The Life Of Chuck: Movie Review

Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay, Carl Lumbly, Mia Sara, Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak
Director: Mike Flanagan

Based on a Stephen King short story and an intriguing mix of the melancholy and the joyous, Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck is a film that's in love with language - and is all the better for it.

From visual language to musical language via wordplay from the dryly laconic tones of Nick Offerman as the narrator, this non-linear film is a joy from beginning to somewhat abrupt end.

Divided into three parts and best served without any idea of what's ahead, the movie serves as a reminder to find joy in connection and take moments where they come.

It begins with the world facing a range of catastrophes of unknown origin. From the utterly disastrous events such as earthquakes taking out regions to the banal worldwide loss of the internet, the opening moments deliver a mix of atmospheric menace and mystery, all anchored by the gently warm performances of Ejiofor as a teacher and Gillan as a nurse.

How it all ties in to Tom Hiddleston's Chuck Krantz is best experienced cold, but suffice to say the story's deliberate pace and slow unpeeling serves it well.

Yet it's also the actors in this that elevate a very human story. From Hiddleston's energetic dance moves to Hamill's gruffly hunched performance as a near-broken man to a young Pajak and Flanagan's turn in a joy-filled dance medley, via Matthew Lillard's scene- stealing performance as a neighbour, every carefully crafted moment and actor more than delivers in surprisingly affecting ways.

Perhaps the only minor disappointment is the somewhat tritely conceived and brusque ending that stymied the emotional power with its central message, but overall, The Life Of Chuck is a cinematic joy to behold, a vibrant, breathing reminder of what going to the movies should be - and what elevated effective storytelling can deliver when it's at its very best.

I Know What You Did Last Summer: Movie Review

Cast: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jennifer Love Hewitt

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

The 2025 version of the iconic slasher arrives.

And with it the expectation of something original to kick off a new run for the franchise.

Drop: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Reed Diamond, Violett Beane, Gabrielle Ryan
Director: Christopher Landon

The White Lotus' second season breakout star Meghann Fahy elevates an already tightly written story that lapses into an explosion of violence after simmering throughout in this latest from the director of Happy Death Day.

She plays widowed single mother of one Violet, who's heading out on her first date night with photographer Henry (It Ends With Us' Sklenar) but who's riddled with doubts over whether to go, what to wear and if she should leave her son.

However, when she gets to the restaurant, that's the least of her worries after a series of messages sent to her phone anonymously threaten to kill her son if she doesn't murder her date....

Landon stretches the premise as far as it'll go with this tale, but wisely, using a kind of roulette charm approach to who may be sending the messages works wonders for Drop's simple premise.

Deploying stage-style lighting to drop in and out to pinpoint possible perpetrators and giving the direction a kind of play feel helps sell a story that sees the old adage "everyone's a suspect" come into play. There's a desire here to stick solely to what's expected and Drop delivers it.

Yet it would be nothing without Fahy, whose penchant for subtlety and turning on the slightest moment gives Drop an edge that it needs. With steely determination one moment and extreme vulnerability the next, she's eminently watchable throughout, her spark with Sklenar working stronger on her side than his.

But it never wants to be more than a popcorn movie, where the audience is the detective (giving it a Hitchcockian edge) looking like Violet to find where the suspect could be - with blaring on screen graphics and an over-reliance on the 21st century obsession with technology, the film's contemporary enough to hook in the younger audience, while lightly mocking the older end's uselessness with tech and not alienating those in the middle.

Perhaps the one weak point in Drop's rollercoaster ride is its sudden rush denouement, complete with explanations, boogeymen and horror violence. It feels somewhat of an affront to what's already happened, but it's the payoff the audience seeks - though whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.

Drop is worth dropping everything for - but with its occasional logic holes and its clever teasing of the situation, it's a welcome one and done for a Blumhouse outing that does exactly what it sets out to.

Monster Train 2: PS5 Review

Developed by Big Fan Games
Published by Big Fan Games
Platform: PS5

The deckbuilding world of games has taken off recently thanks to the success of Balatro, a game that really helped break through the mainstream.

And so it is with Monster Train 2, the latest from within the genre to head into the world of deckbuilding and to enliven fans who get their kicks from the ilk.

Essentially putting you on board on a train and giving you the cards to build a group of heroes to battle those bad guys who want to stop you reaching your destination by attacking the power crystal on your train, Monster Train 2 goes for simplicity to ensure replayability.

However, unless you're familiar with these games, it's quite difficult to pick up and play, no matter how beautifully presented it is. Particularly given there's the roguelike elements of the game, it makes it hard to apply what you think you learned from a previous outing before taking it all on again.

Combat-based turns require patience and perhaps a degree of strategy, and while Monster Train 2 does its absolute best to get those who don't know on board, it does take a bit of time to finally fall into the game's MO and appreciate what's going on here.

Across three floors, you have to fight and if you can't defeat the bad guys, they move up a level, heading to the train's Pyre Heart which is essentially your lifeblood. Building up a decent deck and unlocking new cards helps - but it's hard to fully recommend a game that takes too much time to really work out what's happening.

It looks great and plays well - but unless you're a fan of these types of games, it will largely leave you cold and wondering what exactly the point of it is. So, it's your decision if you want to climb on board this train - but while there's creativity and variety within, you may feel this is one ride you want to get off from.

What's on Prime Video in August

Here's everything that's streaming on Prime Video in August.

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (August 27)

 “The only way out is right through it.” Today, Prime Video released the official teaser trailer for the highly anticipated new action-drama series, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf. Bringing global audiences back to the world of The Terminal List, the thrilling new teaser offers a look at “Ben Edwards’” (Taylor Kitsch) origin story before the events of the 2022 hit series. Dark Wolf will premiere the first three episodes on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. New episodes will follow weekly, leading up to the season finale on Wednesday, September 24.

