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Friendship Review: Tim Robinson & Paul Rudd Clash in a Cringe-Worthy Tale of Toxic Bromance

by with No Comment Entertainment

Is Friendship a dark comedy masterpiece or a chaotic misfire? Dive into our spoiler-free review of Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd’s unsettling exploration of male insecurity.

When “Bro Love” Goes Horribly Wrong

Imagine Fatal Attraction with fewer rabbits and more awkward high-fives. Friendship, the debut film from writer-director Andrew DeYoung, is a darkly comic nightmare about Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson), a socially inept PR flunky whose midlife crisis spirals into obsession when he befriends his effortlessly cool neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd). Think of it as I Think You Should Leave meets Single White Male, with a dash of suburban despair.

The Plot: A Masterclass in Cringe

Craig’s life is a dumpster fire. His wife Tami (Kate Mara) survived cancer but now tolerates him like a stale houseguest. Their son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer) barely hides his disdain. Enter Austin: a local weatherman with Indiana Jones hobbies and a golden-retriever personality. When Austin “adopts” Craig into his bro squad, it’s less meet-cute, more emotional car crash.

Robinson’s Craig is a whirlpool of neediness—imagine Michael Scott if he snorted Red Bull and forgot how to human. His attempts to bond with Austin (hiking, mushroom-foraging, ancient artifact chats) start sweet but curdle fast. A disastrous guys’ night out—complete with cringe karaoke and passive-aggressive jabs—kicks off Craig’s descent into unhinged jealousy.

Performances: Robinson and Rudd Steal the Show

Tim Robinson’s Chaotic Genius
Robinson, fresh off his cult hit I Think You Should Leave, dials up Craig’s desperation to 11. His physical comedy—think twitchy grins and flop-sweat—masks volcanic rage. One scene where Craig hallucinates himself as Austin’s “mythical hero” (complete with slow-mo cape) is equal parts hilarious and horrifying.

Paul Rudd’s Charming Monster
Rudd’s Austin is the perfect foil: a veneer of chill hiding subtle narcissism. His slow-burn shift from “fun uncle” to “get a restraining order” is masterful. Watch for a gut-punch moment where Austin, mid-smile, realizes he’s created a monster.

The Supporting Cast: Underused but Effective
Kate Mara’s Tami feels tragically underwritten (her biggest moment: watering plants while Craig melts down). Jack Dylan Grazer’s Steven is a Gen-Z Greek chorus, eye-rolling his dad’s antics. Austin’s wife? She exists solely to ask, “Who’s Craig?”

Direction & Tone: Cringe Comedy Meets Psychological Horror

DeYoung’s TV roots (Our Flag Means Death, Shrill) shine in tight, uncomfortable close-ups. The film’s best moments mirror Craig’s fractured psyche: surreal fantasies (a Simpsons-style cutaway of Craig as a medieval knight), distorted sound design (muffled laughter during a panic attack), and a score that veers from jaunty sitcom tunes to Hitchcockian strings.

But the script stumbles. Subplots fizzle (Steven’s mom obsession goes nowhere), and the third act leans too hard on Craig’s repetitive meltdowns. A late-film “stalker” sequence strains credibility—would Tami really agree to that?

The Good, The Bad, The Uncomfortable

What Works:

  • Robinson & Rudd’s Chemistry: Their bromance-turned-blood feud is magnetic.
  • Surreal Humor: A hallucination of Craig as a talk-show host grilling Austin is peak absurdity.
  • Aesthetic Boldness: Neon-lit nightmares and Wes Anderson-esque symmetry keep eyes glued.

What Doesn’t:

  • Underdeveloped Women: Tami’s a prop, not a person.
  • Pacing Issues: At 110 minutes, it drags once Craig’s spiral becomes predictable.
  • Tonal Whiplash: Shifts from slapstick to thriller jar more than intrigue.

Is Friendship Worth Your Time?

If you’re a Tim Robinson stan or love cringe-comedy, Friendship is a wild ride. It’s not quite Succession meets The Office, but DeYoung’s audacity earns points. For others, the relentless awkwardness may feel exhausting.

Final Verdict: A flawed but fascinating trainwreck—like watching your least-liked coworker crash a party, then set it on fire.

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Bullet Train Explosion Review: A Nostalgic, Bombastic Throwback to Classic Disaster Flicks

by with No Comment Entertainment

Does Bullet Train Explosion live up to its explosive title? Dive into our spoiler-free review of Shinji Higuchi’s chaotic, crowd-pleasing remake.

