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The most memorable facet of chintzy coincidence thriller “2:22” is its strange timing. It arrives to theaters and VOD the same day as a JAY-Z album that also favors numbers, 4:44 . With time titles rarely making its way into any medium, what are the chances of two on the same day and for even numbers? Maybe it means something. Or, as with much of this overwrought movie, maybe it means very little at all. 

Michiel Huisman plays an air traffic controller who notices the patterns in life, as stated by his clunky opening voiceover. It helps him do his job where he is able to see flight plans with a savant quality (or at least that’s how it’s presented), but it starts to pop up elsewhere in his life. When biking to Grand Central Station in the mornings, he notices different people doing the same thing in the same order—women laughing, a person saying “can I help you?”, a car horn, etc. City ambience or something else? Even stranger, he sees very similar patterns at Grand Central station—couples hugging, a pregnant woman, a group of school kids—and at the exact time of 2:22pm, some type of malfunction happens at the station, glass randomly shattering or light bulbs exploding above. 

There’s an interesting point to explore in this concept about how things seem to run into pattern or repetition, but instead this movie is aimed towards a love story. There’s a meet-cute which is one for the books, in which he meets an art curator named Sarah ( Teresa Palmer , in a definitively thankless role) whose plane he almost caused to hit another plane on the runway. In the eloquence of this unnatural script, the humdinger exchange goes: “I was on that flight.” “I nearly killed you.” “No, you saved me.” Later on, Sarah’s jealous artist boyfriend Jonas ( Sam Reid ) puts on a hologram display that shows the exact images Dylan has been seeing. Is Dylan going crazy? Is everything he’s seeing every day just a coincidence, a one in a billion chance? There are even more threads that are created, involving a murder that happened 30 years ago at Grand Central station. Director Paul Currie has a handsome look for the movie but does not have the vision to make all of these magic beans grow into one captivating entity. 

Like "The Number 23" or " Knowing " before it, "2:22" breaks an unwritten rule about coincidences in movies, where if details in the script are made so obvious, of course patterns will arise. There is scant awe as the movie starts to create trends from what is going on, which feels like it’s more in service of screenwriters trying to pull off eight tricks at once. Halfway through “2:22” you’re watching it just to see if it will ultimately make sense. By the end it does, and for a wayward cheesy purpose that I will not spoil, but also cannot say I was that in the least amused by. 

“2:22” does not make a compelling case for rising actor Huisman as a sturdy lead, despite being shown everything he can do, from working out in his apartment, biking through city streets, or furrowing his brow while picking up his keys. Like the other human beings in this movie, his character registers quickly as wooden, and isn’t able to change that fate. As strange things happen in the world it just comes off more like he’s posing than presenting a curious intellectual thought, and he isn’t given much of a sense of humor to add a few more dashes to charisma. But if you’re a “Game of Thrones” fan who wants to see Huisman play the sexiest air traffic controller alive, “2:22” has that. 

The busy nature of the movie doesn’t make it work any better. There’s a whole first act about his work as an air traffic controller, complete with high-paced air traffic control work, that could largely be excised, even if it makes him look super cool and lets him say “punch it!” into a phone while in close-up. And as it builds up tension from close calls in other sequences, as when Dylan is driving in a cab and seemingly avoiding predestined accidents by milliseconds, the editing is too choppy to create tension. 

At the very least, the movie seems to concede through dialogue or stand-out visuals that it fails to achieve intellectual grandiosity, so it keeps things simple. Dylan says out loud key connections when they are made, which takes away from their profundity. But there is one amusing vision, where in his madness of trying to figure everything out in his apartment, he writes on a glass pane the very helpful phrase, “2:22 - BOOM!” 

With a movie like this, it’s hard to tell where the good idea ran out, as it seems to have been lost many drafts ago. “2:22” really just wants to be seen as clever, which often renders something not very clever at all. 

Nick Allen is the former Senior Editor at RogerEbert.com and a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Film credits.

2:22 (2017)

Rated PG-13 for violence and some sexuality.

Michiel Huisman as Dylan

Teresa Palmer as Sarah

Sam Reid as Jonas

• Paul Currie

Writer (story by)

• Nathan Parker

Cinematographer

• David Eggby
• Sean Lahiff
• Gary Woodyard
• Lisa Gerrard

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Common sense media reviewers.

Mystery thriller has threat, sex, guns, graphic car crash.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

A character perseveres investigating a mystery des

Distracted at work, Dylan almost causes two planes

The (small) main cast is all White and straight wi

Scenes of panic when characters pull out handguns

Character kiss and undress. They are shown in bed

Infrequent language includes "bitch," "bastard," "

A Bering watch gets a lot of screen time. Various

Characters drink beer, wine, and spirits in a bar

Parents need to know that 2:22 is a mystery thriller with some violence, peril, and non-graphic sex. After nearly causing a mid-air collision between two planes, air traffic controller Dylan Branson (Michiel Huisman) starts to spot patterns in everyday life and predicts a deadly occurrence due at 2:22pm each…

Positive Messages

A character perseveres investigating a mystery despite potential danger. A character displays empathy when they become concerned about the behavior of their partner.

