Movie Reviews
‘The Sweet East’ is a fantastical odyssey featuring Talia Ryder, Ayo Edebiri, Jacob Elordi
The film is screening this month as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Video: At Palm Springs International Film Festival, Laura Dern discusses her future
Laura Dern received the career achievement honor at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 2, 2020. But first she stopped to talk with reporters.
Palm Springs Desert Sun
Note: This review originally published on Next Best Picture.
A need to leave it all behind and reinvent oneself is at the core of Sean Price Williams’ feature directorial debut “The Sweet East,” but it’s only just the beginning. He and screenwriter Nick Pinkerton take audiences through a silly, fantastical and colorful odyssey of contemporary American life with a teenager discovering differing ideologies, bizarre characters and enough absurdities to make everyone question what’s real or not.
Even if it’s Williams’ first time directing a smattering of great actors in this film, he does it like a pro and shows he’s not afraid to take big strides with his projects. It might not always pay off, as there are certainly highs and lows within “The Sweet East,” but it’s an original idea that certainly deserves kudos in a world of not-so-many original thoughts. Also serving as the film’s cinematographer, his usual visual spectacle is on display, which perfectly balances the changing landscape our heroine finds herself in.
The film opens on a miserable field trip in Washington, D.C., for high schooler Lillian (Talia Ryder), who is immediately identified as a different breed from the rest of her classmates. While they party it up on school buses and run around the hotel, she’s glued to her phone and occasionally gives them seething glances that would eviscerate anyone’s confidence. Her boyfriend also seems like an equally annoying guy who doesn’t actually care that he has a girlfriend.
It’s clear she’s looking for a way out, and one is granted at an arcade bar when a shooter storms in with a gun. Lillian meets Caleb (Earl Cave), who helps her escape and puts her on the start of her adventure.
Divided into four parts, Pinkerton’s screenplay takes Lillian and viewers on a wild ride through the cities, ideologies and personalities of the Eastern seaboard. With Caleb, a man who hasn’t left his 2000s emo phase behind, Lillian finds herself among a gathering of progressives. These wannabe hippies are made up of trust fund babies and those running away from a stable and financially secure life, but we don’t get much time to learn much else about them. During a barely thought-out demonstration, Lillian slips away and stumbles upon a white supremacist gathering where she meets university professor Lawrence (Simon Rex).
This is where a bulk of the excitement and entertainment of the film comes into play. After Lillian makes up a story about how she escaped an abusive relationship (one she heard from one of the progressives), Lawrence decides to take her in, buy her clothing and practically bend at her every demand.
He, in return, projects his fantasies onto her, a recurring theme throughout the film. Simon Rex playing a talkative, anti-liberal Neo-Nazi was certainly not on anyone’s 2023 bingo card, but he totally sells the role and brings his classic humor along with it. Their relationship has hints of his previous film, “Red Rocket,” in that Lawrence lusts after Lillian, but that line is never fully crossed.
After she ditches him, Lillian stumbles into director Molly (Ayo Edebiri from “The Bear,” “Bottoms”) and producer Matthew (Jeremy O. Harris), who are looking for the lead in Molly’s film. These two are highlights as they play overly enthusiastic filmmakers who are obsessed with everything Lillian, their new star, gives them. Jacob Elordi (from “Euphoria,” “Priscilla”), plays her costar in the film, and also seems to easily swoon over Lillian as she gets sucked into the tabloids and questions arise over their relationship. Ryder, having to keep up with these various encounters and the changes they bring, completely rolls with the punches and shows she’s game for anything.
But with each of these acts, our heroine never feels like a fully formed person. Yes, she does get to immerse herself in a new world each time and take on a new personality, but who Lillian is at her core and why she wants to leave it all behind isn’t addressed. It certainly has to be more than just a crappy field trip with raunchy high schoolers, but Pinkerton doesn’t give us much else to go off of. In general, while full of great moments, Pinkerton’s script seems to lack much depth in the end. It gets repetitive and loses its steam, particularly by the end when Lillian escapes her movie persona again and follows PA Mohammed (Rish Shah).
Even with some lows, “The Sweet East” is a promising directorial debut from Williams and shows a desire to bring engaging and new stories to the big screen. Ryder, who previously delivered a powerful performance in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” continues to show her range and capabilities as a leading lady, while other supporting characters bring much-needed dedication to their absurd characters to make this a wild and unforgettable journey worth taking.
