physical aspects of communication” in his films. 

Young Ava Bly (Maika Monroe) is a competent and businesslike drug dealer, working in partnership with her brother Tom (Jesse Irving) and a small team. As the film begins, Ava has just been released from a brief prison sentence. She is hoping to return to her former position, but her brother’s associates consider her a risk due to her recent incarceration. While she works to re-establish herself, a shocking encounter with a corrupt police officer sends Ava’s life into chaos and forces her to go on the run.

Ava’s fugitive experience introduces a new character, to whom Ava turns for help: her father, Will Bly, played by Troy Kotsur, known for his excellent performance in CODA. Their first interaction is handled in a fascinating way, as Will is deaf and the two communicate through sign language. This, of course, provides another form of the silent interaction the director prefers; he explained that much of the father-daughter interaction was rewritten with the actor in mind. Their conflict is nicely expressed through a scene in which their initial conversation is intermittently cut off by a faulty light which goes out periodically, making communication through sign momentarily impossible, nicely expressing the rift between father and daughter. 

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As Ava continues to evade danger, her escape becomes complicated by new information, placing her in a painful dilemma. We gradually learn more about Ava, her background, and her character through occasional flashbacks and glimpses of her dreams. The plot becomes more complex and more poignant, and gains features of a mystery as well as an action tale, as she is pressed to choose from among equally unacceptable alternatives.

The climax of her efforts to protect both herself and those close to her comes to a head as she meets with the director of a rival drug gang. Veteran actress Helen Hunt is perfect in the minor but significant role of Claire, the rival drug lord, who plays odd mind games with Ava in an intriguing psychological fencing match. It’s an unusual scene, in which Ava’s personality is made clearer, and Claire’s understated dominance and casual speech do not quite conceal the threat she represents. 

The frantic pace and emotional turmoil are enhanced by the camera work, which tends to focus tightly on Ava, and by a harsh, minimal musical score that sets the tone without distracting from the action. Giroux chose to shoot the film in Super 60; he describes digital as “too perfect” for the look he was going for, and since “Ava is rough,” the film portrays her better. The director describes the entire movie as “rough,” in fact, and deliberately chose a dark, washed-out look for much of the footage, occasionally using light and colour, in the form of fireworks, lightning, or a colourful carnival, to both relieve and emphasise the darkness. 

The dynamic, intense story holds the attention in spite of the lengthy, sometimes repetitive chase scenes and subdued dialogue. Ava’s predicament, and the difficult decisions she is forced to make, are made surprisingly relatable, from the initial disaster that starts the action to the surprising flash-forward that concludes the film, on as high a note as the situation could allow. Fans of action movies will definitely enjoy this one.

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Movie Reviews

Jeremy Schuetze’s ‘ANACORETA’ (2022) – Movie Review – PopHorror

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Jeremy Schuetze’s ‘ANACORETA’ (2022) – Movie Review – PopHorror

PopHorror had the chance to check out Anacoreta (2022) ahead of its streaming release! Does this meta-horror flick provide interesting story telling or is it a confusing mess.

 

Let’s have a look…

Synopsis

A group of friends heads to a secluded woodland cabin for a weekend getaway, planning to film an experimental horror movie. As the shoot progresses, the project begins to fall apart—until a real and terrifying presence emerges from the darkness.

Anacoreta is directed by Jeremy Schuetze. It was written by Jeremy Schuetze and Matt Visser. The film stars Antonia Thomas (Bagman 2024), Jesse Stanley (Raf 2019), Jeremy Schuetze (Jennifer’s Body 2009), and Matt Visser (A Lot Like Christmas 2021)

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My Thoughts

Antonia Thomas delivered an outstanding performance as the female lead in Anacoreta. It was remarkable to watch her convey such a wide range of emotions with authenticity and depth. I was continually impressed by her ability to switch seamlessly between different dialects. I absolutely loved her delivery of the dialogue of telling The Scorpion and the Frog fable.

Anacoreta employs a distinctive, meta-horror style of storytelling. The narrative follows a group of friends creating a “scripted reality” horror film, and as the plot unfolds, the boundary between their staged production and their actual lives becomes increasingly blurred. This was interesting, but at the same time frustrating as a viewer.