Positive Role Models

Distracted at work, Dylan almost causes two planes to collide. He shows remorse and concern. When he predicts a potential disaster, he throws himself into uncovering the mystery. Sarah is Dylan's girlfriend. She is both understanding and concerned when his infatuation with the mystery causes obsessive behavior. Jonas is a jealous ex-lover who displays violent and threatening behavior.

Diverse Representations

The (small) main cast is all White and straight with no prominent people of color and no LGBTQ+ representation. Some diversity within the supporting cast. The main female character, though given a fair share of screen time, has little to do. A character says, "You know what they call people who see patterns in everything," to imply a character has an unspecified mental illness that is causing delusions.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Scenes of panic when characters pull out handguns in a train station and lights explode. Characters are shot and one is killed by police. A violent car crash with the impact shown from inside the car leads to bloody wounds, screaming, and distress. Characters fight. A jealous character tries to force their ex to be with them and gets violent when they refuses, threatening their life. Photo of murder victim. A character contemplates suicide at the edge of a rooftop.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Character kiss and undress. They are shown in bed for a non-explicit sex scene, which involves them rolling around in bed with nakedness implied rather than shown. Two men discuss smelling a woman and suggest she's either "in love" or "in lust."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent language includes "bitch," "bastard," "bulls--t," and "s--t."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A Bering watch gets a lot of screen time. Various airline logos are visible.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink beer, wine, and spirits in a bar and wine with dinner. Characters leave a bar to smoke cigarettes, though no smoking is actually shown.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 2:22 is a mystery thriller with some violence, peril, and non-graphic sex. After nearly causing a mid-air collision between two planes, air traffic controller Dylan Branson ( Michiel Huisman ) starts to spot patterns in everyday life and predicts a deadly occurrence due at 2:22pm each day. The recurring action takes place at New York's Grand Central Terminal rail station and features panic, explosions, and guns. Characters are shot with one being shot and killed by police. As well as the near-miss plane accident, there is a graphic car crash, with the impact filmed from inside the vehicle. Dylan and his girlfriend, Sarah ( Teresa Palmer ), share a non-explicit sex scene in bed, with their naked bodies covered with sheets. Sarah's jealous ex, Jonas ( Sam Reid ), displays violent and threatening behavior. Language includes "bitch," "bastard," and "bulls--t." A character alludes to having a mental illness, but is non-specific. A man contemplates suicide at the edge of a rooftop but decides against it. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

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What's the Story?

In 2:22, Dylan Branson ( Michiel Huisman ), a man with a knack for spotting patterns, notices a potentially deadly fate brewing at New York's Grand Central Terminal rail station. With his new girlfriend, Sarah ( Teresa Palmer ), he tries to uncover the time-hop mystery before it's too late.

Is It Any Good?

The ultra-glossy look of this movie makes every scene feel like a perfume commercial (or when Dylan's checking his glimmering Bering timepiece, a watch advertisement). There's nothing wrong with a good-looking film, but 2:22 's model looks are paired with a shallow storyline with as much depth to match a perfume ad. The science fiction and fantasy element is the movie's weakest link, but to its credit, it still wraps up nicely. As a young teen's first step into fantasy time-loop mystery movies, it should pass the time pleasantly. But anyone expecting it to measure up to Groundhog Day , Source Code , or Edge of Tomorrow will find it lacking. It doesn't have the wit, depth, or intelligence to reach those high benchmarks.

An Australian movie filmed in New York, the largely Australian cast provide a mixed bag of performances. Some accents are shaky but that's made up for with a couple of standouts. Palmer gives her all to play Sarah, a character who unfortunately amounts to little more than a concerned onlooker. Along the way it's clear 2:22 was planned as a slow-burning mystery. But Huisman's voiceover is more detached and disinterested than enigmatic and compelling. Ultimately, the sub-par writing, pacing, and pixel-perfect sheen add up to very little.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in 2:22 . Did the violent scenes help tell the story in an effective way? Was it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

How did the movie portray sex ? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

Did the movie remind you of any others you've seen? Which ones and in what ways?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 30, 2017
• On DVD or streaming : September 26, 2017
• Cast : Michiel Huisman , Teresa Palmer , Sam Reid
• Director : Paul Currie
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Magnet Releasing
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 98 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : violence and some sexuality
• Last updated : June 21, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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2017 Directed by Paul Currie

To save their future, he must fight his fate.

Two planes almost collide after a blinding flash of light paralyzes air traffic controller Dylan Branson for a few seconds. Suspended from his job, Dylan starts to notice an ominous pattern of sounds and events that repeats itself in exactly the same manner every day, ending precisely at 2:22 p.m. Also drawn into a complex relationship with a woman, Dylan must figure out a way to break the power of the past and take control of time itself.