How to watch
What: “The Sweet East” screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
When and where: 5:45 p.m. Jan. 6; 4:30 p.m. Jan. 12; 11:30 a.m. Jan. 13 all at Regal Cinemas Palm Springs
Cost: $15
More info: www.psfilmfest.org
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
Movie Reviews
Miyamoto says he was surprised Mario Galaxy Movie reviews were even harsher than the first | VGC
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto says he’s surprised at the negative critical reception to the Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
As reported by Famitsu, Miyamoto conducted a group interview with Japanese media to mark the local release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
During the interview, Miyamoto was asked for his views on the critical reception to the film in the West, where critics’ reviews have been mostly negative.
Miyamoto replied that while he understood some of the negative points aimed at The Super Mario Bros Movie, he thought the reception would be better for the sequel.
“It’s true: the situation is indeed very similar,” he said. “Actually, regarding the previous film, I felt that the critics’ opinions did hold some validity. “However, I thought things would be different this time around—only to find that the criticism is even harsher than it was before.
“It really is quite baffling: here we are—having crossed over from a different field—working hard with the specific aim of helping to revitalize the film industry, yet the very people who ought to be championing that cause seem to be the ones taking a passive stance.”
As was the case with the first film, opinion is divided between critics and the public on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. On review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a critics’ score of 43% , while its audience score is 89%.
While this is down from the first film’s scores (which were 59% critics and 95% public) it does still appear to imply that the film’s target audience is generally enjoying it despite critical negativity.
The negative reception is unlikely to bother Universal and Illumination too much, considering the film currently has a global box office of $752 million before even releasing in Japan, meaning a $1 billion global gross is becoming increasingly likely.
Elsewhere in the interview, Miyamoto said he hoped the film would perform well in Japan, especially because it has a unique script rather than a simple localization as in other regions.
“The Japanese version is a bit unique,” he said. “Normally, we create an English version and then localize it for each country, but for the first film, we developed the English and Japanese scripts simultaneously. For this film, we didn’t simply localize the completed English version – instead, we rewrote it entirely in Japanese to create a special Japanese version.
“So, if this doesn’t become a hit in Japan, I feel a sense of pressure – as the person in charge of the Japanese version – to not let [Illumination CEO and film co-producer] Chris [Meledandri] down.
“However, judging by the reactions of the audience members who’ve seen it, I feel that Mario fans are really embracing it. I also believe we’ve created a film that people can enjoy even if they haven’t seen the previous one, so I’m hopeful about that as well.”
The sixth outing in the director’s chair for filmmaker Kirk Jones, I Swear dramatizes the real-life story of touretter John Davidson (played by Robert Aramayo). Tourette’s Syndrome, for those unfamiliar with the condition, is a nervous system disorder that causes various tics, the most prolific being erratic and explicit language. However, as I Swear expertly showcases, the syndrome is far more than ill-timed outbursts of curse words. Davidson’s story is one of societal frustration, finding your people (both with and without the condition), and using your voice to help others rise. The subject and subject matter are handled with absolute care and understanding under Kirk’s measured vision and Robert Aramayo’s BAFTA-winning performance.
The film kicks off with the greatest exclamation to democracy ever uttered (*%#! the Queen!), as a nervous John Davidson prepares himself before entering an awards ceremony hosted by Britain’s royal family. Right away, the film tells us what it is: a triumph over adversity that blends humor and human drama with education. It’s an important setup, as the film flashes back to Davidson’s 1980s youth, where we see his time as a star soccer recruit flatline as his condition takes hold. Davidson’s life spirals from there. Some aspects, like school bullying and accidental run-ins with authority figures, are expected but important to empathizing with young Davidson’s (young version, played with heart by Scott Ellis Watson) new everyday life. The more tragic, a complete meltdown of his family system, is unsettling if quick. His father (Steven Cree) is never given enough screen time to explore his alcohol coping tendencies. However, his mother Heather’s descent into easy fixes and blaming is crushing and convincing. Harry Potter series actress Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle) gives a layered performance as Heather. Someone who loves her son, but also feels cursed by him as the entire family exits the picture. It’s bitter, she’s tired, and fills each conversation with ‘only medication and your mother can save you’ energy.
