trip movie com

In Theaters and Digital

Trip - movie review.

“We are therapists.  Nuts are our specialty.”

This is what despair looks like.  It is cold and hollow, freezing its victims to the very core of their being.  For one mother, it is her daughter’s unnatural suicide which invites this unwelcome visitor in, and she can’t seem to shake its grip.  No bottle.  No pill.  No tear is ever enough to escape the feeling of dread and aloneness in the wake of her daughter killing herself.

Welcome to the Trip .  This movie won’t soon be forgotten.  With heavy themes and a stand-out performance from Last Girl Standing ’s Akasha Villalobos as Ally, the grieving mother, Trip is definitely worth checking out.

Desperate for answers to why Samantha ( Jill Young ) gouged out her own eyeballs, Ally finds herself unable to cope or even return to work.  While her clients are being farmed out to others, she sits alone in her house crying her eyes out.  But an adventurous therapist, Jan Rollins ( Peggy Schott ), has a better idea for Ally.

With the help of a hallucinogenic drug - in the form of tea - Ally can see her daughter again. But is she brave enough to walk through that door?  Because, once it is opened, the door can never be closed again.  

Memories aren’t the only thing wandering these dark nightmarish halls.  Much to the chagrin of Michael ( Major Dodge ), Ally’s husband.  She’s gone, he yells at her.  Yet, still Ally pursues the ghosts she sees in and around the house.  All of them - even the frightening ones wearing masks, but just what is actually happening is anybody’s guess.  

From writer/director Neil McCay and starring “Chucky” star Björgvin Arnarson, Trip is an independent horror film that hits a confident stride in spite of its budgetary limitations and proves to be unsettling, thanks to a great sound design, a solid handling of grief, and an assortment of ghostly images which often had the hair on the back of my neck rising in response to their flickering mannerisms.  They are solidly put together and offer a creative way to handle a microbudget.  

Ally’s search for answers is going to lead her straight into a web of mystery as the same things that haunted her daughter start to fill her own head.  Just what is going on with these identical experiences?  

Sorrow and despair are the villains in the frightening Trip , on Terror Films AVOD Channel Friday, May 13th before a wide digital release on Friday May 20.  While it might be made for the indie-going crowd out there, this one packs a lot of solid scares along the way.

MPAA Rating: Unrated Runtime: 94 mins Director : Neil McCay Writer: Neil McCay Cast: Akasha Villalobos; Major Dodge; Peggy Schott Genre : Horror Tagline: Give Me Your Eyes. Memorable Movie Quote: Distributor: Terror Films AVOD Channel Official Site: Release Date: May 13, 2022 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Synopsis :Following her daughter’s suicide, a grief-stricken mother is visited by an unconventional therapist who offers a hallucinogenic drug that will allow communion with the dead. Desperate to understand her daughter's psyche she accepts the offer, and soon finds herself terrorized by her daughter's identical experiences.

New in Theaters/VOD

New on Home Video

• Girls Trip - Movie Review
• The Trip (1967) - Blu-ray Review
• A Trip to the Moon (1902) - Blu-ray Review
• Are We There Yet? - DVD Review
• Racing Stripes - DVD Review

Movie Trailers

• Trailer Watch - JANE Season 2
• Trailer Watch: DINOSAUR
• Trailer Watch: BLOODLINE KILLER
• Trailer Watch: KIM'S VIDEO
• Trailer Watch - RADIOACTIVE: THE WOMEN OF THREE MILE ISLAND

BADass B-Movies

Movie Reviews

Morbidly Hollywood

• Colorado Street Suicide Bridge
• Death of a Princess - The Story of Grace Kelly's Fatal Car Crash
• Joaquin Phoenix 911 Call - River Phoenix - Viper Room
• Screen Legend Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79
• Suicide and the Hollywood Sign - The Girl Who Jumped from the Hollywood Sign
• The Amityville Horror House
• The Black Dahlia Murder - The Death of Elizabeth Short
• The Death of Actress Jane Russell
• The Death of Brandon Lee
• The Death of Chris Farley
• The Death of Dominique Dunne
• The Death of George Reeves - the Original Superman

Home » Streaming Service » Netflix

The Trip (2021) review – a tale of murder turns to a tale of survival

The review of the Netflix film The Trip (2021) does not contain any spoilers.

The initial premise of Netflix’s Norwegian dark comedy/thriller The Trip involves an unhappily married couple, Lisa (Noomi Rapace) and Lars (Aksel Hennie), who after a period of financial difficulty, have both decided to go for a weekend trip to their family cabin. The only issue is that each of them intends to murder the other. But little are they aware of the other dangers that are harboring in the cabin.

Naturally, with this kind of plot, initial comparisons will be made towards Mr. & Mrs. Smith . Both have troubled marriages, silly lines of dialogue, and the daft nature of story progression. The Trip , however, has a much darker undertone that surprisingly blends with the slapstick moments that occur throughout. And, of course, whilst watching Lisa and Lars, you can’t help but compare them to Joe and Love from You . Which isn’t a good thing. Unlike the mentioned series, this film has a fairly predictable end with very few shocks along the way. 

The biggest strength of this film is the acting. Noomi Rapace and Aksel Hennie perform well in their roles. As a result, the love-hate relationship that they share is believable to watch. If you want to see more of them, watch Aksel in Headhunters and watch Rapace in a number of brilliant films that include The Girl franchise and What Happened to Monday.