Michiel Huisman Teresa Palmer Sam Reid John Waters Kerry Armstrong Richard Davies Maeve Dermody Remy Hii Simone Kessell Mitchell Butel Barry Quin Zara Michales Nancy Denis Duncan Ragg Jessica Clarke Jack Ellis Michael-Anthony Taylor Thuso Lekwape Shameer Birges Marcus Johnson Gordon Waddell Dean Kyrwood Madison McKoy Wayne McDaniel James Parbery Katie McConnell Coy Shamista Ballu Li Diane Alves Mendes Corey Robinson Show All… Chris Peart Bridie Hooper Lewis West Martin Sottile Nick Barker-Pendree Jennieka Chattelle Paulina Hopkins Jeff Hudson Yusof Mutahar Marek Radin Morrison James Amanda Azarian Jeremy Costello Angie Tricker Marisa Lamonica Victoria Ferrara Melissa Joyce Jason Steward Carma Sharon Rowan Moses Nora Sommerkamp Ezekiel Simat Erica Long Jean-Pierre Yerma Harry Peek Christopher Jean Pierre Remy George Papura Gemma Dart Benn Spillane Mike Zarate James Trimboli Emanuele Avezzano Saliyl Dotson Kanwal Baluch

Director Director

Paul Currie

Producers Producers

Paul Currie Jodi Matterson Steve Hutensky Lorcan Kelleher Brendan Heffernan J. Mitchell White Barbara Gibbs Bruce Davey Maureen Murphy

Writers Writers

Nathan Parker Todd Stein

Story Story

Casting casting.

Christine King Tricia Wood Deborah Aquila Jennifer L. Smith Amanda Mitchell

Editors Editors

Gary Woodyard Sean Lahiff William Hoy

Cinematography Cinematography

David Eggby

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Matt Enfield Betty Fotofili Nicholas Hadland Jay Corry Xander Collier Michael T. Meador Maggie Bex George Daratany

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Juan Robertson

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Garrett Kelleher Charlie O'Carroll Todd Stein David Fountain Bill Mechanic Kel West Bruce Davey Jackie O'Sullivan David Whealy Neil McMullin Geoff Doempke Marcus Bolton Michael Burton Ben Cosgrove Todd Wagner Ralph Kamp Lawrence Inglee

Lighting Lighting

Reg Garside Eric Boncher

Camera Operators Camera Operators

David Eggby Luke Nixon Damian Wyvill Francis Spieldenner

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Mauricio Rubinstein

Production Design Production Design

Michelle McGahey

Art Direction Art Direction

Richard Hobbs

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Nicki Gardiner Marko Anttonen Teresa Meoli Stephanie Q. Bowen

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Simon Maddison Juan Robertson Jaimee Skippon-Volke

Stunts Stunts

John Walton Blake Lindsell Ray Anthony Mark Duncan Paul Franklin Philip Partridge Puven Pather Ben Toyer Brett Sheerin

Choreography Choreography

Jasna Harris

Composers Composers

Lisa Gerrard James Orr

Sound Sound

Paul Pirola Hayden Collow Paul 'Salty' Brincat Cameron Grant Tom Heuzenroeder Dan Johnston Duncan McAllister Luisa Bifulco Andrew Simmons Glenn Humphries Stuart Deutsch

Costume Design Costume Design

Lizzy Gardiner

Makeup Makeup

Shane Thomas Ziggy Golden Zoe Saleeba Angela Conte Kalotina Amperidis Shauna Flenady Lara Jade Birch Maria Lo Presti Julie Teel

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Shane Thomas Ziggy Golden Clariss Morgan

Screen Australia Lightstream Pictures Wild Eddie 2929 Productions Screen NSW Ingenious Media Good Universe

Australia UK USA

Releases by Date

29 jun 2017, 30 jun 2017, 06 jul 2017, 03 aug 2017, 25 aug 2017, 07 sep 2017, 08 nov 2017, 15 dec 2017, 06 mar 2018, 22 jul 2020, 22 nov 2017, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Theatrical 12

Netherlands

• Physical 12 DVD, Blu ray
• Theatrical M/12

Russian Federation

• Theatrical 16+

South Africa

99 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Mars B. ★★½

finally, a Hallmark movie for men

Review by jade ½

me explaining conspiracy theories

Review by BlakeCrane ★★ 1

A coincidence thriller called 2:22 ?

2 stars. That's probably generous.

Review by Jefferson West ★★½

I’m just glad they didn’t make it 2 hours and 22 minutes long.

Review by ✯ Miloš⑬ 💀↯ ★★★

The film starts off promising with its beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It has two attractive leads, and the plot reminded me of The Butterfly Effect .

Unfortunately, the mystery is where it falls short for me. It becomes lazy and weak later on, and the plot feels unoriginal like it has been done a few times before. All I wanted was a little more romance between the leads.

Overall, it's just an okay but unsatisfying movie. The first half, roughly 50 minutes, is far more enjoyable though.

Review by Derrick G ★★ 5

Half as good as 4:44, but twice as good as 1:11.

Review by Reinier_Zouw ★★½

If you're the kind of person who likes having a movie thoroughly spell out the solution to it's own mystery multiple times, boy have I got a film for you.

Review by Siobhan ★★★★ 3

idk why there is so many bad reviews of this film lmao i rlly liked it - its like Groundhog Day and The Truman Show only w/ more mystery and scifi! its also rlly smart!! would watch again!!

Full review:https://shivsshow1996.wordpress.com/2019/02/01/222-2017-review/

Review by NotAnnaFaris ★½ 7

Me : Hi. I'm here to see Michiel Huisman.

