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Latest from Chris Jones

Chris Jones
Entertainment Editor

Chris Jones, from Washington, Illinois, is the Mail Entertainment Editor covering Movies, Television, Books, and Music topics. He is the owner, writer, and editor of Overly Honest Reviews.

Not Every Goodbye Is a Real Ending

Girl with a Suitcase (La ragazza con la valigia)

GIRL WITH A SUITCASE is a gentle but impactful experience that pulls viewers into the complexities of two very different lives—characters trapped in realities neither has the tools nor the permission to escape. The film isn't simply a story of love or heartache; it's about the invisible chains imposed by social expectations and personal insecurities.

Beauty, Obsession, and the Cost of Success

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (Hishu monogatari)

There’s a certain thrill in watching a film that intentionally refuses to act a certain way. From its opening minutes, this one sidesteps every narrative expectation and tears through genre boundaries with all the subtlety of a hammer. What looks like a tale of success under pressure—a young woman’s unexpected rise in a traditionally male-dominated sport—gradually mutates into something far more haunting. What starts with a swing and a smile ends in smoke and confusion, unmasking the machine behind modern stardom and what happens when the illusion becomes unbearable.

When Revenge and Romance Collide in Chaos

The Adventurers (Da mao xian jia)

You can almost hear the pitch meeting: revenge-fueled drama, undercover intrigue, aerial explosions, and two burning love interests—packaged into one feature-length storm. THE ADVENTURERS sets out to juggle multiple genres with the swagger of a globe-trotting spy thriller and the emotional stakes of a personal vendetta. The result? A volatile mix of ambition and execution that somehow entertains, frustrates, and impresses, all in equal measure.

When Silence Screams Louder Than Fear

Fréwaka

When horror sidesteps extravagant scares and instead patiently constructs dread from lingering shadows, it usually sets the stage for something special. FRÉWAKA makes a decent effort at this, pulling you into its world where Irish folklore quietly mingles with personal tragedy. The result isn’t always smooth, but there’s something oddly captivating about how this film chooses to tell its story, preferring atmosphere over action, whispers over screams.

Legendary Musician Battles Fame’s Heavy Burden

Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got

Capturing the life of a legendary musician involves far more than simply recounting the highlights of their career. ARTIE SHAW: TIME IS ALL YOU'VE GOT navigates this challenge, balancing the glamour of celebrity with the less comfortable realities that accompany creative brilliance. Director Brigitte Berman’s insightful and often playful documentary offers an in-depth look into the complex and contradictory personality of Artie Shaw, providing a vibrant yet realistic depiction of a man whose talent frequently clashed with his aversion to fame.

Secrets, Stress, and Social Smiles Shatter

The Trouble with Jessica

When the walls start to close in, what do people cling to first: their morality or their mortgage? That question hovers over every silence and sideways glance in this darkly comic ensemble piece. The film walks the tightrope between discomfort and absurdity, carefully peeling back layers of social pleasantries to expose a core built on convenience, compromise, and just a hint of chaos. What begins as a simple gathering spirals into an unintended test of friendships, loyalties, and ethics, revealing the unnerving ease with which people can slip into denial when their lifestyle is at stake.

Not Just a Song, a Statement

Dusty & Stones

There’s something magnetic about stories that never aim to dazzle, but instead invite you into a quiet truth. What begins as a tale about two musicians stepping onto a stage far from home evolves into a broader reflection on voice, space, and cultural identity. This documentary offers a sincere and grounded exploration of ambition and self-definition, demonstrating how music can serve as both an escape and a declaration.

Survival, Identity, and Alien Encounters

WondLa

Imagine waking up one day to find your world isn't just transformed—it has vanished entirely. This alarming yet intriguing premise is at the core of WONDLA - SEASON 2, a continuation that explores themes of identity, displacement, and the eternal quest for belonging. This new chapter invites us back into the narrative of Eva Nine, as she navigates a strange, alien environment after emerging from her sheltered underground upbringing. It’s a depiction of a young protagonist forced to redefine her sense of self in circumstances she never imagined.

Is the True Terror Inside or Out?

The Killgrin

There’s an undeniable allure to horror when it decides to target something you can’t touch or see. THE KILLGRIN explores the territory of psychological torment and emotional despair mixed with supernatural elements. Written and directed by Joanna Tsanis, this debut feature attempts to bridge human pain and otherworldly threats with a thoughtful premise, but struggles to bring its ambitious vision to life. The concept hooks you immediately—personal anguish as a breeding ground for an actual monster—but the final result lands somewhere between fascinating and incomplete.

Intriguing Visuals, Elusive Motivations

Lyla

When seeking refuge in isolation to boost creativity, the last thing one expects is a spiraling descent into paranoia and confusion, yet that's precisely what LYLA delivers. Gordon Cowie's directorial debut introduces audiences to Hugh (Clark Moore), an aspiring author intent on finishing his novel by retreating to a remote spot with his wife Lyla (Jolene Andersen) and their son Lars (Mason Wells). Predictably, what starts as a peaceful writing retreat quickly devolves into a maze of disturbing encounters and blurred realities, challenging perceptions of sanity and trust.

They Weren’t Supposed to Be the Heroes

Sneakers (4KUHD)

Imagine carrying a secret for over two decades, only for it to resurface through a piece of tech and a government job. That’s the hook that sets SNEAKERS in motion—a clever, offbeat thriller that never tries to outmuscle the genre but outthinks it. Part spy story, part hacker adventure, and part character study, this is a film that trades flashy theatrics for smarter subversions and leans into its ensemble with refreshing confidence, even if not every idea gets the same follow-through.

The Silent Suffering of Forgotten Communities

Trinity

TRINITY doesn't rely on spectacle or shock value. Instead, it turns its lens on voices long ignored—those quietly living with the consequences of a test that changed the world without their consent. This isn’t a project trying to retell history with rage. It’s trying to fill in the gaping silences. With a focus on lived experiences rather than dramatized recreations, the film unearths a complicated chapter of American history that is as under-discussed as it is hauntingly relevant.

The Forgotten Force Behind Modern Music

Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll (Lead Belly: Life, Legend, Legacy)

In the golden age of music, there was a man who needed only a 12-string guitar and his voice to turn the world’s ear. LEAD BELLY: THE MAN WHO INVENTED ROCK & ROLL revisits a name history hasn’t entirely forgotten but certainly hasn’t celebrated loudly enough. This documentary isn’t interested in nostalgia for its own sake. Instead, it’s about setting the record straight, digging into a life that shaped modern music more than most charts will ever acknowledge.

One Woman, MultipleLives, Zero Guarantees

Zoe

What do you get when a film leans into chaos just enough to mirror what it feels like to exist in the middle of a personal identity crisis? ZOE doesn’t aim to tidy up that storm—it dances in its insanity, winks at it, and sometimes stumbles through it. This film is about being lost, not in the conventional sense, but emotionally disoriented in a world where everything appears just fine from the outside. Under the guidance of Emanuela Galliussi, who wears many hats as writer, co-director, producer, and lead, ZOE explores the question so many narratives try to avoid: what happens when “having it all” still feels like not enough?