Their superb acting is one of the main reasons to sit through the disastrous beginning. It’s silly, uninteresting, and out of place with the rest of the film. The only benefit to such a horrid start is that the film can only get better from there. Which it does, thankfully. The ending is decent enough, which after dealing with the main problem, brings it all back to the troubles faced in Lisa and Lars’s marriage. 

With the release of The Trip coinciding with You Season 3 , it may at first force the film into the shadows of Netflix releases. But whatever it is that you decide to do, do not watch this film dubbed. It’ll ruin it.

What did you think of the Netflix film The Trip (2021)? Comment below. 

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

Review - Bleed for This

The Cabin with Bert Kreischer Season 1 Review – a load of infectiously laidback nonsense

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

Updated IST

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.

• Top Listing
• Upcoming Movies

0 /5 Filmibeat

• Cast & Crew

Trip Cast & Crew

Trip Crew Info

Trip trailer.

Trip Videos

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Trip

In this Trip film, Yogi Babu , Sunaina played the primary leads.

The Trip was released in theaters on 05 Feb 2021.

The Trip was directed by Dennis Manjunath

Movies like Ilayaraja , Rebel , Emakku Thozhil Romance and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Siddu Kumar for the movie Trip.

The cinematography for Trip was shot by Udhayashankar G .

You can watch the Trip movie on Sun NXT,.

On 10 Mar 2021 Trip was released on the Sun NXT, platform.

The movie Trip belonged to the Comedy,Drama,Thriller, genre.

Trip User Review

• Movie rating

Renu 1106 Days Ago

What a fucking waste of time movie! I felt like banging my head on the wall. Such a lousy director and story! Fuck sake

Celeb Birthdays

Movies In Spotlight

Video Title

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Monkey Man Link to Monkey Man
• The First Omen Link to The First Omen
• The Beast Link to The Beast

New TV Tonight

• Chucky: Season 3
• Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Franklin: Season 1
• Dora: Season 1
• Good Times: Season 1
• Beacon 23: Season 2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Ripley: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• Parasyte: The Grey: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• The Gentlemen: Season 1
• Manhunt: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Ripley Link to Ripley
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (April 2024)

Pedro Pascal Movies and Series Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

TV Premiere Dates 2024

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in April 2024: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

• Trending on RT
• Play Movie Trivia
• Best Horror Movies
• New On Streaming

2022, Horror, 1h 35m

Where to watch Trip

Rent Trip on Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Prime Video, Apple TV.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Trip videos, trip   photos.

Following her daughter's suicide, a grief-stricken mother is visited by an unconventional therapist who offers a hallucinogenic drug that will allow communion with the dead. Desperate to understand her daughter's psyche she accepts the offer, and soon finds herself terrorized by her daughter's identical experiences.

Genre: Horror

Original Language: English

Director: Neil McCay

Producer: David Groves , Neil McCay

Writer: Neil McCay

Release Date (Streaming): May 13, 2022

Runtime: 1h 35m

Production Co: 6.11 Films, Leadfeather Productions

Cast & Crew

Akasha Villalobos

Major Dodge

Peggy Schott

Björgvin Arnarson

Screenwriter

David Groves

Debby McCay

Executive Producer

Edward McCay

Geoffrey Marschall

Cinematographer

Film Editing

James Thistleton

Original Music

Robbie Dalley

Production Design

Annie Bradford

Art Director

Antara Dalley

Set Decoration

Olivia Dalley

Jaimie Beebe

Critic Reviews for Trip

Audience reviews for trip.

There are no featured reviews for Trip because the movie has not released yet ().

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

Watch Trip Tamil Movie Online

Starring yogi babu,karunakaran,sunaina, director dennis manjunath, music by siddhu kumar.

• Comedy,Thriller

Watch it in HD Dolby

A group of friends traveling in a dense forest accidentally meet two strangers, who they think are the killers. Things get complicated when they get caught by real killers.

• Privacy policy
• Terms of use
• Cookie Policies
• Content Redressal Mechanism
• GDPR policy
• Version 1.12.12.1

Download the App

Also Available on

Filed under:

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s Trip movies dig deep into the anxieties of travel

Their adventures in angst are a sure cure for wanderlust

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement .

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s Trip movies dig deep into the anxieties of travel

Part of the appeal of travel movies and shows is the way they let the audience travel vicariously. At its best, travel entertainment can be educational, teaching viewers about places they haven’t been and cultures that might be foreign to them. But an undeniable draw is still the chance to admire beautiful scenery and plan to go there someday — or at least feel like you’re there, now that the COVID-19 pandemic has made leaving home such a safety risk. One travel series may actually help curb that sense of wanderlust, though: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s The Trip .

The two actors, playing exaggerated versions of themselves, have now starred in four Trip movies, each edited together from six-episode TV series. 2010’s The Trip took them around the north of England, while 2014’s The Trip to Italy , 2017’s The Trip to Spain , and the new and final installment, The Trip to Greece , all have self-explanatory names. On each trip, Coogan and Brydon take a restaurant tour, passing through beautiful scenery and dining on mouth-watering food. If anything, the series should make travel irresistible.