2:22 : Ok. He does suspension ring training here.

Me: Really? 🌡️

2:22 : Yeah. We're a packaged deal, ya know? Michiel & I. He's him, & I'm like A Beautiful Mind mixed with Dead Again & A Hidden Life ...but like futuristic & sci-fi. Oh! & I'm like Vanilla Sky , except better, & with, like, more cosmic cataclysm & mystery & PATTERNS!

2:22 : Why are you still here?

Me: BECAUSE MICHIEL & I SHOULD HAVE MADE LIKE 10,000 BABIES TOGETHER BY NOW, BUT FATE IS A CRUEL MISTRESS.

Review by _Greta_ ★½ 2

pt.1 the girl: meets the boy the girl, three days later: i can't leave him cause i love him very much me: wat?

pt.2 the boy: causes an accident which threatens to kill her and just for a matter of luck it doesn't happen the boy: i almost killed you the girl: no, you saved me me: i can't

Review by 🌷 𝖘𝖚𝖟𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖊 🌷 ½ 1

absolutely not

Review by porksweats ★★

so it has john waters but it's not john waters, don't get tricked

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2:22 – A Ghost Story

• Theatre, Drama
• Gielgud Theatre, Soho
• 25 May 4 Aug 2024
• 3 out of 5 stars
• Recommended

Time Out says

The smash hit West End chiller soldiers on with its sixth cast

This is a March 2023 review of the fifth cast of ‘2:22’. In May 2024, ‘2:22’ will return to the West End yet again for what we think is its seventh cast, for a limited run starring Stacey Dooley in her stage debut and Jenny and James Buckley reprising the role of Ben from some previous cast or other .

Danny Robins’s ‘2:22’ is a bona fide West End phenomenon. It started life in the summer of 2021 as a novelty: a four-hander ghost story from the writer of the hit podcast series ‘The Battersea Poltergeist’, deployed to plug the programming gap at the Noël Coward Theatre while the musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ was waiting to come back post-pandemic. And Matthew Dunster’s production originally starred singer Lily Allen – an unexpected bit of casting, but not an outlandish one, given she sincerely seems to be making a move into acting.

That was just the beginning, though. Since then it’s played another four West End seasons, and while I’m sure good word of mouth and the scarcity of supernatural Theatreland thrillers have played a part, it’s pretty clear that its audience has been expanded via the medium of increasingly wild casting. Last year we had stage debuts from Tom Felton – aka Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy – and Laura ‘Love Island’ Whitmore. And this year we’re being treated to the inaugural acting performance from Cheryl, the erstwhile Girls Aloud star who seems to have left the concept of a surname somewhere in the rubble of her endlessly documented recent past. 

It’s a fascinating concept: presumably if the producers can keep luring in big names with discrete fandoms, there’s no real reason it can’t carry on more or less indefinitely. The four roles in the play are about the same size as each other: it’s malleable enough that you could find a space to cast pretty much anyone of any race, gender or nationality in it provided they were under the age of 50 or so.

Anyway: Cheryl! 

Can she act? 

The bottom line is she can act enough. 

The role of Jenny, a stressed-out new mum convinced that her fixer-upper is haunted by an entity that tramps around her daughter’s room at 2:22 every morning, is not exactly Hedda Gabler. You can kind of play it as yourself: Cheryl’s Jenny sounds exactly like Cheryl and has a gentle demeanor that occasionally erupts into shouty rage; Allen’s was posher, colder and more forceful. 

But at the end of the day acting skills are required: this isn’t an inept or embarrassing performance from Cheryl. She struggles to project times, and the shouty bits feel a bit forced. But she nails her lines, has good comic timing, and generally does her bit supporting the architecture of Robins’s play. If you are a mad keen Cheryl fan desperate to see her in a thing so long as she doesn't embarrass herself, you won’t be disappointed.

But it’s definitely not a show-stopping turn, and your enjoyment of the night will definitely hinge on how much you enjoy the actual play.  ‘2:22’ is essentially a drama about a middle-class dinner party that Jenny and her insufferable know-it-all husband Sam (Scott Karim) are throwing for his old friend Lauren (Louise Ford), and her very un-middle-class new builder beau Ben (Jake Wood, returning from the original cast)

Saying anything much about what happens is liable to lead to a spoiler. But in general terms Robins has written a solidly entertaining drama about a tense dinner party that’s underpinned by musings on class, identity and ghosts. It’s somewhat cliche bound, especially in the clash between the aggressively cerebral Sam and the salt-of-the-earth Ben. But it does all pay off, and it does a smart line in red herrings.

When I first saw it I was probably feeling a bit more forgiving of its clunkier moments generally (the theatres had only just  reopened after all). It had a really great Sam in the form of Hadley Fraser. And I didn’t know how the story ended (it’s quite an ending!). On a second viewing, it feels stodgier and more schematic, and Karim lacks Fraser’s nuance in a not-very subtly written role. The returning Wood is terrific and Ford is good as the boozy, wounded Lauren. The ending still delivers on a repeat view. But it would be pushing it to say it was a classic play, and its longevity increasingly feels like a triumph of casting over anything else. 

