Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: In an alternate reality, 1970s America is run by a totalitarian government and most of the population lives in extreme poverty. Each year, young men representing all 50 states are given the opportunity to receive a large cash prize and one wish by participating in the Long Walk, a grueling event that has the men walking non-stop until only one remains. The catch - if a walker's pace falls below 3 miles per hour or they attempt to quit, they will be executed by the armed guards escorting them. Who's in it? The movie stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill , Judy Greer , Charlie Plummer and Garrett Wareing. Review: When I first saw the trailer for The Long Walk , I had a lot of doubts about the movie. For one, a lot of films developed from Stephen King books tend to fall flat and a dystopian movie featuring a bunch of people walking and talking for nearly two hours did seem like it would get dull quickly. As a result of that, I didn't bother watching th...

Synopsis: Forced to commit acts of violence to repay the millions he owes the Russian mob, Hutch Mansell decides he needs a break and goes on vacation with his family to Plummerville, Wisconsin, a tourist trap he visited as a kid, resulting in one of his few happy memories. However, an altercation at an arcade on his first night there quickly escalates, putting Hutch at odds with the local police and then the crime boss they work for. Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Odenkirk , Connie Nielsen , Christopher Lloyd , John Ortiz, Sharon Stone and Colin Hanks. Review: My wife and I watched Nobody a few days ago and enjoyed it enough to want to see the sequel. So, with nothing better to do yesterday evening, thanks mostly to the ungodly heat and humidity outside, we settled down on the couch and watched Nobody 2 . After seeing it, I think I liked the original a bit more but also think this is one of the few sequels that manages to recapture at least some of the magic. I think the thi...

Synopsis: After one of his laid-off employees kills himself in front of him, Zach goes to a bar to settle his nerves and ends up buying a drink for a woman there, Julia. A couple days later, he goes on a belated honeymoon with his wife, Emmy, in Italy that includes a hot air balloon ride over the Dolomites. To his surprise, Julia, who has been texting him blackmail messages, shows up as a third passenger. When Zach doesn't cave to her threats, Julia snaps and causes havoc that results in damage to the balloon and the death of the pilot. Meanwhile, Emmy begins growing suspicious of Zach when he tells her Julia is lying. Who's in it? The movie stars Hera Hilmar, Jeremy Irvine, Olga Kurylenko, Kelsey Grammar and Alessandro De Cominato. Review: I added Turbulence to my library a few days ago because, as someone who doesn't like heights, I figured it would be a good thriller just based on that. My wife and I watched it last night and it turned out the way-above-the ground sett...

Synopsis: On parole and living in her car, Millie Calloway is surprised and thrilled when she lands a job as a live-in housemaid for Nina Winchester, her husband Andrew and their daughter Cece. It seems like the perfect opportunity until Millie learns Nina has mental health issues that make her verbally abusive and physically violent. Unable to quit because it would mean going back to prison, Millie sticks it out and soon finds herself growing closer to Andrew, leading to them sleeping together and Andrew finally standing up to his wife. However, soon after, Millie learns the truth about what is really going on in the Winchester house. Who's in it? The movie stars Sydney Sweeney , Amanda Seyfried , Brandon Sklenar , Indiana Elle and Elizabeth Perkins. Review: We went from tornado-producing weather to freezing temperatures again, giving my wife and I another excuse to just stay home on a Saturday night and watch a movie. The Housemaid has been on my watch list for a couple weeks...

Synopsis: A recently widowed Barb drives to a remote lake in Minnesota to honor her late husband's final wish and stumbles upon a kidnapping. With no cell signal and the nearest town two hours away, she attempts to take matters into her own hands against the well-armed kidnappers. Who's in it? The movie stars Emma Thompson , Judy Greer , Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden and Gaia Wise. Review: My wife was scrolling through our movie channels while having breakfast this morning and came across Dead of Winter. At first, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a movie I would enjoy enough to justify it making me feel cold (I had enough of snow and cold this year). However, it turned out to be an interesting watch. There were a couple things that really stood out for me about this movie. One of the main ones was the choice to have the main protagonist, Barb (Thompson) be someone in her 60s rather than in her twenties or thirties. This added a whole new element to the character becau...

