Movie Reviews – Northern Iowan

McKellen vs Mirren in ‘Good Liar’

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

November 21, 2019

London octogenarian Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) is a career con man, swindling from those less fortunate enough to fall into one of his schemes. One day, as part of an online dating scam he occasionally pulls, he meets Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), a recent widower who turns out to be worth nearly t...

Meyers delivers laughs in ‘Lobby Baby’

GABRIELLE LEITNER, Executive Editor

November 18, 2019

In his first Netflix special, Seth Meyers ditches his desk at Studio 8G in 30 Rock for the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis. Released on Nov. 5, the hour-long comedy special titled “Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby,” gives the comedian an extension to his monologues on his show, “Late Night With Seth Meyers...

‘Jojo Rabbit’ comically attacks Nazis

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

November 14, 2019

If you’re going to make a movie about the Nazis, you’d better make sure it’s going to be good. Multiply that rule by infinity if you’re going to make it a comedy. Because of this strict rule, only a select few have been able to take the greatest human atrocity of the modern era and turn it i...

‘Dark Fate’ can’t revive tired franchise

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

November 7, 2019

No matter what our differences may be when it comes to political and social issues, as humans, we can all agree that the “Terminator” franchise has been downright awful for nearly 30 years. Since the innovative “T2” by James Cameron, the three sequels by lesser filmmakers have buried this on...

‘Current War’ electrifies history

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

October 31, 2019

In the late 19th century, Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse were the two titans of American innovation. With the country modernizing at a rapid pace, both realized the need for a better way to power society beyond candles and gas. After some years of development, they both discovered different ways to transm...

‘Zombieland’ returns without brains

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

October 28, 2019

When the first “Zombieland” came out in 2009, it was a pleasant surprise. The zombie genre was in its initial rebirth stage and self-referential humor hadn’t reached its peak just yet. It became the talk of every middle and high school around the country, creating a rabid fanbase that launched ...

2 Smiths can’t save ‘Gemini Man’

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

October 17, 2019

Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is the most elite assassin the U.S. government has ever had. He has 72 confirmed kills and is even able to hit a target on a moving train from over two kilometers away. Disillusioned and fatigued from years of killing, Henry decides to put it all away for a quiet retirement. ...

‘Between Two Ferns’ thrives in limelight

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

October 3, 2019

What started as a joke and over the years became an even bigger one, Zach Galifianakis’ long-running web series “Between Two Ferns” has been given the feature-length treatment via Netflix. Just like the show, the premise of the film is simple: Zach Galifianakis has been doing his web show for...

Emmys prove awards shows’ descent

GABRIELLE LEITNER, Executive Editor

September 26, 2019

The best of the best in television were honored at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 22. One thing the Emmys proved this year was that awards shows need a host. The Emmys followed the Academy’s decision to go hostless earlier this year...

‘Ad Astra’ tells human story on cosmic level

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

September 23, 2019

You may not have noticed, but the 2010s have been a renaissance for space movies. It all started with “Gravity” in 2013, followed by “Interstellar,” “The Martian” and “First Man.” The one thing each of these great movies has in common is their ability to tell a story of perseverance a...

Scafaria’s ‘Hustlers’ makes it rain

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

September 16, 2019

We all know how the Great Recession of 2008 affected the American economy. There are countless stories of large financial and automotive firms going under, taking thousands of employees with them. But there is one industry you may not have considered where workers took the biggest direct hit: strip clubs....

‘IT’ sequel is too long for too little

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

September 12, 2019

In 1913, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line to the Ford Motor Company. He made a ton of money and was hailed as a leading innovator. Now just a hundred years later, director Andy Musciehtti brings that same assembly line principle to “IT Chapter Two” as he serves up his scary products in the e...