And why not? She may not give a life-changing turn, but it’s fun to see Cheryl onstage. Certainly it’ll get a different audience in. Hopefully she’s having a nice time.  Probably she’ll encourage more big names to come. Perhaps in the future we’ll all be in ‘2:22’ for 15 minutes.

Dates and times

Sat, 25 May 2024 14:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Sat, 25 May 2024 19:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Sun, 26 May 2024 14:00 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Sun, 26 May 2024 18:00 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Tue, 28 May 2024 19:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Wed, 29 May 2024 19:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Thu, 30 May 2024 19:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Fri, 31 May 2024 19:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Sat, 1 Jun 2024 14:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

Sat, 1 Jun 2024 19:30 Gielgud Theatre £15-£125. Runs 2hr 30min

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Screen Rant

Justice league: crisis on infinite earths - part two review - disappointing superhero film lacks urgency.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two is missing what the first film had in spades - heart, great action, and a sense of urgency.

• Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two has limited character development, which impacts the emotional investment.
• Low stakes and lack of urgency make the film's plot feel tedious.
• Lack of focus and interconnection between characters weakens the overall story.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two begins directly after Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One , an unexpectedly moving entry , ends, continuing the story of the Monitor (Jonathan Adams) and the multiverse of superheroes who are doing everything in their power to stop the destruction of their earths. The film is two of three that will close out the DC Universe Animated Movies’ Tomorrowverse , but while Part One had plenty of action and a lot of heart, Part Two falters and loses steam. The stakes aren’t as high and the characters are more scattered without focus.

Crisis On Infinite Earths - Part Two Lacks Heart

There’s little development of character relationships.

The first film had a lot going on, but it was grounded by The Flash and Iris West. Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two writer James Krieg chooses to center Supergirl (Meg Donnelly) and her time with the Monitor (instead of with Brainy and others) after her ship is pulled in by his satellite (David Kaye). The Monitor grows fond of Supergirl, and they have a father-daughter relationship, but it’s one that barely registers. When she discovers the Monitor’s task is to observe and not interfere in multiversal happenings, their relationship takes a hit.

There’s so little time spent on the Bat Family in general that, by the time they start fighting each other (influenced by an external source), the investment isn’t there to care very much about the outcome.

Their dynamic is an intriguing one, but it’s barely explored. Time passes, but we don’t get that same sense of heart or emotional investment that was so critical to Part One’s success. Supergirl and the Monitor’s relationship, as well as Supergirl’s overall journey, are devoid of emotion and neither are strong enough to carry the film through to the end. Elsewhere, Earth-3 Batman (Jensen Ackles) interacts with his multiverse family — Robin (Zach Callison), Batgirl (Gideon Adlon), Batman Beyond (Will Friedle), among others — but he’s resistant to their help and their affection.

There’s so little time spent on the Bat Family in general that, by the time they start fighting each other (influenced by an external source), the investment isn’t there to care very much about the outcome. There are scenes filled with potential, especially when it comes to the Monitor being influenced by Supergirl’s presence and conviction to help, but they ultimately fall flat. When Supergirl has a nightmare involving Brainy, a relationship that is largely talked about but not fully shown, I was unmoved by the horror she felt, but was obviously meant to stir something in us.

Justice League: Crisis On Infinite Earths - Part Two Has Low Stakes

It's also not as exciting as crisis on infinite earths - part one.

The underwhelming character dynamics affect the stakes of the mission. Saving the multiverse can start to feel a bit tedious when there’s little investment in everything else. Superheroes, including Wonder Woman and Superman, battle shadow demons, but there is no sense of urgency. It’s as though the film, directed by Jeff Wamester, is stalling. The multiverse, for all its vastness, feels small. With The Flash running around to different worlds, Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One actually felt like the multiverse was ending. Part Two offers little interconnection between characters or intrigue in what’s happening that doesn’t quickly grow tiresome.

Even the drama involving Psycho-Pirate (Geoffrey Arand), a character who has the most interesting storyline and flair, can’t save Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two from being a subpar superhero outing. With so many characters to service and various earths to visit, DC’s animated film falls short of greatness because it doesn’t fully engage with all its moving parts. It drags on for too long and, when the Monitor discovers there is something more sinister going on behind the multiverse’s collapse, the interest in finding out what’ll happen (even if many already know) has deflated.

As it stands, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two is a disappointing entry, failing to truly and comprehensively build a bridge between the first film and the third film. I was excited to see how the rest of the story would unfold, but with an overall lack of focus, stakes, and thrill, the second installment is weaker than the first film. Here’s hoping the third film in the trilogy can pick up the slack and deliver a solid conclusion.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two is now available on digital and Blu-ray.

Elections Today

Recent projections, delegate tracker, pennsylvania primaries 2024: lee and fitzpatrick survive, matchups set for november, movie review: prepare to get hot and bothered with stylish, synthy tennis drama ‘challengers’.

Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor are tennis players in and out of love in “Challengers.”

“Challengers” is a bit of a tease. That’s what makes it fun.