But Coogan, Brydon, and director Michael Winterbottom actually pull off something more impressive: They make the trips seem fun, but also sad, frustrating, and even lonely. Traveling doesn’t solve the problems Coogan and Brydon are dealing with in their home lives. A vacation may be an attempt to take a break from personal issues, but there’s no way to completely leave them behind. Their troubles may be worlds away from viewers’, as their lives as successful actors are hardly normal, but they become accessible through their open portrayals. The honesty Winterbottom captures about the problems of celebrities — who should theoretically be so well off that they wouldn’t have a care in the world — and their more domestic worries, such as providing for their families or finding work, aren’t that far removed from the average person’s concerns.

The most commonly referenced element of the Trip movies are Coogan and Brydon’s dueling impressions of figures ranging from Michael Caine to the Batman villain Bane. However, Winterbottom also uses these trips to dig deeper, using the two actors’ journeys through historical landmarks as a pretext for them to interrogate their own mortality. Coogan is unmarried and free to become romantically entangled abroad (he’s seen both attempting to and succeeding in currying the favor of women he meets), but he struggles to connect with his children and to combat feelings of impermanence. Brydon is happily married, and can’t go as wild as Coogan does while traveling, but he has an anchor in his family.

The two of them also want to be taken more seriously, not just seen as comedians. As they travel, they deal with that desire in different ways. Coogan constantly refers to his Oscar-nominated script for the 2013 film Philomena to prove his success, but finds that nobody cares much about it. His profile hasn’t risen much at all in the seven years since that movie: His calls to his agent about new work get redirected to an assistant. Brydon, who hasn’t done as much dramatic work, reassures himself with the fact that he’s achieved stability, and that his legacy will be carried on through his children. Under Winterbottom’s direction, the pair’s comic stylings often give way to such introspection, and moments of silence and solitude.

Even though they’re on the most marvelous trips imaginable, it’s clear that scenic vistas and haute cuisine alone aren’t enough to make Coogan and Brydon feel fulfilled. Their problems don’t magically go away because they’re abroad, and though they get along, they sometimes bristle at each other, too, as is almost inevitable when traveling with company. (For a more explicit, condensed version of the lessons they’re expressing, try the recent Saturday Night Live sketch where Adam Sandler plays an exhausted tour-company host: “If you’re sad where you are, and then you get on a plane to Italy, the you in Italy will be the same sad you from before, just in a new place.”)

Watching the movies is a delight, though. Each installment of the series feels like checking in on old friends, if your old friends were two of the sharpest comedians alive. The rapport between Coogan and Brydon is so genuine — they’re already so invested in each other — that the audience becomes a third guest on the trips rather than a voyeur. That feeling of inclusion and closeness makes the usual vicarious experience of a travel series even more potent. During a global pandemic, however, that ability to travel along with the hosts is a blessing for a different reason.

As appealing as being anywhere but home might seem right now, it’s reassuring to remember that traveling has its ups and downs, too. The Trip movies capture that balance through the (new and pre-existing) crises that the fictionalized versions of Coogan and Brydon experience. Winterbottom never goes so far as to make traveling seem abjectly awful — who wouldn’t want to escape to a beach right now, if it could be done safely? — but he makes it clear that no getaway will be completely perfect, either. As the wait for a coronavirus vaccine stretches on, the reminder that something that seems like a perfect reprieve has its flaws, too, comes as a relief.

The Trip to Greece will be available on VOD on May 22.

Apple TV 4K

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Apple’s 4K streaming device supports 4K HDR and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound.

• $199 at Amazon

Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy .

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

Trip (2022)

Latest on trip (2022).

New Movies On Demand: 'Morbius,' 'Dual,' 'Vendetta,' + More

Trending now.

This story has been shared 12,432 times. 12,432

This story has been shared 1,034 times. 1,034

This story has been shared 505 times. 505

This story has been shared 443 times. 443

This story has been shared 400 times. 400

This story has been shared 397 times. 397

This story has been shared 333 times. 333

This story has been shared 240 times. 240

Stream It Or Skip It?

Stream it or skip it: 'when calls the heart' season 11 on the hallmark channel is sticking to its formula as a cozy, family values-filled soap opera, stream it or skip it: ‘metalocalypse: army of the doomstar’ on hbo max, a satisfyingly loud 'n' heavy conclusion to a cult-favorite series, stream it or skip it: 'demetri martin: demetri deconstructed' on netflix, dreaming up and overthinking the ideal comedy special, stream it or skip it: 'blind date book club' on hallmark channel, where a bookstore owner and a famous author fall in love, stream it or skip it: ‘the antisocial network: memes to mayhem’ on netflix, a doc that presents 4chan as the patient zero of today’s diet of disinformation, more from decider.

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? Everything To Know About 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date

Will There Be A 'Resident Alien' Season 4? What We Know

When Will ‘All American’ Season 6 Arrive On Netflix?

New Shows & Movies To Watch This Weekend: 'Mary & George' on Starz + More

Dwayne Johnson Gets Into Verbal Altercation With WWE Fan: "Watch Your F**king Mouth"

Zooey Deschanel Denies That “Nepotism” Helped Her In Hollywood: “No One’s Getting Jobs Because Their Dad’s A DP”

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

• 25 Years Of...
• Rotten Tomatoes: Card Game
• RT25 Gift Cards
• Movie Trivia

(Photo by Fox Searchlight. All rights reserved/Courtesy Everett Collection)

25 Essential Road Trip Movies of the Last 25 Years

We’re looking down the horizon and beyond for some of the best road trip movies that defined the genre over the last 25 years! To rev up this list, we selected American movies movies, journeys that begin in the States (where they actually finish is part of the fun). The movies celebrate the sights and sounds of the country, or at least will inspire you to pull out that camping gear, putting the convertible top down, and hitting the open road. These rides can be cross-county ( Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle ), on the freeway ( Dog , Sideways ), trekking across a few state lines ( Little Miss Sunshine , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ), hitting a new time zone ( Road Trip ), or even runnin’ coast-to-coast ( Rat Race , Transamerica ). Even the Academy has felt the need for reasonable speed, awarding Best Picture to both Green Book and Nomadland . Carpool lane? Of course: we’ve got an Oscar strapped in the passenger seat!