Synopsis: Pat Calhoun and his girlfriend, Perfidia, are members of the far left French 75 militant group, carrying out an attempted revolution near the Mexican border. When Perfidia gets pregnant and gives birth to a girl, Charlene, she decides she isn't ready to settle down, is arrested after an attempted bank robbery and turned into a rat by corrupt military officer Steven Lockjaw before fleeing witness protection and disappearing. Sixteen years later, Pat, now going by the name Bob Ferguson, is addicted to drugs and alcohol while living off the grid with Charlene, now named Willa. His increased paranoia comes to fruition when Lockjaw leads a new manhunt - this time in an effort to find Willa because he believes she really is his daughter and is a potential scandal that would keep him from joining a white supremacy group. Who's in it? The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn,  Benicio Del Toro , Chase Infiniti and Regina Hall. Review: My wife had wanted to watch One Ba...

Synopsis: When they were kids, Doug McAllister and Ronald "Griff" Griffin, Jr. dreamed of making movies together. However, as adults, Griff is a struggling actor, and Doug makes wedding videos for a living while their two friends, Kenny and Claire are also facing their own mid-life rut. When Griff tells them he has obtained the rights to remake their favorite film, Anaconda , they decide to go to Brazil and do it. Things start out well, but they soon find themselves in a real-life version of the film as a giant snake stalks them and they find additional danger after stumbling upon an illegal goldmining operation. Who's in it? The movie stars Jack Black , Paul Rudd , Steve Zahn , Thandiwe Newton, Selton Mello and Daniela Melchior. Review: After watching the original Anaconda for the first time a few days ago, I decided to give 2025 reboot a shot tonight. I was, admittedly, a bit skeptical based both on the plot and it being more of a comedy. However, Jack Black usually...

Synopsis: Needing a break after one of her sources was murdered in front of her, investigative reporter Laura Blacklock accepts an invitation to join a cancer-stricken billionaire onboard a superyacht sailing to Norway as part of a one-of-a-kind cancer research fundraiser. Laura believes the trip, which includes many other wealthy elites, will allow her to restore her faith in humanity by writing a soft feel-good story. However, on the first night of the cruise, she witnesses the woman in the cabin next to hers go overboard, only to be told she was mistaken and there was nobody in Cabin 10. Then, when Laura digs further and finds evidence she didn't imagine the event, she finds her own life in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Keira Knightley , Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Lisa Loven Kongsli and Gitte Witt. Review: I've had The Woman in Cabin 10 saved to my movie library for several months because, from the description, it sounded like it would be an intriguing mystery a...

Synopsis: After barely surviving a brutal attack by three masked strangers that left her boyfriend, Ryan, dead, Maya wakes up in a hospital. With the local sheriff brushing off her story and the hospital staff reluctant to answer her questions, Maya, with the help of her friends, arranges to be transported to another hospital further away. However, the assailants, learning she is alive, strike first, forcing her to flee into the woods wearing just a hospital gown and with no idea if there is anyone she can trust. Who's in it? The movie stars  Madelaine Petsch , Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Brooke Lena Johnson and Richard Brake. Review: My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by The Strangers: Chapter 1 this weekend so, after spending the day digging out from a blizzard and too tired to do much else as a result, we ended up watching The Strangers: Chapter 2 yesterday evening. Overall, I will say I was happy with that choice. I'm not going to lie; there were plenty of times w...

Synopsis: Four years after escaping and killing the Grabber, a 17-year-old Finn is struggling to feel normal again. Meanwhile, his sister, Gwen begins having dreams about their mom, three murdered boys and a campground at Alpine Lake. After convincing a reluctant Finn to go with her under the pretense of being counselors in training, the brother and sister, along with Gwen's boyfriend, Ernesto, soon find themselves snowed in by a blizzard and targeted by the Grabber's spirit, who is seeking revenge on Finn by targeting Gwen through her dreams. Who's in it? The movie stars Ethan Hawke , Mason Thames , Madeleine McGraw , Arianna Rivas and Jeremy Davies. Review: It's cold and snowy outside so my wife and I decided to just spend the day at home. After re-watching The Black Phone this afternoon, we made ourselves comfortable on the couch to watch Black Phone 2. I've said this before and I'll say it again, not every movie needs a sequel. This is a good example of ...