There is plenty of skin, sweat, close-ups of muscly thighs and smoldering looks of lust and hate in this deliriously over-the-top psychodrama. But get that image of Josh O’Connor,Zendaya and Mike Faist sitting together on the bed out of your mind. Most of this action takes place on the tennis court.

It’s still a sexy tennis movie about friendship, love, competition and sport set to a synth-y score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross — it just might not contain exactly what you think it does. But remember, Luca Guadagnino is the one who filmed Timothée Chalamet with that peach, perhaps more memorable than any actual sex scene from the past decade. Manage expectations, but also trust.

And like “Call Me By Your Name” did for Chalamet, “Challengers” is one of those rare original big-screen delights that firmly announces the arrival of a new generation of movie stars. Zendaya and Faist already had a bit of a leg up. She has played significant supporting roles in some of the biggest movies of the past few years, from “Spider-Man” to “Dune,” and he had had his big cinematic breakthrough as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” But it’s O’Connor who really comes out on top, effectively shedding any lingering image of him as a whiny, dweeby Prince Charles in seasons three and four of “The Crown.” In “Challengers,” his Patrick Zweig is the cocky, flirty, slightly mean, slightly dirty and slightly broken bad boyfriend of our fictional dreams.

Written by playwright Justin Kuritzkes (who is married to “Past Lives” filmmaker Celine Song) “Challengers” is a prickly treat, about fractured relationships, egos, infidelity and ambition. Set during a qualifying match at the New Rochelle Tennis Club, outside New York City, the intricately woven story reveals itself through flashbacks that build to a crescendo in the present-day match.

O’Connor’s Patrick and Faist’s Art are old boarding school roommates turned tennis teammates. It’s a relationship that’s at turns brotherly, erotic and competitive. Whatever it is, they are definitely too close and not remotely prepared for Zendaya’s Tashi Duncan to enter the mix.

Tashi, in high school, is well on her way to becoming the next big tennis superstar. Art and Patrick watch her play, mouths agape at her technical form and physical beauty. Later, they both ask for her number, leading to a revealing night in a grungy hotel room. She promises her number to the one who wins the singles match the next day. Tashi just wants to see some good tennis, she says, but she also knows how to motivate and manipulate.

Because of the fractured timeline, we know that Tashi in the present day does not play tennis anymore. She was injured at some point and never recovered, unlike her husband, Art, who is now one of the most famous players in the world. The two of them are wildly wealthy, living in a ritzy hotel and fronting Aston Martin ad campaigns. At night, Tashi uses Augustinus Bader cream to moisturize her legs. Guadagnino, who likes to wink at and luxuriate in wealth signifiers, enlisted JW Anderson designer Jonathan Anderson to do the costumes, which will surely populate summer style inspiration boards the way his “A Bigger Splash” and “Call Me By Your Name” have in the past.

But while they are technically at the top, Art is also on a losing streak, so Tashi sends him to a low-stakes tournament where he can get his confidence back. That’s where they encounter Patrick, who has not been so fortunate over the years and who has fallen out with his old friends. Of course, it’s all building to Patrick and Art playing one another in the final match, a part of which is so wildly and comically drawn out that you can almost envision the “Saturday Night Live” spoof.

“Challengers” is a drama, but a funny and self-aware one. It doesn’t take itself very seriously and has a lot of fun with its characters, all three of which are anti-heroes in a way. You might have a favorite, but you’re probably not rooting for anyone exactly — just glued to the screen to see how it all plays out on and off the court.

“Challengers,” an MGM release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language throughout, some sexual content and graphic nudity.” Running time: 131 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

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‘Civil War’: What you need to know about A24’s dystopian action movie

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A24’s “Civil War,” the latest film from “Ex Machina” and “Men” director Alex Garland , imagines a third-term president ruling over a divided America and follows the journalists driving through the war-torn countryside on a mission to land his final interview. The movie is pulse-pounding and contemplative, as the characters tumble from one tense encounter to the next and ruminate on the nature of journalism and wartime photography.

In his review of the film, The Times’ Joshua Rothkopf wrote, “‘Civil War’ will remind you of the great combat films , the nauseating artillery ping of ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ the surreal up-is-down journey of ‘Apocalypse Now.’ It also bears a pronounced connection to the 2002 zombie road movie scripted by its writer-director Alex Garland, ‘28 Days Later.’”

Starring Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny as photojournalists, alongside Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson (and a scene-stealing, nerve-racking Jesse Plemons ), the film carries a reported production budget of $50 million and has already started to recoup the costs at the box office, earning $25.7 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in North America.

“Civil War” has also been a discourse juggernaut. Conversation on social media has focused on the lack of context given for the conflict at the heart of the film. In a recent column, The Times’ Mary McNamara wrote that “forcing the very real political divisions that plague this nation into vague subtext doesn’t even serve the purported pro-journalism nature of ‘Civil War.’”

Catch up on our coverage of the film below.

Review: ‘Civil War’ shows an America long past unraveling, which makes it necessary

Starring Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny as journalists chronicling a war at home, writer-director Alex Garland’s action film provokes a shudder of recognition.