So whether you’re looking for a map to a long summer drive or fixing a flat in your life, turn to these essential 25 road trip movies of the last 25 years (in chronological order)!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) 50%

The Straight Story (1999) 94%

Tumbleweeds (1999) 82%

Almost Famous (2000) 91%

Road Trip (2000) 57%

Rat Race (2001) 45%

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) 75%

Sideways (2004) 97%

Transamerica (2005) 77%

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 91%

Cars (2006) 75%

Zombieland (2009) 89%

Away We Go (2009) 67%

Paul (2011) 70%

We're the Millers (2013) 48%

Chef (2014) 87%

Grandma (2015) 91%

Mississippi Grind (2015) 91%

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016) 83%

Green Book (2018) 77%

Nomadland (2020) 93%

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) 97%

Bad Trip (2021) 79%

Dog (2022) 77%

Joy Ride (2023) 90%

Related news.

All A24 Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2023

All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, 20th Century, And Searchlight

More Countdown

100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (April 2024)

Pedro Pascal Movies and Series Ranked by Tomatometer

Dwayne Johnson Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

April 5, 2024

TV Premiere Dates 2024

April 4, 2024

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in April 2024: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

Free Movies Online: 100 Fresh Movies to Watch Online For Free

April 3, 2024

Top Headlines

• 100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (April 2024) –
• Pedro Pascal Movies and Series Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Dwayne Johnson Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now –
• Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –

Best Road Trip Movies, Ranked

Y earning for the open road? Look no further! Hollywood is no stranger to producing entertaining road trip movies that feature iconic cross-country adventures. While some audiences just can’t seem to get enough of this comedy staple, others flock to theaters for films that take a more heartfelt approach to the genre, utilizing the road trip as a way to express maturation, character development, and coming-of-age themes. Sometimes it's nice to live vicariously through the lives of these big-screen characters. With such an impressive list of beloved classics to choose from, determining the greatest among these films is difficult.

Updated May 18th, 2023: If you're a fan of the open road, you'll be glad to know this article was recently updated with new content by fellow travel enthusiast Amanda Minchin .

So whether you're yearning for some comedic relief from life's difficulties or are just wanting to see the world from a new perspective, these films, with their array of hijinks and chaos, will prove entertaining for audiences of all ages. Instead of needing to hop in the car, sit down, grab the remote, and explore the open road from the comfort of your home. Here is our deep dive into the best road trip movies throughout cinema history.

Dumb and Dumber

The iconic buddy-comedy Dumb and Dumber stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as two dimwitted yet well-meaning friends who set off on a cross-country road trip from Providence, Rhode Island, to Aspen, Colorado, in order to return a briefcase full of money.

Related: Why Dumb and Dumber Is a Perfect Road Trip Movie

The charm of this film lies in the delightful ignorance of Lloyd and Harry, whose personas simply don’t allow for a light bulb moment. They have absolutely no desire to either learn or grow during their hilariously harrowing journey and, as a result, they ultimately go off on many a zany adventure without learning all that much. Dumb and Dumber found great success at the box office upon its release, becoming one of the most iconic of 1994 .

Y Tu Mamá También

Y Tu Mamá También is the coming-of-age tale of two teenage boys who set out on a road trip with an older woman in her late twenties. This Alfonso Cuaron road movie features a talented cast, including Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, and Maribel Verdú, who shine against the backdrop of Mexico’s economic and political realities in 1999.

This intimate and tender story is also an exploration of sexuality and maturity. The young men's journey leads to self-discovery and a loss of innocence amidst the stunning road trip setting. The film uses travel and journey as a metaphor. As a result, audiences are able to witness the transformation of the leads from adolescence to adulthood in a fresh and authentic way.

Easy Rider is arguably one of the most important road trip movies in cinema history. This film, which received critical praise upon its release, is credited with helping to spark the New Hollywood era of the 1970s. This 1969 independent road drama tells the story of two bikers who embark on a journey through the American South and Southwest, transporting the proceeds of a cocaine deal.

The film stars Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as the lead bikers, alongside the memorable performance of Jack Nicholson as the boozy lawyer they pick up along the way. This classic flick focuses heavily on the journey, not the destination, as the free-spirited bikers get a harsh dose of reality during their travels across the country.

It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night is an infamous screwball comedy , and with good reason. Widely considered the first, it soon became the roadmap for others to follow after its release in the early 30s. The movie also arguably launched the careers of stars Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. In the film, Colbert played an heiress on the run back to her true love. Gable, meanwhile, played the intrepid reporter following shortly behind. They travel from Florida to New York in increasingly jerry-rigged modes of transportation and, of course, wind up falling in love in the process.

