The Apprentice

2024 Briarcliff Entertainment

Rated: R

Length: 2 hrs

Biography ~ Drama ~ True Story

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………

Fast Charlie

2023 Vertical Entertainment

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 30min

Action ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Romance ~ Thriller

Directed by: Phillip Noyce

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Morena Baccarin and James Caan.

Keep your friends close and your enemies dead.

Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), aka Fast Charlie, is an experienced hitman working for a longtime mob boss named Stan (James Caan). Charlie is sent on a job with newbie Blade to take out a man named Rollo. Blade has planted a bomb in a box of doughnuts thinking it a genius idea, but things go wrong when the box detonates and blows Rollo’s head to smithereens. Without Rolo’s head it is impossible for Charlie to prove to the sanction of the hit, Beggar Mercado, that the hit was successful. To solve this problem, Charlie enlists the help of Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), who is Rollo’s tough and calm ex-wife. She confirms the body by recognizing a tattoo, and now he has to figure out a way to convince Beggar that Rollo is dead.

Meanwhile, the young and reckless new hitman named Blade has decided to turn on Charlie and take the body and blackmail Beggar with it. When Blade dies in a chaotic accident trying to get away in Charlie’s car, Charlie cuts off Blade’s head and works with Marcie to transfer the tattoo onto Blade’s body so they can pass it off as Rollo’s, faking the proof Beggar needs. When Charlie meets Beggar with the body, he takes the bait convinced it is Rollo, and promptly chucks the body into the swamp and the alligators. He tells Charlie that he wants to meet with his boss Stan, and discuss business. When Charlie tells Stan, he tells Charlie that he wants nothing to do with Beggar…….

Which starts off a chain reaction of action and violence as Beggar tries to dominate Stan’s turf and business. Charlie is apparently the only man standing as Beggar tries to wipe out Stan’s crew, but Fast Charlie and Marcie team up to outwit Beggar and his crew. And what follows is non stop action, violence, dark comedy and romance as Charlie and Marcie fight for their lives and fall in love with each other. It is a bit of Pulp Fiction, The Equalizer and The Mechanic all rolled into one. Not too surprising since Richard Wenk wrote this as well as the screenplay for The Mechanic and The Equalizer Movies.

James Caan plays the part of aging Crime Boss Stan very well. Too well, this was James Caan’s last acting role before he passed away several months later on July 6, 2022. He was 82 years old. Pierce Brosnan did a fantastic job of playing Fast Charlie right down to the accent. Brilliant work! The chemistry between Pierce and Morena felt very natural and engaging, and made the obvious age gap between them seem like nothing t’all. I really liked Morena in this, she is quickly becoming a Streaming Movie Night favorite! She also appears in 2020’s Greenland, the upcoming Sequel Greenland: Migration and Elevation.

I thought this movie was a great little gem! It checks all the boxes for me personally and it was good to see James Caan in his last role. Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin make a fantastic team on screen, and it was a great ride watching them battle it out and fall in love.

Highly Recommended!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie

on NETFLIX!

The Equalizer

THE EQUALIZER TRILOGY: STORY & TIMELINE

Elevation

Drop Coming To Amazon Prime Friday November 14, 2025

Drop is a Rom-Com Psychological thriller that begins in classic romantic comedy territory: Violet, a widowed mother, sets out on her first date in years with Henry, a charming photographer she met online. Their initial interactions are awkward, sweet, and filled with the kind of banter and flirtation typical of a rom com, there’s hope, nerves, and the possibility of new love. This is punctuated by funny moments, such as interruptions from an overly eager waiter and playful exchanges that give the date a light-hearted sheen.

But Drop is equally a psychological thriller, and these romantic-comedy tropes quickly unravel when Violet starts receiving menacing “drops” on her phone, chilling memes and instructions that threaten her family and force her into a frantic game of psychological survival. The tension mounts as Violet must navigate this nightmare while maintaining the appearance of a normal romantic dinner. The constant surveillance, tech-enabled threats, and Violet’s trauma-filled backstory intertwine suspense with the drama of relationship building. This blend of romance, comedy, and nail-biting mind games creates a unique atmosphere, making Drop a riveting nail-biting experience watching Violet balance love, danger, and her fight for control.

Drop was based on an actual AirDrop experience that Platinum Dunes producer Cameron Fuller and his friend, actor Sam Lerner, had while on vacation. Their phones blew up with anonymous, increasingly threatening drop messages that stopped, giving them no information about who or why they were targeted. Screenwriters Jillian Jacobs and Christopher Roach turned their experience into a worst-case scenario version for Drop.

READ THE REVIEW:

Drop

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.

Ballad Of A Small Player

2025 Netflix

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 41min

Drama ~ Psychological Thriller

Directed by: Edward Berger

Starring: Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, and Tilda Swinton.

Every gamble is more than just a game.

Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) is a troubled British gambler trying to escape his past and mounting debts in the opulent casinos of Macau. Doyle’s world is defined by risk and uncertainty, and his fortunes shift with every card he plays. Amidst the neon glow, he strikes up an unlikely connection with Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino worker who offers him both sympathy and subtle guidance. Their relationship brings moments of genuine warmth, even as Doyle struggles to find meaning and redemption in his turbulent lifestyle.

As Doyle’s luck teeters between boom and bust, the story delves into themes of chance and consequence. The arrival of Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton), a private investigator from England, complicates his desperate bid for freedom. Cynthia challenges Doyle to confront uncomfortable truths about his past, and their interactions provide both tension and unexpected compassion. Macau itself becomes a vibrant character in the film, contrasting glitzy casino life with the darker realities lurking beneath.

The film explores Doyle’s evolving relationships and the emotional costs of living on the edge. Dao Ming (Fala Chen) acts as a confidant and a compass, while Cynthia (Tilda Swinton) exposes Doyle’s vulnerability and forces him to reconsider his choices. Each encounter pushes Doyle closer to facing the consequences of his actions, making his journey through Macau both suspenseful and introspective.

Colin Farrell delivers an engaging and nuanced portrayal of a flawed, desperate gambler, while Fala Chen and Tilda Swinton add depth and intrigue to the story. The film’s stylish depiction of Macau’s casino world, combined with its blend of dark humor and emotional depth, creates a unique cinematic experience. Though it’s not a traditional thriller or straightforward drama, its haunting mood and layered storytelling make it a captivating watch. Ballad Of A Small Player and Colin Farrell invite us into a world of risk, regret, and the search for redemption.