April 11, 2024

Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny on the nightmarish ‘Civil War’: ‘No nation is immune’

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April 4, 2024

What ‘Civil War’ gets right and wrong about photojournalism, according to a Pulitzer Prize winner

Carolyn Cole, a veteran L.A. Times photographer who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of civil war in Liberia, breaks down the depiction of her profession in A24’s ‘Civil War.’

April 16, 2024

Inside the most unnerving scene in ‘Civil War’: ‘It was a stunning bit of good luck’

With a deeply disturbing turn by Jesse Plemons, one scene in “Civil War” encapsulates the film’s combustible political balancing act. It almost didn’t happen.

April 12, 2024

In trying to hedge its politics, ‘Civil War’ betrays its characters — and the audience

Alex Garland’s powerful war drama is ostensibly a tribute to the fourth estate. But the film is absent the examination of causes and consequences central to great journalism.

April 15, 2024

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After ‘Civil War’ and mainstream success, can indie darling A24 keep its cool?

‘Civil War’s’ overperformance at the box office proves that A24’s brand is strong enough to open a divisive $50-million about a dystopian America.

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Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War,’ about a strife-torn, near-future America, knocked ‘Godzilla x Kong’ from the top spot at the weekend box office.

April 14, 2024

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‘patriots’ theater review: michael stuhlbarg stars in peter morgan’s chronicle of russian oligarchs who fueled putin’s rise.

The 'Call Me by Your Name' actor plays Boris Berezovksy in 'The Crown' creator's show, Netflix's first foray into Broadway.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

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Berezovsky does become an elite, although not in the way his teacher imagined. (The gates through which he enters look awfully hellish.) Morgan zips 40 years into the future, where Berezovsky has made a fortune by pouncing on and exploiting small-business legal loopholes in the waning years of the Soviet Union. With his riches, the Russian entrepreneur turns to politics and media: He buys the country’s main television channel and bribes elected officials to do his bidding. Berezovsky insists that his actions are for the good of the country, cleverly framing his greed as evidence of national loyalty.

The ties among these three men anchor Patriots , which otherwise can sometimes feel too unwieldy in its ambitions. Through Berezovsky, Putin and Abramovic, Morgan crafts a kinetic and gripping story of politics as a proxy war for the rich, powerful and egotistical. Patriots kicks off with Berezovsky sitting in the office of his night club, Logovaz, a hedonic den and watering hole for the country’s oligarchs. Stuhlbarg exhilarates from the start. He plays up Berezovsky’s quick wit and general irascibility, roaring commands at his assistant (Nick Rehberger) while juggling phone calls from ex-wife (Camila Canó-Flaviá), his new girl (Marianna Gailus), Putin (who at the time is deputy mayor of St. Petersburg) and Abramovich, an eager businessman whom he calls “the kid.” Sitting at a desk perched on a raised part of the stage, Berezovsky resembles a king.

Tucked among these diplomatic affairs are tender flashbacks of Berezovsky with his old math professor (a sharp Ronald Guttman), who worried that his pupil’s insatiable desire for more might lead to his ruin. These memories reveal the scale of the oligarch’s ambition: He was never going to be satisfied leading a quiet academic life.

That Berezovsky’s fate takes a Shakespearean turn in Patriots ’ more energetic second act is unsurprising. Morgan’s play, from its opening moments, looks West. After Putin becomes president, he abandons the cadre of businessmen who helped catapult him to power. The former KGB intelligence officer, whom Keen initially plays with a slight meekness, transforms into a steely and ruthless politician. A furious Berezovsky launches a campaign against Putin, whom he repeatedly describes as a “nobody.” The battle waged is a losing one for our capricious oligarch, who is subsequently abandoned by Abramovich and forced into exile.

When Patriots closes in on the three principal characters, whose distance from each other on the stage mirrors the increasing chasm between them, the results are jolting and, ironically, topical. With the egos of the rich at the center, money becomes a tool and politics little more than a stage where loyalties are tested and charges of betrayal are levied.

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Jericho Ridge review – shades of Rio Bravo in tense siege thriller with old-timey charm

Nikki Amuka-Bird gives a powerful performance as a gritty deputy defending her remote sheriff’s office from armed invaders

T here’s an old-timey charm about this, a (mostly) one-location action movie in the tradition of Rio Bravo, or its sort-of remake Assault on Precinct 13. Partly it’s because of the remote mountainous setting in an unnamed state, the log cabin sheriff’s office, the trucks, twangy accents and mentions of second amendment nuts; and partly because of the core device of having a heroic figure – in this case, Deputy Tabby Temple (Nikki Amuka-Bird) – defending the fort against armed invaders. But the joke’s on us because nearly the whole thing was shot in Kosovo and most of the cast is British, as is writer-director Will Gilbey, who is making his feature directorial debut after a long apprenticeship as an editor, writer and second-unit dogsbody on the distinctly estuary-accented Rise of the Footsoldier movies among others. And good luck to the lot of them, because strictly as a genre exercise, this is impressively tense, exciting and adroitly composed. Plus, the whole cast nails the accents.