At the time, a movie about an unmarried couple traveling together was sure to ruffle a few feathers. Considered a Pre-Code film (though the Hays Code was in effect, it was not officially enforced for all pictures until shortly thereafter), this movie managed to skirt the censors by covering any sense of impropriety with snappy dialogue, cheeky humor, and endless innuendo... thus creating the screwball comedy in the process. For example, Frank Capra and crew got around the pair sharing a room together during their travels by dividing said room with a bedsheet that the characters literally nickname “The Walls of Jericho.” Any source of seduction was at most a suggestion, as demonstrated by Colbert’s last-ditch use of her *gasp* bare leg to hail a passing car, though that too was considered rather scandalous in passing.

The touching and deeply endearing 1988 classic Rain Man tells the story of conceited jerk Charlie Babbitt who, upon his wealthy father’s death, discovers the inheritance has been left to his unknown autistic-savant brother Raymond. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman deliver powerful performances as Charlie and Raymond, for which the latter earned an Academy Award.

As the brothers travel from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, Charlie witnesses the restrictions of Raymond’s condition and, in turn, gains a new perspective on life. The film’s unique premise and the chemistry between Cruise and Hoffman as they travel the country, make this a road trip staple.

Little Miss Sunshine

Oscar-winning dramedy Little Miss Sunshine features an all-star cast (including Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, and Abigail Breslin). It tells the story of a barely-functional family who are determined to get their daughter to the finals of a beauty pageant. Setting off in their VW bus (which requires a rolling start), the Hoover clan soon embark on an 800-mile road trip to California. Their goal of reaching the beauty pageant is what ultimately brings the family together.

The script for this film is both funny and heartfelt, and Michael Arndt received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his effort. The colorful characters add depth and humor to the plot, which is tied up nicely by the end. Little Miss Sunshine was one of those indie films from the 2000s that broke out with mainstream audiences, and part of that is it perfectly captures what it is like to be stuck with one's family for a long road trip.

Into the Wild

This film is for those whose wanderlust leads them to less tread pastures. Based on the book by Jon Krakauer, Into The Wild tells the true story of an Emory college graduate and athlete who renounces his family fortune and sets off on a hitchhiking adventure that leads him deep into the Alaskan wilderness. Written, directed, and produced by Sean Penn, the film version stars Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless, a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp.

Upon its release, the film was nominated for many awards, including Golden Globes and Academy Awards. It was soon added to many of the top lists that year. The abandoned bus that housed the final days of the real-life McCandless even became a pilgrimage site for fans until it had to be airlifted to a safer location. Those wanting to dive into a smaller, safer venture should carve out the 2 ½ hours for this film.

Almost Famous

The critically acclaimed Cameron Crowe dramedy Almost Famous is the ultimate coming-of-age film with an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavy hitters like Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, and Jason Lee. The movie is loosely based on Crowe's own experience as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine.

Almost Famous tells the story of a young 1970s Rolling Stone journalist William Miller and his epic journey of self-discovery as he travels with the fictitious rock band Stillwater. As he follows them across the country, William experiences the highs and lows of adolescence: falling in love, being rejected, making friends, and ultimately accepting himself. The movie received critical acclaim and numerous accolades and is included in many lists of the greatest films ever made.

Thelma and Louise

Arguably the ultimate female buddy movie , 1991’s Thelma and Louise tells the unforgettable tale of two best friends who take off for the open road after a tragic event forces them to flee for greener pastures. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as the ride-or-die duo who zip across the country in Thelma’s 1966 Ford Thunderbird.

Related: How Thelma and Louise Is a Queer Allegory

The iconic friendship of the film's titular leads, impressively performed by Davis and Sarandon, firmly cements it as a landmark feminist film. The movie also features a young Brad Pitt in one of his first major roles as a drifter who catches Thelma's eye. The iconic ending of Thelma and Louise remains one of the greatest in Hollywood history to this day.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert quickly cemented Australia’s cultural status as a producer of quirky, independent cinema when it was first released in 1994. What could have ended as a dumpster fire of epic proportions was instead a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie. Featuring a soundtrack of campy classics bolstered by supreme performances from Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Guy Pearce, the plot follows two drag queens and one transgender woman as they go on tour in Australia.

While the movie arguably may have been even better having an actual trans woman or drag culture enthusiast cast, the trio sure put on one hell of a show as they traverse the literal Outback in sequins, beads, and platform heels. The film, which was written and directed by Stephan Elliott, would later be adapted into a musical. The play premiered in Sydney in 2006 before touring throughout the country. It would eventually be welcomed onto the Broadway stage a few years later in 2011.

The Blues Brothers

Beloved Saturday Night Live alums John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd reprised their sketch characters for the silver screen as “Joliet” Jake Blues and blood brother Elwood in 1980s The Blues Brothers . The pair are hilarious as sleazy musicians who make it their mission to save the orphanage they were raised in from foreclosure.

The classic comedy focuses on Jake and Elwood as they reunite their R&B band and travel around Chicago in their “bluesmobile,” playing music for money. With exciting car chases, comical shootouts, and unforgettable musical numbers, The Blues Brothers remains an iconic classic of road-trip cinema.

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

This film kick-started a beloved comedy franchise that continues to this day. 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation focuses on the Griswold family as their patriarch leads them on a cross-country trip to an amusement park... Naturally, chaos and hilarity arise. The ultimate success of this movie led to a barrage of sequels.