Check out Anacoreta on Prime Video and let us know your thoughts!

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Movie Reviews

‘Hoppers’ review: Pixar’s best original movie in years

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‘Hoppers’ review: Pixar’s best original movie in years

“So it’s like Avatar?” one character quips in Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” bluntly translating the film’s high-concept premise for the sugar-fueled kids in the audience. And yes, the comparison is apt. The story follows a nature-obsessed teenage girl who manages to quite literally “hop” her consciousness into the body of a robotic beaver in order to spark an animal rebellion against a greedy mayor determined to bulldoze their forest for a freeway. 

It’s a clever hook. The kind of big, elastic idea Pixar used to make look effortless. “Hoppers” does not reach the rarified air of “Up,” “Wall-E,” or “Inside Out,” but after a stretch of uneven originals like “Turning Red” and “Luca,” and outright misfires such as “Elemental” and “Elio,” this feels like a genuine course correction. The environmental messaging is clear without being preachy, the animals are irresistibly anthropomorphized, and the studio’s once-signature emotional sincerity is back in sturdy form.

Pixar can afford to gamble on originals when it has a guaranteed cash cow like this summer’s “Toy Story 5” waiting in the wings, but “Hoppers” earns its place in the catalogue. Director Daniel Chong crafts a warm, heartfelt film that occasionally strains under the weight of its own ambition, yet remains grounded by character and theme. Its meditation on conservation and animal displacement feels timely in a way that never tips into after-school-special territory.

We meet Mabel, voiced with bright conviction by Piper Curda, as a child liberating her classroom pets and returning them to the wild. Her moral compass is shaped by her grandmother, voiced by Karen Huie, who imparts wisdom about nature’s sanctity. True to both Pixar tradition and the broader Disney playbook, this beacon of guidance does not survive past the opening act. Loss, after all, is Pixar’s favorite inciting incident.

Years later, Mabel is still fighting the good fight, squaring off against the smarmy Mayor Jerry, voiced with slick menace by Jon Hamm. He plans to flatten the glade where Mabel and her grandmother once found solace. Mabel’s resistance feels noble but futile. The animals have already mysteriously vanished, the machinery is coming, and her last-ditch plan involves luring a beaver back to the abandoned forest in hopes of jumpstarting the ecosystem.

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That’s when the film gleefully pivots into mad-scientist territory. At Beaverton University, Mabel discovers her professor, voiced by Kathy Najimy, has developed a device that can project human consciousness into synthetic animals. The process, dubbed “hopping,” allows Mabel to inhabit a robotic beaver and infiltrate the forest from within. It’s an inspired escalation that keeps the film buoyant even when the plotting grows predictable.

Her new posse includes King George, a lovably beaver voiced by Bobby Moynihan with distinct Bing Bong energy; a sharp-tongued bear voiced by Melissa Villaseñor; a regal bird king voiced by the late Isiah Whitlock Jr.; and a fish queen voiced by Ego Nwodim. As is often the case with Pixar, even in its lesser efforts, the world-building is meticulous. The animal hierarchy, complete with titles like “paw of the king,” is layered with jokes that play for kids while slyly winking at adults.

The plot ultimately follows a familiar template. Scrappy underdog rallies community. Corporate villain twirls metaphorical mustache. Emotional third-act sacrifice looms. At times, you can feel the machinery working a little too cleanly. Pixar, and Disney at large, has grown increasingly reliant on sequels and established IP, and “Hoppers” does not radically reinvent the wheel. In an animated landscape where films like “K-Pop: Demon Hunters,” “Across the Spider-Verse,” and “Goat” are pushing stylistic and narrative boundaries, being safe and sturdy may not always be enough.

And yet, there is something refreshing about a Pixar original that remembers how to tug at the heart without squeezing it dry. “Hoppers” is playful, peppered with cheeky needle drops, and builds to a sweet emotional catharsis that may or may not have left this critic a little misty-eyed. It feels earnest and engaged. 

“Hoppers” may not be top-tier Pixar. But it is a welcome return to form, a reminder that the studio still knows how to marry big ideas with a bigger heart.

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HOPPERS opens in theaters Friday, March 6th.

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