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(A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) It was around the summer solstice last year that director Ari Aster announced himself onto the cinematic stage with  Hereditary , arguably the greatest horror film of the year and in the conversation for the genre’s most impressive modern entries. It’s thus somewhat fitting that his follow-up be a deeply-unnerving exploration of mid-summer’s most earthen celebrations. Midsommar  follows a group of American students (Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter and Florence Pugh) as they travel to Sweden under the invitation of their classmate Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) to experience a “crazy, nine-day festival” under the guise of retreat and study. Their idyllic and vice-laden getaway gradually becomes a gala of doom as their hosts unveil their less-than orthodox rituals. Triangle block in a circle hole: Dani (Florence Pugh), Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) and Christian (Ja...

 (A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) On July 20th 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to land on another celestial body – The Moon. Watched over by their orbiting pilot Michael Collins, they made both human and televisual history as they exited ‘The Eagle’ out onto the surface, but what often gets lost in the majesty of the “one small step” that was first taken by Armstrong is the entirety of the eight-day mission that was Apollo 11. In the past few years, there have been more conceited efforts to highlight the effort required to reach our nearest neighbor. Documentaries such as Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo and feature films like Hidden Figures have done well to offer a glimpse behind that particular curtain; however, as it pertains to the mission itself, there has never been a more ambitious retelling of that famous summer week as Apollo 11 .   Armstrong...

 (A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) There's always rooms for more toys.. (source: MICHAEL [flickr]) It’s been just over a week since  Toy Story 4  made its worldwide cinematic debut, long enough for most audiences to have taken in the film – maybe even see it twice – and, ultimately, decide on the place it will take in their hearts. When it comes to a franchise like  Toy Story , any new entry into the story is sure to be judged against its previous installments; with that in mind, join us as we take a trip down memory lane and rank all four of the  Toy Story  films. 4. Toy Story 4 (2019) RV sitting comfortably? (source: Disney/Pixar) If you haven’t yet seen the latest entry into the  Toy Story  canon, there are two things you should do immediately, firstly stop reading at the end of this sentence, and secondly –  GO AND SEE IT . Have you watched it now? Good...

(A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) It’s been nine years since Woody, Buzz and friends were carried off into the sunset at the end of  Toy Story 3 , a film which offered a satisfying finale for characters that both audiences and owner Andy had already loved for two decades. So, with the release of this new  Toy Story 4 , the big question is –does Pixar do justice to its plastic (and ceramic, and plush..) heroes? In a word, yes. Despite what many have said as they branched out more into sequels and less into new stories, the Pixar magic never really went away – especially when it comes to the film series that made them an instant animation powerhouse. Make no mistake, though: this is Woody’s story. It makes a lot of sense to foreground the stuffed sheriff as the hero of this film, as just like in the original  Toy Story  this is very much Woody’s quest to find his new place in the world. But as the f...

 (A version of this review originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) Like Jonah Hill ( mid90s ) and Bo Burnham ( Eighth Grade ) before her, Olivia Wilde is the latest in a growing line of actors to make their directorial debut in 2019 in the coming-of-age genre. The purest comedy of the three, Wilde’s  Booksmart  may also be the pick of the bunch. It questions the age-old adage of “All work and no play..” as Molly and Amy (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) seek to reverse their boring reputations on the last day of high school – particularly when they discover their party-hard peers have been accepted into big-league colleges just like them. If you think that sounds a bit like  Superbad , then as is well-publicised - you’re not alone.  Booksmart  has been plagued and/or boosted by that comparison since its preview showings, though if anything this is a re-imagining more than a reproduction of that someho...

 (A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) Guns blazin' (source: Lionsgate) HEAVY SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE JOHN WICK FILMS FOLLOW BELOW If you missed Part 1 then please check this out first ! On February 10, 2017, assassin supreme John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returned for John Wick: Chapter 2 , displaying the same creative, unstoppable efficiency that was his trademark. Moreover, the whole bloody affair was presented in the same measured and polished manner as the original 2014 hit. Acclaim for this consistent design lies with the film-makers and their continuous presence behind the lens. Early in the production of John Wick , Reeves contacted Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, stunt performers/choreographers with whom he had worked with at various points in The Matrix trilogy. His reason for bringing them in was to bring the balletic action sequences to life, although he later told The Hollywood Reporter he was “secretly hoping that they’...

 (A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) Stop, or my John will shoot (source: Lionsgate)   HEAVY SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE JOHN WICK FILMS FOLLOW BELOW In the blockbuster months of 2014, movie audiences everywhere were readying themselves for the likes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla and The Expendables 3 . Little did many of them know that just on the horizon was an ice-cold, super-cool, 500 million-dollar hitman waiting to strike. John Wick was released in October 2014, surprising analysts by taking double its projected $7 million opening weekend box office. It didn’t take long for the movie to eclipse its $20 million budget – a sum that is, ludicrously, small change in the world of action blockbusters – and out of nowhere, a hit franchise was born. But how exactly did ‘The Baba Yaga’ get to a third film and such astronomical financial figures? The most obvious answer would be “Keanu Reeves”. The now-54 year-o...