Roofman

2025 Paramount Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 6min

Comedy ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Romance ~ True Story

Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, and Jimmy O. Yang.

Based On Actual Events And Terrible Decisions

We all make choices and decisions everyday, whether we want to or not. We try to make the right decisions but sometimes they just don’t turn out that way. If you have a family and kids you make decisions based on trying to give them the best life you can. Including giving them everything that they want that makes them happy. Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) made some bad choices and decisions about how to get his family the things they wanted but he couldn’t afford. He figured out how to break through the roof of a McDonald’s, hiding out in the bathroom until the morning crew and manager arrived, then escorting the group politely into the freezer walk-in and robbing the store of all it’s cash.

He became very successful at robbing McDonald’s ultimately robbing an estimated 45-60 stores and making his family happy in the process, buying them everything that they wanted. He was dubbed “The Roofman” by the police and evaded capture until he got greedy and attempted to rob two stores in the same area on the same day. He was sentenced to prison losing everything including his family, but cleverly escaped, ending up hiding out in a nearby Toys-R-Us in Charlotte, North Carolina. Leigh Moore (Kirsten Dunst), a divorcee with two daughters, works at the store and catches Jeffrey’s attention. Jeffrey bravely stalks her to the Church where she attends under the guise of donating to their annual Christmas toy drive, donating a bagful of toys stolen from the Toys-R-Us store.

They start to date and Jeffrey tries hard to conceal his real identity, going by the alias John Zorn. As their relationship grows stronger, Jeffrey tries to be the family man he couldn’t be with his real family. Making sure Leigh and her daughters have everything they want and need, trying to connect emotionally with them. Leigh isn’t just a love interest; she’s the mirror that reflects the man Jeffrey wants to be versus the one he’s become. Their growing relationship gives the film its heart, grounding the chase in something far more personal, redemption. Tatum and Dunst have a chemistry that feels honest and unforced, pulling you into moments that almost make you forget the man’s a wanted fugitive. There is a final scene between the two of them that is absolutely heartbreaking, capturing the real emotion between Jeffrey and Leigh.

Director Derek Cianfrance brilliantly contrasts Jeffrey’s calm domestic moments with the encroaching reality of his past catching up. Each scene in the bright, colorful toy aisles feels like a countdown, playful on the surface, tense underneath. You know it can’t last, but you still want it to. Jeffrey learns that freedom comes with a price, and the film dives deep into the psychological unraveling that follows. It’s fascinating watching a man so careful, so cunning, begin to lose control of the very plan that once defined him. You are instantly drawn into the psyche of Jeffrey Manchester, rooting for him even though you know he is a criminal. And that is thanks to Channing Tatum’s brilliant performance as Jeffrey, might be one of his best yet.

LaKeith Stanfield plays Steve, the loyal, resourceful, and compassionate best friend to Jeff Manchester, helping him with fake documents and support while risking his own freedom. Peter Dinklage plays Mitch, the observant and perhaps quirky store manager at the Toys-R-Us where Jeffrey hides out, developing a unique dynamic with Tatum’s character and Kirsten Dunst’s employee, offering a blend of comedy and drama in a role that highlights his versatility as an actor.

Roofman isn’t just a great true-crime story, it’s a moral puzzle wrapped in an unexpectedly emotional thriller. It reminds us that even when our intentions are good, our choices can define us in ways we never see coming.

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and

Stream This Movie!

Dog

Fly Me To The Moon

The Lost Bus

2025 Apple Original Films

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 9min

Drama ~ Survival ~ Thriller ~ True Story

Directed by: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, and Ashlie Atkinson.

Inspired By The True Story Of Survival.

The Lost Bus on Apple TV+ grips from the start as a harrowing true-story survival thriller, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Matthew McConaughey as Kevin McKay, a down-on-his-luck school bus driver in Paradise, California. Set against the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in state history, the film thrusts McKay into chaos when flames erupt during a routine school run, forcing him to evacuate 22 elementary kids with the help of quick-thinking teacher Mary Ludwig, played by America Ferrera. Greengrass’s kinetic, handheld style immerses viewers in the smoke-choked inferno, where every decision means life or death amid crumbling infrastructure and zero visibility.