From there, the viewer and Davidson find refuge in a host of characters. Maxine Peake plays Dottie, the mother of a childhood friend and a retired mental health nurse. Screen vet Peter Mullan plays maintenance man Tommy Trotter. Together, they help Davidson build a life and an understanding of himself that carries the film forward into its second half. After that, the film is primarily a 3-actor show as director Kirk fills the screen with these tour-de-force performances. Peake and Mullan are great vessels to get the film’s main message across: patience, love, and a shared responsibility between the diagnosed and those who understand their struggle can help change the path for people quickly left behind by a normative world. Together, they are the soul of the movie, with the filmmakers clearly hoping the audience will follow their lead after they exit the theater (in my case, the beautiful Oriental Theater for the Milwaukee Film Festival). Both performances are perfectly warm and reflective and shouldn’t be left out in discussions of I Swear.
I say this because the movie is anchored by The Rings of Power actor Robert Aramayo, who leaves Elrond’s elf ears behind to bring an acute naturalism to his performance of main character John Davidson. Aramayo’s physicality and timing of the fitful Tourettes Syndrome never feel out of place or overplayed. In fact, the movie as a whole does an amazing job of never veering into sentimentality. While many moviegoers left with tissues dabbing their eyes, the filmmaking never felt like it was forcing that reaction out of audiences. It straddles the line between feel-good and reality with every story beat and lands squarely on the side of letting the real inform our feelings. Anyone with an ounce of empathy will grasp the film’s message and hopefully take it with them into life.
I Swear continues at the Milwaukee Film Festival on Tuesday, April 21st, and releases nationwide April 24th, 2026, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Pizza Movie (2026) Director: Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, Star: Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone
Somehow, I got through an hour of this movie. I was seconds away from turning off in the first fifteen minutes because of the juvenile humor. Pizza Movie is too silly, repetitive, and the characters are annoying. Stranger Things Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone star as college friends, Jack and Montgomery. College angles are rarely seen in films right now, and that’s the one saving grace of the film. Similar to high school, people are also trying to fit in. The story and visuals were too corny. You can only watch someone’s head exploding for so long without letting yours.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) Director: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, Stars: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy
I never saw the first Super Mario Brothers Movie when it was out, but I heard it got positive reviews. My brother always loved playing Super Mario video games as a kid, and I’d watch him. I tagged along with my friends to see Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it’s a cute and fun film. I like it when movies explore the video game world. The animation creates unique worlds and characters. The characters are split into their own storylines, and for me, I felt like it worked. It adds more action, especially for kids who are seeing the films.
Emily in Paris Season 5 (2025) Creator: Darren Star, Stars: Lily Collins and Ashley Park
After a bright spot in season 4, I thought season 5 of Emily in Paris would continue its growth in the story and its protagonist, but no, it’s all drained out in the usual Emily (Lily Collins) mishaps. Ashley Park (Mindy) has become too good for this show. Emily and Mindy waste several opportunities because of their love lives. The whole relationship angle is ruining it. I don’t understand why Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) is still in the show. I thought writers learned their lesson, but by the last episode, they’re continuing to bring the past into an apparent season 6.
Sarah’s Oil (2025) Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh, Stars: Naya Desir-Johnson and Zachary Levi
There’s always history lurking right beneath our noses. Sarah’s Oil (2025) tells the true story of Sarah Rector, an Oklahoma-born African American girl who became the first black female millionaire in the U.S. Naya Desir-Johnson is fierce and driven as Sarah. Zachary Levi is also along for the ride as Bert, a man who helps Sarah. Kate (Bridget Regan) was another favorite character as an intelligent woman. Cyrus Nowrasteh was drawn to the subject for its story and its themes. Nowrasteh’s direction is compelling as he unearths a hidden story from history. The film is streaming on Amazon Prime.
Jack Goes Boating (2014) Director and Star: Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan
Jack Goes Boating (2014) didn’t quite work for me, largely because of its slow pace and uneven storytelling. The film stars the late Seymour Hoffman as Jack, who also directed the film. This was Hoffman’s first and only time in the directing chair. Amy Ryan also stars in the film, giving a solid performance. This was also based on a play that Hoffman starred in. Jack wants to participate in a swim championship. That’s hardly what the film is about, tracking other characters’ stories. While the film aims for quiet intimacy, it ultimately drags, making it an underwhelming viewing experience.
You Kill Me (2016), Director: John Dahl, Stars: Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni, Luke Wilson
Meet You Kill Me (2016), yet another film that I found in the museum of underrated gems. The concept revolves around Frank (Ben Kingsley), a hitman, who is sent to an A.A. meeting to get his mind focused again. A different story happens, where Frank falls in love with Laurel (Tea Leoni). Leoni is one of my favorite actresses. It also stars the funny Luke Wilson. I liked the trio’s dynamics. You Kill Me is a mental health movie. It’s okay to make changes if you’re not happy. I recommended that you keep an eye out for this movie.
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