Hedda

2025 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 47min

Drama ~ Romance

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, Finbar Lynch, Mirren Mack and Nina Hoss.

A Little Chaos Is Good For The Gathering.

Tessa Thompson stars as Hedda Gabler, a complex woman caught between the ghosts of her past and the stifling confines of her present life. Recently married to George Tesman (Tom Bateman) and back from an extended honeymoon to a country estate they can barely afford, Hedda is determined to secure a better future for them. George aspires to a prestigious university professorship, and Hedda organizes a party inviting his academic peers, including Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch) and his wife Tabitha (Mirren Mack), to help boost his chances.

The party turns tense with the arrival of Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss), a sober former alcoholic academic and Hedda’s ex-lover, whose presence stirs up old wounds and rivalry. Eileen has revitalized her career with a promising manuscript and support from Thea (Imogen Poots), who is fiercely protective of her. Hedda, while outwardly appearing hospitable, maneuvers behind the scenes to undermine Eileen’s progress and sway favors toward George, revealing layers of manipulation and jealousy.

Over the course of this charged night, Hedda’s volatile emotional state deepens, exposing her as a woman simultaneously enraged by and yearning for connection. Her actions straddle a blend of calculated cruelty and desperate vulnerability, driven by complex motives including resentment, love, and a fierce desire for control. The dynamics between Hedda, George, Eileen, and Thea escalate, pulling everyone into a spiraling clash of power, betrayal, and unspoken desires.

Based on the play Hedda Gabler written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and first performed in 1891, it tells the story of Hedda Gabler, the strong-willed daughter of a general who feels trapped in a boring marriage to the scholar George Tesman. Hedda struggles against the expectations of society and her own desire for power and freedom. The play explores themes like control, jealousy, societal pressure, and the limits placed on women in the 19th century. Hedda’s manipulative actions and personal conflicts build to a tragic and emotionally intense conclusion.

The movie adaptation organizes the story into five acts:

Act 1: Introduction:

Hedda and her husband George Tesman return from their honeymoon to a country estate. Hedda arranges a party inviting academic friends to help boost George’s career prospects. The act sets up Hedda’s desires, relationships, and the social pressure she feels.

Act 2: Rising Tension:

The arrival of Eileen Lovborg, a former lover of Hedda’s and George’s academic rival, introduces conflict. Eileen’s success and renewed sobriety threaten Hedda’s plans, stirring jealousy and insecurity. The social dynamics begin to fray.

Act 3: Conflict Escalates:

Hedda’s manipulation and emotional unrest come to the forefront as she undermines Eileen and struggles for control. Personal secrets and desires cause rising tension between Hedda, George, Eileen, and Thea (Imogen Poots), deepening the drama.

Act 4: Climax:

Unfolding events during the party lead to confrontations and revelations. Hedda’s growing desperation leads to drastic decisions, pushing characters toward breaking points and tragedy.

Act 5: Resolution and Aftermath:

The consequences of Hedda’s actions become clear. The film closes with reflection on the characters’ fates and the emotional and psychological toll of the night’s events.

Tessa Thompson’s portrayal delivers a powerful, multifaceted Hedda, blending menace and melancholy, while the strong supporting cast enhances the intensity of this psychological drama. Set in the early 20th century with lavish costumes and atmospheric production, the film reimagines the classic Henrik Ibsen play through a contemporary lens focused on gender, race, and same sex relationships, offering a fresh yet faithful adaptation of the tragic tale.

New Movie Hedda Debuts On Prime Wednesday October 29, 2025

Amazon Prime Debuts Hedda Wednesday October 29, 2025. A provocative reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda follows enigmatic newlywed Hedda (Tessa Thompson), who is outwardly composed but hiding a simmering discontent that threatens to explode when the brilliant and charismatic Eileen Lovberg (Nina Hoss) reenters her life. Over the course of a raucous party, the high and low of society endure the consequences of this dangerous and unknowable woman yearning for a past love. What ensues is a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy, and betrayal collide. Written and directed by Nia DaCosta, Hedda is a daring exploration of power, desire, and a woman’s refusal to be confined.

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock and Nina Hoss.

Maintenance Required

2025 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 42min

Comedy ~ Romance

Directed by: Lacey Uhlemeyer

Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Jacob Scipio, Madison Bailey, Katy O’Brian, Inanna Sarkis, Matteo Lane, Rob Rausch and Jim Gaffigan.