Starring Saturday Night Live alum Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, Vacation also features the talents of Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron as his wife and less-than-adoring children. Chase is brilliant as the comical and determined Clark. This outrageous farce depicts the reality of a family on vacation. None of them are perfect, and all of them are full of endearing dysfunction as they try and fail to have a good time.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Comedy legends Steve Martin and John Candy partnered up with famed director John Hughes for 1987’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles . Martin starred as uptight Neal Page, while Candy portrayed the overbearing but kind-hearted Del Griffith. Stuck together, the pair join forces in an effort to get Neal home to Chicago in time for his family's Thanksgiving dinner. Because of this, it has since become a Thanksgiving classic.

The chemistry between the two leads in this film is as effortless as it is hilarious. This movie features plenty of sidesplitting situations while also being surprisingly emotional at times. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a heartfelt flick that utilizes its comedic talent to the fullest. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a comedic masterpiece that has endured for decades.

• Car Rentals
• Airport Transfers
• Attractions & Tours
• Bundle & Save
• Destinations
• Trip.com Rewards

Art of Me Gala & Movie Premiere | 1316 Yorkland Rd

Experience an evening of sophistication and artistry at the Art of Me Gala & Movie Premiere in Columbus. The prestigious event will take place at 1316 Yorkland Rd on May 5, 2024. Attendees will revel in the glamour of the red carpet and the allure of the latest film premiere. Show off your style and connect with like-minded art aficionados in a celebration of creativity and self-expression. Immerse yourself in live performances, captivating art displays, and the highly anticipated movie debut. A ticket to this remarkable event is priced at $25, promising an unforgettable night of entertainment and inspiration. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a memorable evening celebrating the beauty of art and the power of self-expression at the Art of Me Gala & Movie Premiere.

Provided by Daire | Published Apr 8, 2024

Are you interested in Art of Me Gala & Movie Premiere?

Recommended products for art of me gala & movie premiere | 1316 yorkland rd, hilton columbus/polaris, more contents about columbus.

• Customer Support
• Service Guarantee
• More Service Info
• Website Feedback
• About Trip.com
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Statement
• About Trip.com Group

Other Services

• Investor Relations
• Affiliate Program
• List My Property
• Become a Supplier

A trip to the last Blockbuster on Earth

Visiting the bend, ore., store is like stepping back in time.

BEND, Ore. — My family used to go to Blockbuster every Friday. Walking to the store on 19th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan, we’d wander through the aisles of DVDs, negotiating what to rent for our weekly ritual of making pizzas and watching movies, and I’d try to sweet-talk my way into a Nerds Rope or a box of watermelon Sour Patch Kids.

We cycled through countless discs before my parents signed up for Netflix’s DVD service. Our local store closed in 2010 — the year Blockbuster corporate filed for bankruptcy protection — and less than a decade later, almost all of Blockbuster’s 9,000 stores had followed suit.

These days, there’s only one Blockbuster left on Earth . It’s in Bend, Ore., about 820 miles from my home in Los Angeles.

But I’ve traveled farther for stupider reasons.

So I took a trip to Bend with my partner, Reanna (who loves DVDs even more than I do). Our journey there involved an extensive delay that stretched into 13 hours of travel — via cab, bus, plane and rental car — but it all felt worth it when we caught a glimpse of the glowing yellow Blockbuster sign in the distance.

‘A huge movie town’

Most of the tourism in Bend revolves around the city’s outdoor wonders, attracting people who love hiking, skiing, canoeing and exploring the local terrain.

But the city has always been filled with movie lovers, according to Ken Tisher, who owns the Blockbuster on Revere Avenue with his wife, Debbie.

“For those who don’t know, Bend is a huge movie town,” Ken said in the 2020 documentary “ The Last Blockbuster .”

The Tishers opened their first video rental store as Pacific Video in the early 1990s. With business booming, they launched two more locations, but when Blockbuster moved into town they had one option for survival: They made the store on Revere Ave into a Blockbuster franchise in 2000.

As a chain, Blockbuster peaked in 2004, when there were 9,000 locations worldwide. The company has shut down thousands of locations over the years, making the Bend Blockbuster the last Blockbuster in the United States in 2018 (after two stores in Alaska closed), and the only one in the world by April 2019 (after the second-to-last Blockbuster in a suburb of Perth, Australia, shut down).

Sandi Harding, the general manager of the Bend Blockbuster, has been working there since 2004. She watched the franchise’s decline from the front lines, giving countless interviews and figuring out how to keep the store stocked and relevant.

Since there’s no corporate supplier left, Harding buys candy and snacks in bulk from Costco and has figured out how to print and laminate new membership cards. Most of the DVD vendors that they have worked with have closed over the years, and the ones that are still open have minimum orders that are far too big for her store.

“I can’t afford to purchase movies through them, so I’m back to buying 100 percent of everything at Walmart and Target,” Harding told me.

The staff’s DIY efforts pay off: Harding estimates that they still get 500 to 1,000 customers over the course of a weekend.

“It’s all tourism driven now, where before it was all rental driven,” Harding said. “So it’s totally a different experience.”

The last on Earth

We made it to Bend a little before 7:30 p.m., exhausted but relieved that we didn’t miss our chance to indulge in some retro movie magic. It was a sleepy Sunday evening, so the store was nearly empty.

“The winter months used to be our bread and butter, like, that’s when we were the busiest: when people couldn’t go outside or travel,” Harding said. “Now it’s the opposite, the winter is quiet. So this time of year we get lots of projects done. We all take vacations, and we do things, because the summer is when we’re just crazy busy.”