Synopsis: Isabel takes her job as an inspector for Santa's naughty-or-nice list seriously and is in line for a promotion. However, when doing a re-evaluation of Charlie, an 11-year-old girl on the naughty list, she falls for Charlie's widowed father, Jason, and breaks a number of rules by dating him. As she puts her job in jeopardy, Isabel realizes there is a lot of gray area between naughty and nice and begins to question the overall system. Who's in it? The movie stars Lacey Chabert , Andrew W. Walker , Cadence Compton, Steve Bacic and Louriza Tronco. Review: My wife and I still haven't found much time to do our annual Hallmark Christmas movie watching but since we were both home at a reasonable hour this evening, I convinced her to at least watch Lacey Chabert's latest film, She's Making a List . Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the magical film we were hoping for. One common complaint I have with films is many get ruined by trying to do too much. This ...

Synopsis: Two years after the AI doll she created, M3GAN, went on a killing spree, Gemma is a published author and vocal advocate for artificial intelligence regulation even as her business is failing and she continues to struggle to bond with her niece, Cady. When a military-grade AI, Amelia, goes rogue, Gemma, who comes under investigation from the FBI, learns the weapon was built with M3GAN's tech. Soon after, she learns M3GAN's consciousness is still alive and, desperate, reluctantly seeks her creation's help. Who's in it? The movie stars Allison Williams , Violet McGraw , Ivanna Sakhno, Amie Donald and Jenna Davis . Review: With windchills reaching as low as negative 30, it was too cold to go out last night, so my wife and I stayed in and finally watched M3GAN 2.0 with our teenage daughter. Even though we all enjoyed M3GAN when we watched it, I had some doubts about the sequel. As it turned out, the doubts were justified but the movie was still better than ex...

Synopsis: Ed and Lorraine Warren are retired from paranormal investigating because of Ed's heart issues. However, after their long-time friend, Father Gordon, dies while trying to help a family, the Smurls, their 22-year-old daughter, Judy, who shares Lorraine's psychic gifts convinces them to help. However, as they conduct the investigation, they discover a link to their past and go face-to-face with the demon that nearly took Judy's life and is now seeking to finish the job. Who's in it? The movie stars Patrick Wilson , Vera Farmiga , Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy and Steve Coulter. Review: While I've never been a huge fan of The Conjuring movies, my wife is. So, when we came across The Conjuring: Last Rites on HBO Max this evening, we ended up watching it. After doing so, I have to say it was a good choice. I think the thing that impressed me most with this film is it was genuinely scary. Not to the point I will have nightmares or be afraid to walk into a dark roo...

Synopsis: When 17 students from the same elementary school class walk out of their houses at 2:17 a.m. and disappear, their teacher, Justine Gandy, comes under suspicion from the angry parents. She, however, thinks the disappearances might have something to do with Alex, the only student in her class not to go missing. Who's in it? The movie stars Josh Brolin , Julia Garner , Benedict Wong, Cary Christopher and Alden Ehrenreich. Review: I didn't have a chance to see Weapons when it was at the theater but had several friends tell me it was the most terrifying film they had ever seen. I was intrigued so, when I saw I could watch it on HBO Max, my wife and I finally gave it a try. For the record, it is not the most terrifying movie I've ever seen, and I am starting to think I shouldn't trust my friends' judgment when it comes to horror movies. It was, however, a relatively enjoyable film. As far as the horror element goes, this movie was, at best, average. There we...

Synopsis: Years after dinosaurs repopulate the planet, the climate proves to be incompatible in most regions and they die out except for a few isolated regions near the equator that have been declared off limits to humans. Needing dinosaur DNA for a heart disease drug his pharmaceutical company wants to produce, executive Martin Krebs hires a covert extraction expert, Zora Bennett and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis to lead a team to collect DNA from three giant dinosaur species. Their already difficult and highly illegal task becomes even more complicated when they rescue a family from their overturned boat and then end up shipwrecked themselves. Who's in it? The movie stars Scarlett Johannson , Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Luna Blaise. Review: While my wife and I are both fans of the Jurassic Park franchise, our disappointment over Jurassic World Dominion was a bit reason why we didn't pay to see Jurassic World Rebirth at the theater (I didn...