Sometimes Love Needs A Tune-Up

Charlie (Madelaine Petsch) runs a struggling all-female auto shop that she inherited from her father, fighting to keep the business alive in Oakland. She’s fiercely independent but somewhat closed off, finding companionship mostly online where she exchanges anonymous car forum messages with Bullnose, someone who shares her obsession for classic Ford Broncos. Charlie prefers the predictable comfort of engines to the messiness of relationships, choosing her father’s Bronco Marge over any potential romantic encounter.

Across the street, a slick new Miller Boys corporate garage suddenly opens and threatens Charlie’s livelihood. Its local owner, Beau (Jacob Scipio), is charismatic and kind, but he’s really the competition and unknown to Charlie, he’s also her online confidant, Bullnose. While Beau secretly grapples with guilt about his job undermining Charlie, he also finds himself falling for her, both online and in person, resulting in a series of meet-cute mishaps—a shop visit for a classic car, a shared nail salon moment, and eventually, romantic tension that neither can deny.

The truth comes out at a car show, where Charlie realizes her online friend and business rival are the same man. Hurt, Charlie distances herself, but ultimately misses Beau and decides to take a chance on love despite the rivalry. In classic rom-com fashion, her friends Izzy (Madison Bailey) and Kam (Katy O’Brian) cheer her on. The story closes as Charlie and Beau unite both romantically and professionally, suggesting that sometimes both cars and hearts need a little maintenance to keep running.

Maintenance Required starts off strong with a fresh and fun idea, Charlie (Madelaine Petsch) running her dad’s all-female auto shop while unknowingly falling for Beau (Jacob Scipio), her charming business rival and online mystery man. The film pays homage to and borrows from the two classic Rom-Com movies The Shop Around The Corner and You’ve Got Mail. The first half is full of heart and promise, with some great character moments and a feel-good underdog vibe. But as the story moves into the second half, it starts to drag a bit and lose focus. The characters’ choices sometimes feel forced, and the plot leans on predictable rom-com clichés.

While there’s good chemistry between the leads and some laughs, the movie doesn’t quite hit the emotional notes it aims for, leaving the ending feeling a little flat. Overall, it’s an okay watch if you like light romantic comedies but don’t expect anything groundbreaking. And if you are a vintage car enthusiast, you might lose your mind at Beau sticking an EV engine in a classic Ford Bronco! Blasphemy!

Play Dirty

2025 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 5min

Action ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Thriller

Directed by: Shane Black

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nat Wolff, Gretchen Mol, Thomas Jane, and Tony Shalhoub.

Even Robbers Get Robbed

THE BOOK:

The Hunter: A Parker Novel Paperback – September 1, 2008 by Richard Stark (Originally Published in 1962)

The Parker Novels are a collection of 24 novels written by Donald E. Westlake under the pen name Richard Stark between 1962 and 2008. The first book in the series, The Hunter was written in 1962 and was the inspiration for the 1967 movie Point Blank starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn and Carroll O’Connor.

FROM AMAZON:

Where it all begins: The first book in the action-packed classic crime series that’s the basis for the forthcoming film Play Dirty!

Richard Stark’s Parker novels are the hardest of hard-boiled, classic crime novels where the heists are huge, the body counts are high, and the bad guys usually win. The Parker novels have been a huge influence on countless writers and filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, Stephen King, George Pelecanos, Colson Whitehead, Lucy Sante, John Banville, and many more. Their stripped-down language and hard-as-nails amorality create an unforgettable world where the next score could be the big one, but your next mistake could also be your last. There’s nothing else like them.

The Hunter is where it all begin. It opens with Parker’s woman shooting him just above the belt and leaving him for dead. She and his partner torch the house, with Parker in it, and take the money he had helped them steal. It all went down just the way they’d planned, except for one thing: Parker didn’t die. From there, our ruthless antihero roars into New York City, seeking revenge on the woman who betrayed him and on the man who took his money, stealing and scamming his way to redemption.

THE MOVIE:

Professional thief Parker (Mark Wahlberg) and his partner Philly (Clifton Collins Jr.) orchestrate a daring heist at a racetrack, but the operation unravels due to a betrayal by their getaway driver, Zen (Rosa Salazar). When Philly is killed during the fallout, Parker vows revenge and begins tracking down those responsible. As he delves deeper, Parker discovers that Zen was once an elite operative in the professional death squad of South American dictator President De La Paz, whose corrupt regime oppresses her homeland and orchestrates high-stakes thefts to fund its tyranny. Zen is revealed to be connected intimately to De La Paz’s plans involving a priceless United Nations artifact known as the Lady of Arintero. Despite his thirst for vengeance, Parker initially works with Zen, using her knowledge and connections to navigate the dangerous criminal and political landscape as they plan their next heist.