Co-created by The New York Times bestselling author of The Terminal List, Jack Carr, and Season One creator-showrunner David DiGilio, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf is a prequel series with an origin story that follows “Ben Edwards” throughout his journey from the Navy SEALs to the clandestine side of CIA Special Operations. The series is an espionage thriller that explores the darker side of warfare and the human cost that comes with it. It also features Chris Pratt reprising his role as “James Reece.”

“Digging into Ben’s origin with Dark Wolf was a blast. This season goes even deeper—there’s more grit, more heart, and a lot more on the line. It’s raw, it’s honest, and it really lets you see the heart of who he is. I have so much respect for the military and SEAL community and loved showing their brotherhood, the things you fight to hold onto, and just letting it all play out. I think fans are going to have a great time with it,” said Taylor Kitsch, Executive Producer and star of Dark Wolf. 

As with Season One of the runaway hit The Terminal List, authenticity is a core pillar of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf – with military veterans contributing as writers, actors, on-set technical advisors, and executive producers, the series is committed to portraying the mindset, brotherhood, and moral complexity of Special Operations with respect and realism. 

Additional cast for the series include Tom Hopper as “Raife Hastings,” Robert Wisdom as “Jed Haverford,” Luke Hemsworth as “Jules Landry,” Dar Salim as “Mohammed Farooq,” Rona-Lee Shimon as “Eliza Perash,” Shiraz Tzarfati as “Tal Varon,” Jared Shaw as “Ernest ‘Boozer’ Vickers,” and more. 

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf is executive produced by Taylor Kitsch alongside Chris Pratt through Indivisible Productions, writer and showrunner David DiGilio, author Jack Carr, Antoine Fuqua and Kat Samick through Hill District Media, former Army Ranger and writer Max Adams, and former Navy SEAL, writer, and technical advisor Jared Shaw, as well as Emmy-winning (Shōgun) pilot director Frederick E.O. Toye. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, MRC and Civic Center Media. 

What's on Disney+ in August

Here's everything that's streaming on Disney+ in August.

King of the Hill season 14 (August 4)

All 10 episodes release on Monday, August 4.

After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas to reconnect with old friends Dale, Boomhauer and Bill. Meanwhile, Bobby is living his dream as a chef in Dallas and enjoying his 20s with his former classmates Connie, Joseph and Chane.

Set in the fictional Arlen, Texas, the original series followed the life of Hank Hill, an enthusiastic seller of propane and propane accessories; his wife, Peggy, local Boggle champ and substitute teacher; and their son, Bobby, who defied any expectation his father had for a son. Hank’s friends – conspiracy theorist Dale, military barber Bill, and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer, along with Peggy’s friends Minh and meteorologist Nancy, and Bobby’s friend Connie helped the Hills navigate a changing world.

The season stars Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, and Toby Huss. Emmy-winning comedian and actor Ronny Chieng joins the cast as returning character, “Kahn Souphanousinphone.”

“King of the Hill” hails from 20th Television Animation and is executive produced by original co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, as well as incoming executive producer and showrunner Saladin Patterson. Additionally, 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg and Howard Klein, and Bandera Entertainment’s Dustin Davis serve as executive producers. The Emmy®-winning series ran for 13 seasons with over 250 episodes.

Alien: Earth (August 13)

"Alien: Earth," the much-anticipated sci-fi drama from Emmy®-Award winning producer Noah Hawley. The new drama series based on the acclaimed franchise will premiere on Wednesday, August 13, with the first two episodes available to stream at 12:00pm NZST on Disney+ in New Zealand. 

A new episode of the 8-episode season will premiere each following Wednesday on Disney+ beginning at 12:00pm NZST. 

When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, “Wendy” (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s “Alien: Earth.”

In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named “Wendy” marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, “Wendy” and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined. 

Led by Chandler, the series showcases an expansive international cast, which includes Timothy Olyphant (“Kirsh”), Alex Lawther (“Hermit”), Samuel Blenkin (“Boy Kavalier”), Babou Ceesay (“Morrow”), Adrian Edmondson (“Atom Eins”), David Rysdahl (“Arthur Sylvia”), Essie Davis (“Dame Sylvia”), Lily Newmark (“Nibs”), Erana James (“Curly”), Adarsh Gourav (“Slightly”), Jonathan Ajayi (“Smee”), Kit Young (“Tootles”), Diêm Camille (“Siberian”), Moe Bar-El (“Rashidi”) and Sandra Yi Sencindiver (“Yutani”).

FX’s “Alien: Earth” is created for television and executive produced by Peabody and Emmy® Award-winning Noah Hawley. Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Joseph Iberti, Dana Gonzales and Clayton Krueger also serve as executive producers. “Alien: Earth” is produced by FX Productions.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Nails the Landing - Now Available

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is available now and ready to shred across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2!), and PC, along with Day One access on Game Pass!

Rebuilt from the ground up, this fully remade combo of two of the most beloved and critically acclaimed games in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise blends everything fans loved from the originals with a ton of modern upgrades, including killer visuals, cross-platform online multiplayer, a stacked soundtrack, new and OG skaters, and a ton of new content across the (skate)board, including three brand-new parks.

Birdman joins as a secret skater. Classic moves, new sick look, full send. He joins the line-up of Officer Dick, Constable Richard, Andy Anderson and Bam Margera as fun unlockable characters in the game.

You can also hear behind-the-scenes stories from Iron Galaxy Studios, the development team for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, as they share what it’s like working with skateboarding icon Tony Hawk to bring Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 to life.