Like the true pro that she is, Royal Shakespeare Company-trained Nigerian-Brit Amuka-Bird contributes a performance that demonstrates physical prowess, grit, tenderness, vulnerability and pain in a turn that keeps her onscreen throughout. Tabby is first met hobbling about with a broken ankle that of course only gets explained properly later. Because of her injury, and the fact that she’s recently been demoted for reasons subsequently explained, she’s grounded and working the dispatch radio while her colleagues go off to investigate a murder. That also means babysitting a drunk meth-head wife-beater (Michael Socha) in the cells and her own teenage son Monty (Zack Morris from EastEnders) who’s been a naughty boy recently, running with the local drug crowd. When a locksmith (Philipp Christopher) who comes to repair things after a recent break-in turns out to not be a locksmith at all, the film segues into siege mode, with Tabby holding the fort with only a gun that could malfunction at any moment, a shoddy surveillance setup and the radio at her disposal while the state police take their sweet time.

The last act slides somewhat into predictability, but Gilbey pulls out a few nimble moves for the action set pieces, including dampening down the sound so that the shots sound like muffled puffs of noise, and using remote cameras on police cars to reveal action in other locales. Jericho Ridge has nothing especially profound to say, but it’s an impressive calling card, and hopefully proved a shot in the arm for the Kosovan film industry if nothing else.

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The plan was easy; the job was not. On a snowy night a tight crew of four criminals plan to pull off a routine heist. When things go horribly wrong, friendship, loyalty and trust are pushed ... Read all The plan was easy; the job was not. On a snowy night a tight crew of four criminals plan to pull off a routine heist. When things go horribly wrong, friendship, loyalty and trust are pushed to the limit. The plan was easy; the job was not. On a snowy night a tight crew of four criminals plan to pull off a routine heist. When things go horribly wrong, friendship, loyalty and trust are pushed to the limit.

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• Trivia Val Kilmer worked for a significantly discounted salary as a professional courtesy to a friend within the production.
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• Jan 12, 2010
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• September 24, 2008 (United States)
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‘YOLO’ Review: A Megahit Chinese Boxing Movie That Needs More Punch

Director-star Jia Ling gives an endearing performance as a meek layabout who finds a new lease on life in the ring, but this box-office sensation takes far too long to get where it's so obviously going.

By Guy Lodge

Film Critic

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Popular on Variety

Determined to change her life, Leying takes a waitressing job and leaves home, renting a small apartment with help from her gently supportive mother (a lovely Zhao Haiyan, underplaying more than most). It takes this 129-minute movie an awfully long time to get through this essential setup, and still Leying’s self-reinvention is some way off. Much of a sluggish second act is consumed with her halting, ultimately toxic relationship with hard-up boxing coach Hao Kun (Lei Jiayin), who takes her on as an unlikely student. The feelings she develops for him aren’t returned in equal proportion, but they move in together nonetheless, as Leying becomes an emotional punching bag for Hao Kun’s frustrations over his own thwarted sporting dreams.

There’s potentially a whole film in this pained, conflicted anti-romance, but “YOLO” treats it as merely another narrative hurdle to be cleared before it belatedly reaches its feelgood crux — when Leying finally strikes out on her own and hits the gym hard. Cue a series of training montages, as Leying sheds over 100 pounds over the course of a year, and eagerly fashions herself as a featherweight. It’s a remarkable before-our-eyes metamorphosis, and as the woman who underwent it in real life, Jia shoots and presents this passage in an understandably proud, rousing register. Yet the film’s emphatic celebration of a character’s physical change, after having played her size for comedy earlier on, somewhat compromises the intended air of uplift. Viewers can take what message they want from Leying’s progression, but not all will find body positivity in her less-is-more makeover.

Spiritual and psychological well-being is the longer-term goal here, and “YOLO” does bring Leying closer to that goal via a poignant sporting climax that strikes a more realistic note than much of the preceding drama. Still, it’s an outcome we could have called far earlier in proceedings, well before Jia really shows her hand by sampling Bill Conti’s “Rocky” theme to soundtrack her character’s training. As a director, she has little use for nuance and less still for subtlety. An an actor, she corrects those deficits to some extent: There’s a quiet, believable integrity to Leying that pulls her through the film’s more crass or condescending interludes and its shiny, pastel-hued styling. Anyone familiar with “100 Yen Love” may well find themselves missing that film’s shadows and crevices. But it’s precisely “YOLO’s” lighter tone and heavier hand that has made it a multimillion-dollar baby.

Reviewed at Odeon Luxe Haymarket, London, Apr. 17, 2024. Running time: 129 MIN.

• Production: (China) A Sony Pictures International presentation of a New Century Pictures, China Film Co., Alibaba Pictures, Little M Media, Big Bowl Entertainment Culture Media Co., Tencent Penguin Pictures production. Producers: Li Ning, Tian Tian, Zhou Xiuqing, Zhang Wen.
• Crew: Director: Jia Ling. Screenplay: Jia, Sun Jibin, Liu Honglu, Guo Yupen, Bu Yu, based on the screenplay "100 Yen Love" by Shin Adachi. Camera: Michael Liu. Editor: Zhou Xiaolin. Music: Fei Peng.
• With: Jia Ling, Lei Jiayin, Zhang Xiaofei, Zhao Haiyan, Xu Jun Cong, Yang Zi, Sha Yi. (Mandarin dialogue)

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