The following films are low budget (or minor) movies that came out in 2020. Some of them went to theaters and others did not. If you want to try something new, consider borrowing one of them the next time you visit a McAllen Public Library branch.
This seems like a standard romantic comedy on the surface, and maybe it is, but the performances really stand out. Geraldine Viswanathan is probably best known for her role in the movie Blockers (where she played the daughter of John Cena’s character). Darce Montgomery is best known as Billy from seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things. His character is much more likeable in this film, though. They make a nice couple here after meeting when she assumed he was her Lyft driver. (I don’t recommend this.) He is trying to open a hotel and they get the idea to start putting objects people kept from past relationships on display. Click here for a review from the Chicago Sun Times. The Broken Hearts Gallery is available on Blu-ray from the Lark Branch Library and on DVD from the Main Branch. If you liked the movie Plus One with Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine, you might like this one.
In this one, Stu Bennet is back as John Gold, the British Special Forces vet turned mercenary. Bennet first appeared as Gold in I Am Vengeance. This time he is hired to bring in his former colleague Sean Teague, played by Vinnie Jones, who went rogue. Bennet might not have the charisma of Dwayne Johnson but I think he is getting better in the non-action scenes and I enjoyed Vinnie Jones’ performance. Their fights are fun and so are most of the others. Since this is a British film, a review from The Guardian, a British newspaper, seems like the right choice (even if I liked the film more than their reviewer did). I Am Vengeance: Retaliation is available on DVD from the Lark Branch Library.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge
This is an animated movie based off the long-running Mortal Kombat franchise. Scorpion takes center stage in this brief but violent and fun feature. He gets more focus here than he did in the 1990s films. On a side note, the original Mortal Kombat movie is kind of fun. The sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is not. Joel McHale provides the voice of Johnny Cage and his character is somewhat silly. Is this for people who aren’t fans of the franchise? Probably not, but if you are a fan, you should enjoy it. This movie is violent, and it earns its R rating. Here is a brief review. Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is available on DVD from the Main Branch.
Mario Van Peebles stars as a Mexican drug lord who forces a former British spy, played by Scott Adkins to wipe out his enemies. It was nice to see Mario again; it seems like a long time since I last saw him in anything. He seems to enjoy playing the villain. Adkins was good as always and there is a nice fight sequence where he has to fight with his hands handcuffed behind his back. I don’t think Seized is as good as Debt Collectors but I still think it’s worth watching. If you’d like a more formal review, go here. Seized is available on DVD from the Lark Branch Library.
The Short History of the Long Road
This movie stars Sabrina Carpenter as a young woman who is living on the road/off the grid with her father. After something happens to him, she then has to figure out how to keep going. I thought the performances were good and I liked how the movie shows some downsides to living off the grid. It becomes evident that her father was more committed to the life on the road than she was. I thought Carpenter was a great lead and it was nice to see Danny Trejo in a supporting role. Also, it was interesting to him play a nicer character than he often does. I thought this review had some interesting points, so you might want to check it out. The Short History of the Long Road is available on DVD from the Lark Branch Library.