Most of the store is straight out of the early 2000s: The walls are lined with DVDs and VHS tapes to purchase or rent; the location’s original triangular checkout counter has endured the test of time; and the staffers still wear blue and yellow shirts (though they’re not forced to don the retro polos ).

“The ticket tee that we have out there is the T-shirt we’ve always had here at the store for our employees,” Harding said, referring to the ticket stub design on the shirts that her employees wear. “But on the back of it used to say ‘your ticket to the movies,’ and then it went to ‘last one in America,’ and now it’s ‘last one on the planet.’”

The rentals are still reasonably priced: New releases cost $3.99 and older DVDs are just 99 cents. And these days, nobody complains about late fees.

“Now everybody is like, ‘Aw man, we miss it,’ which is always funny,” Harding said. “You’d be surprised how many people insist on paying their late fees now to support the store.”

Unsurprisingly, rentals and late fees aren’t enough to keep the store afloat. Harding estimates that 80 percent of its business comes from selling merchandise, including T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, postcards, keychains and popcorn-scented candles.

Most of that merch is made by local artisans, since Harding wants to support her fellow Oregonians.

“We’re proud of the fact that we’re able to source as much as we can here in town,” she said. “If we can’t have them made in Bend, we buy them through another small business.”

“People come in and see [the merch] and then I remember why we’ve got it, because people smell the candle or they see the T-shirt and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this so brings me back,’” she added.

A blast from the past

As I browsed the aisles of Blockbuster, it felt like I stepped into a memory. The space was still warm and comforting, the snack and drink options were abundant, and the staff clearly had great taste.

There are a few things in the store that bring visitors back to 2024: Some of Russell Crowe’s costumes — passed along from the closed Anchorage store — sit next to a wall of Blockbuster memorabilia and letters that have been sent to the store. A modest living room occupies one corner, reminiscent of the Airbnb experience the store offered in 2020. The checkout counter also has a guest book, so visitors can sign their names and leave sentimental notes.

“I opened up an account the other day for somebody from Seattle, and she was like, ‘We’re on our way home, but we had to stop and rent a movie. I’m going to mail it back to you.’” — Sandi Harding, general manager of the Bend Blockbuster

“We have almost 30 of those little guest books signed,” Harding said. “I’m actually looking forward to the day when I can sit down and just go through them all.”

The store has welcomed visitors from all six habitable continents, and Harding can rattle off plenty of states and countries that people have traveled from. She tries to be as accommodating as possible for those who are passing through town and want the full rental experience.

“I opened up an account the other day for somebody from Seattle, and she was like, ‘We’re on our way home, but we had to stop and rent a movie. I’m going to mail it back to you,’” Harding said. “Sometimes people just do it and walk around outside and put it back in the drop box, just because they want to have that experience of renting the movie and returning it.”

Reanna and I had one night in Bend at an Airbnb with a DVD player , so we took our time perusing the shelves. Instead of doom scrolling through a streaming app on my TV, or trusting an algorithm to pick something out, I looked at a wall of the staff’s Valentine’s Day picks, feeling a kinship with Santana, who recommended the 2018 remake of “A Star is Born,” and Aidan, whose picks included “Moonlight” and “Knocked Up.”

That sense of connection is really what we’re looking for when we visit an old school video store.

“Video stores and movie theaters have always kind of felt like my church,” Jared Rasic, a local critic, said in “The Last Blockbuster” documentary. “They’ve always felt like the place where I go to feel the most like the calm, normal human being that I’ve always wanted to be.”

Reanna and I eventually settled on renting “Gentlemen Broncos,” a sci-fi comedy directed by the man who made “Napoleon Dynamite,” and “Vanilla Sky,” a thriller starring Tom Cruise. After grabbing some merch, a locally brewed Blockbuster beer and a respectable assortment of candy and microwave popcorn, we were ready to check out.

We also got two membership cards along with our wares; small yellow and blue reminders that sit in our wallets and remind us that we might get the chance to go back one day.

Julia Carmel is a Los Angeles-based writer. You can follow them on X: @julcarm .

A photo caption incorrectly said a visitor was from Cambi, Ore. They are from Canby, Ore. This article has been corrected.

Where to go

Our favorite destinations: These 12 destinations are at the top of our wish list for where to go this year, without crowds. In 2023, we explored an Alaskan bear paradise, Brooklyn’s famous pizzerias and a hidden gem in Italy, among other highlights ..

Travel like a local: Residents share their favorite places in our top city guides: New Orleans , Rome , Tokyo and Mexico City .

National parks: This comprehensive guide has details on all 63 U.S. national parks. For a deep dive into five of the most well-known, you can listen to the Field Trip podcast . Then explore tips from locals for visiting Yosemite , Glacier and Everglades .

Tales from the road: Dolly Parton has opened a new resort at her theme park complex in Tennessee, while “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have a new hotel in Waco . Road-trippers may be just as excited to see the cartoon beaver at Buc-ee’s , and bargain-hunters should consider a stop at the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro, Ala.

4/5 Movie Trip

Streaming picks.

Paul McGuire Grimes from Paul’s Trip to the Movies tells us what’s the best stuff on streaming services right now.