Synopsis: After celebrating their engagement party, Danica Richards and Teddy Spencer travel with their friends Ava, Milo and Stevie to see the Fourth of July fireworks from a vantage point on a winding cliffside road overlooking the ocean. Teddy, who is drunk and high and standing in the middle of the road, accidentally causes a truck to swerve and go through the railing, killing the driver, Sam Cooper. The friends vow not to speak of their involvement but, a year later, are stalked by a killer wearing rain gear and carrying a hook. When they later learn their hometown of Southport, North Carolina was previously terrorized the same way, they seek help from the two survivors, Julie James and Ray Bronson. Who's in it? The movie stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders , Sarah Pidgeon, Freddie Prinze, Jr. , Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar . Review: While I surprisingly enjoyed the Scream reboot a few years ago, I still have some serious doubt about rebooting classic...

Synopsis: Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus was released, the world has it contained to the British Isles, which are under quarantine with the remaining survivors cut off to from the outside world. Twelve-year-old Spike is one of those survivors and as a rite of passage, is taken into the wilderness by his father to learn how to kill the infected. When Spike learns a doctor lives in isolation among the infected, he takes his mother, stricken with an unknown illness, back into danger to try to get her help. Along the way, they end up with a newborn that was birthed by one of the infected but appears perfectly healthy. Who's in it? The movie stars Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer , Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Chi Lewis-Parry. Review: I'm not going to lie, even after trying to give 28 Days Later another chance, I just wasn't a big fan of that film. I didn't hate it, I just thought it wasn't as good as so many other zombie-themed movies and the sequel ...

Synopsis: In 1986, Olive Oyl joins her brother Castor and their friends in rural Northern California to watch a meteor shower associated with Halley's Comet. When a meteorite strikes near an old fisherman, Popeye, it transforms him into a violent mutant, and he is soon hunting down the friends while smoking from a pipe made out of a human bone. Who's in it? The movie stars Amy Mackie, Brendan Nelson, David Hallows, Tony Greer, Niamh Parrington and Leona Roberts. Review: I was unimpressed with the horror movie Popeye's Revenge several days ago and as a result of that, did have a few doubts about the similar movie, Shiver Me Timbers . Ultimately, I decided to watch it with my wife tonight because I figured "it can't be any worse." It turns out I was wrong. OK, so where to start with this. I think I'll begin with the characters, which I felt the movie was a bit half-assed on. You are basing this movie on a recognizable character, have a main protagonist w...

Synopsis: A deformed child is burned to death in his home after he kills a classmate. Fifteen years later, the house, which has been rebuilt, is left to Tara's mom and since her family is struggling financially, she convinces her friends to help her turn it into a tourist attraction. As they are working, however, a fog rolls in and an adult "Popeye" appears to get revenge with help from his sister, Olive. Who's in it? The movie stars Emily Mogilner, Connor Powles, Steven Murphy, Atlanta Moreno and Karolina Knight. Review: I got the lawn mowed early enough to spend the afternoon hanging out with my wife. After purchasing some loaded nachos from the local bowling alley, we settled on the couch and gave Popeye's Revenge a try. While I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, it proved to be a bit of a disappointment. There was a lot about this movie that made me think of it as a film that was ripping off both Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street...

Synopsis: The Staten Island Ferry has been part of New York since the 19th century. A forgotten part of its history is Captain Steamboat Willie, a human-like mouse killed in a shipwreck and now believed to be an urban legend. However, when a sealed hatch onboard the ferry is opened, freeing Willie, he is quick to reveal he is real by taking control of the ship and starting a murderous rampage. Who's in it? The movie stars David Howard Thornton , Tyler Posey , Sarah Kopkin, Jesse Kove and Amy Schumacher . Review: When I came across Screamboat a few days ago, I had some serious doubts about yet another horror movie based on a beloved cartoon character, especially since the last Steamboat Willie-based movie I saw, The Mouse Trap , wasn't one of my favorites. However, the trailer piqued my interest so we gave it a try. It ended up being surprisingly good. I'm not going to tell you this movie is terrifying because it isn't. In fact, I would describe it as being just as g...