I promise you, Top Gun will for sure be happening next week. Instead, I watched a refreshing eclectic mix of new films this weekend.
Spiderhead – I agree with someone I saw on Twitter who mentioned how crazy the lack of advertising for this new Netflix film was. Especially given that it’s directed by the same guy who’s given us the latest Top Gun movie! This one’s got Miles Teller, too! Regardless, I knew it was on Netflix, and a Hemsworth combined with Teller is enough to get me to watch. I did learn that that film was based off a short story called, Escape From Spiderhead, so that was neat. Anyway, we are pretty much dropped straight into the middle of Jeff’s prison sentence at Spiderhead, where he applied and got accepted, and now basically has no choice but to agree to mood altering experiments on a daily basis. The mastermind behind these experiments is a doctor Steve Abnesti, who’s actually running a sinister pharmaceutical company. It was interesting to learn how some of the inmates ended up at Spiderhead, but it was most unsettling to see something that could very well happen in the future. Entertaining!
My Fake Boyfriend – Honestly, I went into this rom-com with pretty low expectations and found that I really enjoyed it! It definitely had me cackling a lot more than I anticipated, and I credit that to the chaos that Dylan Sprouse brought as the best friend. He plays Jake, and he just wants his best friend Andrew to stop going back to his toxic on again-off again boyfriend. Andrew’s living a pretty successful life, but he could just be so much happier if he found the right guy. Jake’s heart is in the right place, but he goes too far when he creates a completely fabricated boyfriend for Andrew who ends up garnering a cult following online. People think this guy is real! That’s really throws a curveball into a potentially new romance for Andrew, and of course it all spirals from there. Definitely lighter fair if you wants some frequent laughs.
The Good Neighbor – I rented this knowing it wasn’t going to be great, and it wasn’t. However, it definitely kept my attention in all of its Lifetime-esque qualities. David is new to Latvia for a job but quickly bonds with his neighbor, Robert. The two hit a girl driving home after a night out at the club, and Robert convinces David to leave the scene so they can cover it up. It’s pretty obvious right away that Robert is an oddball and fairly obsessed with David. I’d say as far as fleeing the scene of a homicide goes, Robert is giving David solid advice and hardcore helping him out, but David decides to get involved with the deceased’s sister. Mistakes! Robert is not having it, and you could rightfully guess that more bodies start piling up. The ending was pretty cool, and I think they could have potentially set themselves up for a continuation if they really wanted to. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was the draw here, and as expected, he was great.