McConaughey delivers a powerhouse performance, channeling raw vulnerability and grit as a flawed everyman rising to heroism, his Oklahoma drawl adding authentic texture to the role. Ferrera shines as the composed educator whose calm anchors the kids’ panic, their chemistry fueling tense, heartfelt exchanges that humanize the disaster. Supporting turns from young actors portraying the children bring genuine terror and resilience, while cameos like Steve Zahn add grounded support without stealing focus.

Technically, the film excels in building relentless suspense through practical effects and sound design, the roar of flames and kids’ cries create palpable dread, though some CGI fire sequences feel slightly artificial. Greengrass, known for United 93 and Captain Phillips, masterfully blends real-time urgency with emotional depth, exploring themes of community and redemption without veering into melodrama. Pacing never lags, clocking in at a taut 129 minutes that leaves you breathless.

Overall, The Lost Bus stands as a top-tier disaster drama with its pulse-pounding action, stellar leads, and inspirational true events. Perfect for thriller enthusiasts craving high-stakes heroism like 127 Hours, it’s a must-watch on Apple TV+.

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare

2024 Lionsgate

Rated: R

Length: 2 hrs

Action ~ Comedy ~ War ~ History ~ True Story

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Babs Olusanmokun and Eiza González.

NO RULES. NO REGRETS. JUST VICTORY

Henry Cavill stars as Major Gus March-Phillips who is brought out of Military Prison by Brigadier Colin Gubbins “M” and Ian Fleming late 1941 in England during World War II. He is tasked with heading Operation Postmaster, a last resort mission dreamt up by Winston Churchill, “M” and Ian. An unsanctioned secret operation to go to the Spanish island of Fernando Po in Africa, where the Nazi’s are resupplying their U-boats that are decimating the Royal Navy fleet, and destroy the resupply ships.

Accompanied by Irishman Henry Hayes(Hero Fiennes Tiffin), Freddy “The Buzz” “Frogman” Alvarez(Henry Golding), and “The Danish Hammer” Anders Lassen(Alan Ritchson), they sail around the coast of Africa to La Palma Canary Islands where they storm a Nazi Garrison and extract Geoffrey Appleyard(Alex Pettyfer). They then continue on the Swedish fishing Trawler Maid Of Honor to the Spanish port of Fernando Po to destroy the Nazi resupply ships. A suicide mission fraught with perils and unexpected twists and turns. They sail between the British Navy ships on one side who will incarcerate them and the Nazi U-boats on the other that will kill them.

This is based on the true story of the first Black Ops before there was such a thing. The beginnings of Agencies like the Navy Seals, CIA and other world agencies that were spawned to do the dirty work under the radar. Gus March-Phillips was the inspiration for James Bond in Ian Flemings novels. Sir Christopher Lee who starred in and was a consultant on numerous James Bond movies, was a member of The Ministry Of Gentlemanly Warfare in it’s early days. He was also second cousin to Ian Fleming.

Cavill delivers his most charismatic performance since The Man from U.N.C.L.E., channeling that mustached grit with Guy Ritchie flair, while his co-stars, like a sharp-shooting Eiza González and the ever-reliable Alan Ritchson, match his energy beat for beat. Christopher Lee’s nod to real history adds gravitas, reminding us these men and women changed the course of history.

A thrilling blend of fact, legend, and adrenaline-fueled storytelling, this is one of the best True Story war films of recent years. These men and women helped change the course of history. It’s a fantastic story well told and portrayed by all involved in this movie. I love the True Story Movies and I love this one.

A great adventure!

Well done and highly recommended!

Two Thumbs Up

Alex Pettyfer, Alan Ritchson, Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Henry Goldin in THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE.
Photo Credit: Dan Smith for Lionsgate.
Courtesy of Lionsgate.

The Apprentice

2024 Briarcliff Entertainment

Rated: R

Length: 2 hrs

Biography ~ Drama ~ True Story

Directed by: Ali Abbasi

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Martin Donovan and Maria Bakalova.

An American Horror Story

The Apprentice tells the story of a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) as he begins to forge his path in the cutthroat world of New York City real estate during the 1970s and 1980s. At the heart of the story is Trump’s relationship with his mentor, the infamous and ruthless attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who guides him in the art of manipulation, media control, and power plays. The film opens with Trump learning the ropes from Cohn, including his harsh lessons on always attacking, never admitting fault, and insisting on victory no matter the circumstances.

