Tag: Comedy

“Nonnas” Review: A Feel Good Film They Don’t Make Anymore

May 8th, 2025

Nonnas is a new Netflix dramedy premiering on the streaming service this weekend. From director Stephen Chbosky and written by Liz Maccie, the film stars Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Drea de Matteo, Joe Manganiello, Michael Rispoli, and Campbell Scott. After the loss of his mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers as the chefs.

When I first heard about this a month or so ago, I genuinely thought this was supposed to be a TV show, which confused me since a TV show with Vince Vaughn titled Bad Monkey came out. While I do believe the story could have been better serviced towards a miniseries to fully flesh out the real-life story, there is something undeniably charming about the film in the way they simply don’t make anymore.

Nonnas. Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella in Nonnas. Cr. Netflix © 2025.

Immediately, I was surprised by the film’s tone given the PG rating. Honestly, I was even more surprised by how much the film pushes between its dark themes & innuendos. Starting off with a death that’s meant to ignite the story, the film doesn’t shy away from bringing humanity to its characters. When Vaughn searches for Nonna’s for his restaurant, there’s a part of him that’s trying to allow his mom to live on, but he also gives purpose to these Nonna’s. It’s a very touching story that’s even better given it’s a real-life story.

The film also has plenty of feel-good moments that can make you ignore all of your problems. I haven’t laughed out loud in this type of comedy in a while. The tone & structure reminds me a lot of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but it still feels like a bygone era of films from the 2000’s. Similar to how the Nonna’s food brings guests back to a certain time in their life, the overall tone of this film reminded me of my childhood. Bring these types of movies back to life!

Nonnas. Linda Cardellini as Olivia in Nonnas. Cr. Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025.

Running almost 2 hours, I was genuinely impressed by how much the film offers through these character’s stories. There’s a lot of characters the film covers, but they never overshadow the other. Sure, Vince Vaughn in the lead actor, but without the rest of the characters, nothing works. The actresses who play the Nonna’s bring a lot of hefty emotion to the story. Linda Cardellini is as charming as ever. Joe Manganiello looks almost unrecognizable for some reason, but I still loved the banter between him and his wife, played by Drea de Matteo.

Given how much the film covers, I can’t help but still believe this story could have been better serviced as a miniseries. Hearing these character’s stories through their words are still emotional given the performances. Imagine if we got to see certain episode dedicated to every character. Netflix is already known for that. I personally think this was a missed opportunity that could have been even better.

Nonnas. (L-R) Joe Manganiello as Bruno and Drea de Matteo as Stella in Nonnas. Cr. Netflix © 2025.

While I still believe there was more room to tell its overall story, there is still no denying that this is a great film. It looks great, and it’s paced even better. As much as I believe the tone of the film is something that is rarely done anymore, the fast-paced editing is also something not seen much anymore. There’s not a single scene that overstays its welcome. Just as it spends a lot of time with certain characters, it will spend as much time with others. Given the near 2-hour runtime, I was thoroughly impressed with how much they cover.

I can’t see many others disliking the film. It does have a familiar formula that can make it predictable, but I give kudos to the film by trying something different in the third act. Even though I don’t live in the area where the real-life place is located, the film gives the restaurant this grand spectacle that makes visiting the restaurant in real-life feel more special. Now, I just need to find a way to visit the restaurant in the near future.

Nonnas. (L-R) Susan Sarandon as Gia, Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella, Lorraine Bracco as Roberta and Talia Shire as Teresa in Nonnas. Cr. Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025.

Overall, Nonnas is a charming film that’s made even better through its genuine performances and realistic themes. It does have a bit of a familiar formula that viewers may find predictable at times, but going back to a bygone era is the whole point of the film. A delightful film you can watch on Netflix May 9th!

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)
“Heart Eyes” Review

February 10th, 2025

Directed by Josh Ruben & written by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy, Heart Eyes follows a masked maniac with glowing, red, heart eyes who returns every Valentine’s Day to terrorize unsuspecting couples. The film stars Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster.

I can’t say I was looking forward to a slasher anytime soon. I enjoyed them a lot more when I was a teenager, but in recent years, I have found them to be too bleak for my taste. To my surprise, this one was fun from start to finish. Due to how light-hearted and comedic it can be, I am not surprised to see where this isn’t for everyone. Coming from writer Christopher Landon as a writer, I am also not surprised by its tone. The film’s tone is what works best for the film.

Olivia Holt & Mason Gooding star in the lead roles, and I have not seen such strong chemistry between two leads in quite a while. They are so likable & charming. The casting department did a superb job putting these two together. Under Josh Ruben’s direction, he creates a foundation between the two before chaos ensues. That’s what helps us feel even more gravitated towards what happens to them. There’s a surprising amount of development between the two that may not be for anyone who wants straight up slasher, but to me, it helps it stand out amongst the rest of the slasher movies. I know what I said about slasher movies being bleak, and I did not feel this way at all.

It was refreshing to see Jordana Brewster & Devon Sawa here. Viewers might be most familiar with the two from Fast & Furious and Final Destination, respectfully. It’s nice to see Brewster have a big role outside of the popular franchise, and it’s nice to see Sawa in another horror movie. The Fast & Furious reference was also hilarious. I had that spoiled to me beforehand unfortunately, and I wish that wasn’t the case. This is the kind of movie that you need to go blind into.

As for the big twist, it’s unique, but it’s also somewhat predictable. When you go into a slasher movie wondering who the big killer is, you’re looking at everyone as a suspect. The film makes it clear with some big hints as to who it can be, but it also makes you second guess yourself, similar to how My Bloody Valentine did. It leads into a cliche third act where the villain speaks their motives before following through with their plan. I am tired of that trope where the villain has to explain everything, which gives the heroes plenty of time to overcome the villain. On the other hand, I thought it was quite fun. It felt like a homage to a lot of other 90’s slashers.

Speaking of homage, this is a film that respectfully homages other great slashers before it. There is a shot similar to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre that you may have seen in the trailer. One of the main reasons I try to avoid trailers as they spoil too much. On the other hand, I guess it’s a good way to convince people to see this. There’s also another scenes where the Heart Eyes killer is chasing Olivia Holt’s character, and the music choice reminded me a lot of Psycho. The film also acknowledges other romantic movies which can make it even more comedic and light-hearted.

There is a convenient plot hole that I know I am reading too much into. Without giving much away, the start of the film makes it clear that the killer has attacked other parts of the country. As it so happens, the same killer has attacked places that Mason Gooding has been to. First off, I have no idea how the killer made that work to set Gooding up. Second, you’d think Gooding’s character would not want to be romantically involved because of this. I honestly thought at one point it might be someone Gooding has a connection with, but that’s not the case. In the end, I think the film does a good job at explaining the motives, even if I would have liked to have seen the conception of this killer explored more.

From what I have seen, this film hasn’t been doing quite well. That seems to always be the case for any movie opening Super Bowl weekend. Maybe it will do better over Valentine’s Day weekend. If it does, I’d love to see a sequel of this that further explores the origins of the killer in other parts of the country. If not, I like how the film ends with something conclusive.

Overall, Heart Eyes exceeded my expectations to deliver something fun & unique with two charismatic leads and respectful homages to the genres. The tone may not be for everyone, but for someone who needs that, I can appreciate it even more. It’s far funnier than I could have ever imagined. I won’t be upset if a sequel ever happens, but I’m also satisfied with what we got here.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)