As Parker assembles a ragtag crew—including the unpredictable Zen, Ed and Brenda Mackey (Peter Stormare and Brooklyn Decker), and fixer Stan Devers (David Spade)—the group embarks on a high-stakes double heist filled with shifting allegiances and escalating violence. Parker’s trust in Zen is uneasy and transactional; while he relies on her expertise and insights to outsmart the Outfit crime syndicate and the dictator’s forces, he constantly keeps his ultimate goal in mind, to avenge Philly’s death caused by Zen’s betrayal. Their complicated dynamic adds a charged tension to the team, as Parker balances using Zen’s skills while suppressing his growing desire for retribution.

The heist unfolds through elaborate cons, tense chases, and explosive confrontations, with Zen’s insider knowledge proving vital in countering De La Paz’s plans to steal and sell off the treasure, which would devastate her war-torn country. Parker’s strategy is to play along with Zen’s heist ambitions just long enough to secure the artifact and the money, while preparing to settle the old score with her personally. The film culminates in a dramatic showdown where Parker confronts Zen with the promise of either forgiveness or vengeance, underscoring the murky moral ground the characters inhabit and the complex mix of betrayal, loyalty, and survival that drives the story.

BOBBY’S TAKE:

I am a huge Mark Wahlberg fan and one of my favorites is Spenser Confidential. Play Dirty reminded me of Mark Wahlberg’s Spenser. There were also shades of Uncharted and The Italian Job as well. The beginning reminded me of an old James Bond movie where there was an action scene in the beginning and then it went to the opening credits in animation, having set up the story. It is one of those movies that splits the audience, there are those who love it and those who don’t:

Some people love Play Dirty because it’s a fun, action-packed ride filled with fast-paced heists, snappy dialogue, and wild twists. The movie delivers plenty of chaotic, stylized violence and memorable moments set in a gritty yet vibrant world. Mark Wahlberg’s Parker, along with LaKeith Stanfield’s Grofield and Rosa Salazar’s Zen, provide likable performances, and Shane Black’s trademark dark humor and energetic direction give it a nostalgic feel that appeals especially to fans of retro crime thrillers. The clever twists and the unpredictable story keeps you engaged and entertained, making it a satisfying choice if you are looking for a rebellious, no-holds-barred action-comedy.

On the flip side, some people hate it because the movie can feel overly complicated and confusing, with too many characters and double-crosses that don’t always make sense. The plot comes off as messy and drawn-out, making it hard to care about the characters or what happens to them. Mark Wahlberg’s performance is sometimes seen as too serious and flat, lacking charisma or emotional depth to truly connect with the audience. Critics also point out that the humor is inconsistent and few jokes land, which is a letdown in what’s supposed to be an action-comedy. Some find the storyline superficial and the movie lacking soul, feeling like it tries too hard but doesn’t quite deliver the excitement or engagement expected from the genre.

The character Parker from the book was intentionally all business, with no conscience and no remorse and little emotion. Shane Black is a fan of the Parker books and took his inspiration for this movie from all the novels but based it on the first novel’s story. He wanted to modernize Parker and round him out, give him some depth and emotion, make him more than just a hard core criminal with no soul. So I think that Shane and Mark succeeded in that. I thought it was good, witty, tons of action and double crossing. Here’s what I think, give it a go. Turn everything off and just get lost in the movie, don’t try to think about it too much, or dissect the plot. Just enjoy the ride!

I forgot to mention Mark Cuban, he has a cameo in the movie and is taken out by Mark Wahlberg. That is a good scene!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie

on Amazon Prime!

Spenser Confidential

Uncharted

New Movie Play Dirty Debuts on Prime Wednesday October 1, 2025

The new action thriller Play Dirty, directed by Shane Black and premiering October 1 on Amazon Prime, stars Mark Wahlberg as Parker, a ruthless professional thief who assembles an expert crew for the heist of a lifetime in New York City. Adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s Parker crime novels, the film’s plot throws Parker and his team—played by LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, and Keegan-Michael Key, into conflict with a South American dictator, the New York mob, and the world’s richest man. With Black’s trademark punchy style and a cast packed with character actors, Play Dirty is set to deliver gritty, fast-paced crime entertainment, full of double-crosses and high-stakes thrills.