All Aboard the Chaos Express

If you’re craving a disaster movie that doesn’t pretend to reinvent the wheel—just sets it on fire and races it off a cliff—Bullet Train Explosion delivers. Directed by Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla), this remake of the 1975 cult classic sticks to the formula: a speeding Shinkansen train, a bomb threat, and a motley crew of heroes scrambling to save the day. No twists, no subversions—just old-school thrills dialed up to 11.

Plot: Speed Limits and Stakes

The Hayabusa No. 60 bullet train hurtles from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo when terrorists demand 10 billion yen… or else. Catch? The bomb detonates if the train dips below 100km/h. Cue panic, heroics, and a lot of uniformed professionals sweating in control rooms.

The story’s a checklist of disaster tropes: stoic conductor Kazuya (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi), no-nonsense driver Matsumoto (Chika Matsumoto), and a gaggle of passengers—angsty teens, preening politicians, and a viral influencer who regrets livestreaming their doom. It’s corny, but Higuchi knows how to make clichés fun.

Why It Works: Higuchi’s Playbook

Higuchi’s a master of controlled chaos. Remember the jaw-dropping model city destruction in Shin Godzilla? Here, he swaps kaiju for trains, staging tension in two key spaces:

  1. The Control Room: Engineers use miniature trains to test rescue plans—a nerdy, nail-biting highlight.
  2. The Rails: High-speed chases, last-second track switches, and a finale that pits human grit against ticking bombs.

The dialogue’s cheesy (“Japan doesn’t negotiate with terrorists!”), but the cast sells it. Kusanagi’s conductor radiates quiet authority, while Matsumoto’s driver balances grit with relatable panic.

Flaws? Sure, But Who Cares?

This isn’t high art. The villains are faceless, the politics simplistic (“terrorism bad, teamwork good”). Subplots, like a teen rebelling against her dad, feel tacked on. But Bullet Train Explosion isn’t trying to win Oscars—it’s here to make you grip your seat.

Legacy vs. Originality

Fans of the 1975 original will spot nods, but Higuchi’s remake stands alone. It’s louder, shinier, and unapologetically melodramatic. Think Speed meets Towering Inferno, with a dash of Japanese pragmatism.

Final Verdict: Unapologetic Popcorn Fun

Bullet Train Explosion won’t change your life, but it’ll kill two hours with style. If you miss the days when disaster flicks prioritized stunts over sermons, this one’s a blast.

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Last Bullet Review: A Thrilling (If Familiar) Finale to Netflix’s French Action Trilogy

by with No Comment Entertainment

Dive into our spoiler-free review of Netflix’s Last Bullet—the explosive conclusion to the Lost Bullet trilogy. Does it stick the landing? Find out here!

Last Bullet: High-Octane Action Meets Predictable Plotting

Netflix’s Lost Bullet trilogy wraps with Last Bullet, a pedal-to-the-metal French cop thriller that doubles down on vehicular mayhem but struggles to escape the shadow of its predecessors. Directed by Guillaume Pierret and starring Alban Lenoir, this threequel delivers the adrenaline-pumping stunts fans crave but feels more like a victory lap than a fresh chapter.

Plot & Performances: Frenemies on the Run

Picking up after Lost Bullet 2, ex-cop-turned-fugitive Areski (Nicolas Duvauchelle) hides in Germany, running drugs under a new identity—until his past drags him back to France. Meanwhile, righteous mechanic-turned-cop Lino (Alban Lenoir) hunts corrupt narcotics chief Resz (Gérard Lanvin), whose promotion hinges on silencing loose ends.

The reluctant alliance between Lino and Areski crackles with tension, though their rivalry lacks depth. Lenoir’s stoic charisma anchors the chaos, while Duvauchelle steals scenes as the roguish antihero. Sadly, Lanvin’s Resz is a forgettable villain, his cartoonish empire paling next to the series’ earlier grit.

Action First, Story Second

Last Bullet shines in its set pieces:

  • Helicopter vs. Tow Truck: A ludicrous but thrilling climax.
  • Car Chases: Precision-engineered chaos with fetishistic close-ups of engines and crashes.
  • Bus Brawl: A shaky-cam misfire amid otherwise polished stuntwork.

The plot? A thin scaffold for destruction. Twists are recycled, and emotional beats—like Areski’s abandoned lover Mathilde (Julia Engelbrecht)—feel tacked on. Yet Pierret’s breakneck pacing ensures you’re rarely bored.