As the story moves forward, it depicts the transformation of Trump from an ambitious, somewhat naïve young businessman into a colder and more calculating figure, influenced heavily by Cohn’s tough, unscrupulous style. Trump’s business ventures, including his attempts to develop iconic properties such as the Trump Taj Mahal, along with his complicated family dynamics, particularly with his father Fred (Martin Donovan) and first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova), feature prominently. The film explores the darker, more controversial aspects of Trump’s rise, including personal betrayals and legal controversies, painting a complex picture of ambition and ruthlessness.

In the latter part of the film, the relationship between Trump and Cohn deteriorates as Trump outgrows his mentor’s influence and embraces a persona marked by hubris and ruthless ambition. Cohn’s battle with AIDS and his eventual decline provide a stark contrast to Trump’s ascent, highlighting themes of power, loyalty, and the cost of success. The Apprentice offers a provocative glimpse into the making of a man who would later become one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, with strong performances creating an intense, character-driven drama.

In the beginning I felt myself drawn into Donald Trump’s desire to be successful, and I felt for the character on the screen. I almost felt sorry for him as I could feel his desire to be successful and help his family. Watching him fall for Ivana and chase her down with his heart in his hands was swaying my feelings for the man that is now President. But somewhere in the middle of the movie, things started to change. It got dark, very dark. Power, lust and the desire to be successful at any cost bore the markings of pure evil. Donald took Roy Cohn’s words and three rules to heart, and ultimately betrayed Roy’s friendship and trust with his own words.

It was obviously written and filmed to offer a distinct vision of Donald Trump and his rise to power. At the same time it offers a glimpse into the road that got him where he is today. All I can say about this is that it is a fascinating look at that journey. Whether fact or fiction, or a combination of the two, it is a story that starts out innocently enough and then takes a very dark turn into An American Horror Story.

Definitely worth a watch………

The Alto Knights

2025 Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 3min

Crime ~ Drama ~ History ~ True Story

Directed by: Barry Levinson

Starring: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, and Michael Rispoli.

The Most Dangerous Enemy Is An Old Friend.

The Alto Knights is the true story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, both members of The Luciano Crime Family, who were prominent Mob Bosses in the 1950’s. The name comes from The Alto Knights Social Club, a real life Mafia hangout in New York City’s Little Italy section. It began life in 1926 as The Knights of Alto Social Club and during Prohibition it was a bootlegging center. Vito Genovese took over the club in the 1950’s and renamed it The Alto Knights Social Club. It was a known hangout for Mobsters of the day including Lucky Luciano and Carlo Gambino.

Vito and Frank came to New York City from Italy when they were teenagers and both ended up in the Luciano Crime Family. They became fast friends but over time they turned into enemies with a bitter rivalry between them. The Alto Knights movie explores that friendship that ended in a bitter rivalry, as well as the history of The Mafia in America, how it started and how it became unraveled. It is heavy on history and not so much on the heavy handed violence you expect in a gangster movie. For that reason alone it is a little lost on itself, jumping from this story to that, meandering through a broad history of the Mafia families.

The Alto Knights started out as a film idea in the 1970’s with a working title of Wise Guys, but every major studio passed on it saying there is just no interest in the story for it to be a major blockbuster. When Warner Bros. was approached by the writer and director to revive the movie with the premise of Robert DeNiro playing a dual role as Vito and Frank, they took the bait and greenlit the movie. One interesting note on the film is they took old 1950’s era cars and trucks and vinyl wrapped them to make them look new.

So it was interesting to watch Robert DeNiro play a dual role as two different gangsters that used to be friends, and now have nothing but animosity for each other. But I feel like that is the only reason to tell you to watch the film. There is nothing else memorable about the film at all, and even then Robert’s performance as Frank Costello and Vito Genovese isn’t all that memorable. It was interesting to watch, but I don’t think I would watch it again. I feel like they should have focused more on just the rivalry between Frank and Vito, and left a lot of the Mafia history lesson off the table.

And while it was interesting to see our Bobby DeNiro take on the dual gangster challenge, I think it would have been way more dramatic to have another well known personality in one of the roles instead of Bobby acting against and playing off of himself. I feel like there would have been a lot more tension and drama with two highly charged but different personalities, like Al Pacino for instance, up against DeNiro. Now that would have been more intense. So while it was interesting, it was really kind of boring and one dimensional when it should have been dramatic as hell. Like gangster rivalries and movies are supposed to be.

So unless you really love the gangster stories or are a huge DeNiro fan and want to see him play opposite himself in a dual role……I’d skip this one.