Why It Works (And Doesn’t)

Pros:

  • Relentless, inventive stunts (cars flip, crash, explode).
  • Lenoir and Duvauchelle’s magnetic chemistry.
  • No pretensions—just pure, unfiltered action.

Cons:

  • Underdeveloped villains and forgettable side plots.
  • Formulaic storytelling (corrupt cops, redemption arcs).
  • Shallow character depth compared to the first film.

How Does It Stack Up?

While Last Bullet can’t match the raw novelty of 2020’s Lost Bullet, it outpaces Netflix’s other French thrillers (AKA, Squad 36). The trilogy’s strength lies in its simplicity: no moral ambiguity, just cops vs. crooks and metal vs. asphalt.

Final Verdict: A Satisfying (If Safe) Sendoff

Last Bullet doesn’t reinvent the wheel—it burns rubber on it. Fans of the franchise will relish the explosive finale, but newcomers should start with the first film. If Netflix greenlights a fourth installment, here’s hoping Areski takes the wheel.

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The Diplomat Review: John Abraham & Sadia Shine, But Flaws Undermine a ‘True’ Rescue Drama

by with No Comment Entertainment
John Abraham in a still from ‘The Diplomat’ | Photo Credit: T-Series/YouTube

Read our concise review of The Diplomat, starring John Abraham and Sadia Khateeb. Discover why strong performances can’t save this flawed retelling of a real diplomatic rescue.

In 2017, a narrative that elucidated the extraction of Uzma Ahmed from Pakistan by Indian diplomats stood as a cross-border diplomatic achievement. The Diplomat, directed by Shivam Nair and created by John Abraham who also stars in it, revisits that mission through the perspective of diplomat JP Singh. While the film boasts compelling performances, its oversimplified storytelling and factual errors dilute the gravity of the real incident; hence an opportunity missed.

Plot & Performances: Highs and Lows How the Story’s Promise Measures Up Uzma, a single mother, fell in love with Pakistani taxi driver Tahir in Kuala Lumpur. She finds herself married off to him and trapped in Pakistan’s volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. JP Singh is the diplomat assigned to bring her back. While the premise is quite gripping, the screenplay just rushes through these implausible details, like Uzma moving to Pakistan for her daughter’s “naturopathy treatment” in a mining town. Her backstory is not fully developed (no mention of parents or first marriage), leaving gaps in her motivations.

John Abraham does not adopt aggressive diplomacy; instead, he shares it with JP Singh in a more subdued manner. The characters fit him well, but the script limits him to rather muscular dialogue and table-thumping bravado. Sadia Khateeb gets the best performance out of the film, balancing vulnerability and resilience in Uzma. The film probably underutilizes her in a courtroom breakdown because she anchors so much emotional weight in scenes relating to Tahir’s abuse.

Revathy shines briefly as Sushma Swaraj, capturing her grace in limited screen time.

Kumud Mishra (a sympathetic lawyer) and Ashwath Bhatt (a clichéd ISI villain) are reduced to stereotypes.

Sharib Hashmi adds nuance as a conflicted diplomat but is sidelined.

Ritesh Shah (Pink) tries to give Pakistani characters a human face beyond mob mentality or simplistic villains. There is little tension in the courtroom drama, and the repeated assertion by JP Singh of Uzma being a “Muslim girl” feels jarringly out of place. Shivam Nair lets the plot holes slide because of his brisk pacing and style, but the nationalist undertones of the narrative clash with its claim to neutrality. The film’s “true story” tag weakens with simple mistakes, like mixing up embassies with high commissions. Portrayals of Pakistani society and its legal system lean on stereotypes, leaving out cultural nuances (for example, no one asks Uzma about her marital status). Such flaws mirror John’s earlier production, Vedaa, where commercial tropes overshadowed real-life stakes. There is also the issue of a disclaimer. A lengthy disclaimer claims the film avoids harming Indo-Pak relations—yet invents an attack on Indian diplomats. This contradiction highlights the film’s struggle to balance drama with authenticity.

Final Verdict: Style Over Substance The Diplomat squanders its potential with shallow writing and factual missteps. While Abraham and Khateeb deliver strong performances, the film prioritizes melodrama over meaningful insight into diplomacy or Uzma’s ordeal. For those seeking a gripping true-story adaptation, this isn’t it.

Engagement Prompt: Have you seen The Diplomat? Do you believe Bollywood gives justice to real-life stories? Share your views below!