What to watch on streaming :

Hulu – “Feud: Capote vs the Swans”

Max – “True Detective: Night Country”

Paramount+ – anything “Star Trek”

Peacock – “Murder, She Wrote”

Netflix – “Nailed It”

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A group of friends traveling in a dense forest accidentally meet two strangers, who they think are the killers. Things get complicated when they get caught by real killers. A group of friends traveling in a dense forest accidentally meet two strangers, who they think are the killers. Things get complicated when they get caught by real killers. A group of friends traveling in a dense forest accidentally meet two strangers, who they think are the killers. Things get complicated when they get caught by real killers.

• Dennis Manjunath
• Karunakaran
• 16 User reviews

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

User reviews 16

• santhosh-10290
• Apr 4, 2021
• February 5, 2021 (India)
• Sai Film Studios
• Sakthi Film Factory
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 1 minute

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

• Newsletters
• Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

Vine Star Rudy Mancuso Is Back With a Feature-Length Rom-Com. He Hasn’t Lost the Beat.

The same musical talent that defined the comedian’s social media snippets flows through his charming debut música , about a man who finds rhythm everywhere..

Música , Prime’s new rom-com about a young Brazilian man whose life is complicated by distracting music-based synesthesia, is unconventional in nearly every sense. This should be no surprise considering the surprising mind behind it: Rudy Mancuso, the former Vine star, who was one of the top-five most-followed people on the popular short-form video app before it was shut down in January of 2017. After that, Mancuso’s talents—the heart of which was always his masterful ear for music—were funneled into other popular projects, like social media clips and viral YouTube videos. Now, the internet virtuoso has applied his skills to long form as one of the first, if not the first, Vine stars to craft his own feature-length film. And … it’s surprisingly good?

Mancuso’s self-dubbed “anti-musical musical” is not only from his mind but also of his mind. In Música , Mancuso plays himself, plagued by a synesthesia—which Mancuso himself possesses—that causes him to hear rhythms in everyday sounds. Música ’s Rudy lives with his mother (played by Mancuso’s real-life mother, Maria Mancuso, in the stand-out performance of the movie) who pressures him to date a nice Brazilian girl so he can fast-track his life to wedded bliss. Meanwhile, Rudy is torn: between his former, ill-fitting white girlfriend Haley (Francesca Reale) and Isabella (Camila Mendes), the Brazilian beauty from his predominantly Brazilian neighborhood within the Ironbound area of Newark, New Jersey. But being split between the two love interests also creates a potential divide throughout his entire life: Isabella is supportive of his desire to make his puppet show (which he is currently performing in the subway) work as a financially viable option, while Haley wants him to cut his losses and use his almost-finished degree to get a regular, stable job. Even more seriously, Haley wants to move to New York City, while Isabella is determined to stay in the Ironbound.

As pretentious as an “anti-musical musical” might sound, the label is fairly accurate. Though no one ever breaks out into song and dance, music exists throughout the journey, with everyday slogs and activities, like bus commutes and meals at a local diner, all turning into Stomp -esque scenes mimicking what Mancuso hears in his head. While some of these easily fit into the narrative context of the action—like one brief but lively samba number that Rudy imagines breaking out during a neighborhood fair—some are less conventional but still charming, like a musical romp of everyday sounds formed into Brazilian rhythms as Rudy enters the local fish shop, complete with flying fish tossed above his head. These are just a few examples of many moments in the movie where noise coalesces into something exciting—like the pulsing introduction to the hair salon his mother owns, where the Brazilian aunties working there pester him about his dating life to a melody and on beat.

For all that creativity and technical wizardry, the most impressive thing about Música is that, if you’ve been paying attention to Mancuso’s work, nothing present in the movie is entirely new.

Mancuso gained popularity through a variety of skits and other social media formats that run the gamut of comedic genres. He’s known for his jokes about being Latino, including ethnic takes on known characters, which resulted in the recurring “Hispanic Superman” and “Señor Grinch,” and his bite-sized puppet skits (known as Awkward Puppets ) centered around a puppet named Diego. Though his humor is certainly of a 2010s strain—there are … a lot of iffy jokes about racism in his catalog—his best efforts are the brief but jam-packed videos about the human condition , chock full of flashy edits and set entirely to a musical rhythm that Mancuso and a collaborator would attempt to make in postproduction, foley artist–style, in one take .

Through it all, the one thing that united all of his endeavors is music. Whether he was playing the keyboard upside down , editing clips of himself playing the drums all over the world into a single video, creating the music for his own skits , or using multiple instruments and playing montages of popular movie scores , Mancuso’s astronomical musical talent—reminiscent of a comedic Brazilian Jacob Collier—is the heart of everything he has done.

For those who grew up with his musical escapades and puppetry, it’s all there in Música : the musical interludes, the overly showy editing, and, yes, even the beloved and hilarious puppets. Countless times in the movie, there’s a trick of the camerawork or a set piece that will make a Vine-head nod and say, “Ah, a Mancuso classic.” Perhaps nothing better exemplifies this than the lead-up to the climax of the story, which sees Rudy romancing both Isabella and Haley on a sequence of different dates that happens in one take of rolling backdrops and furniture, visible quick changes, and meticulously choreographed extras, as Mancuso walks through different sets on a single soundstage.

That said—as you might expect from a directorial debut of a Vine star who loves to max out the effects in the edit bay— Música does veer into the overindulgent, and even hokey, at times. The narrative is unnecessarily split into four different sections, with title cards naming them in music notation–inspired font: melody, dynamics, dissonance, and harmony. And the plot developments are punctuated with a recurring scene of a disheveled man in the subway, strumming his guitar and, to Rudy’s imagination, singing saccharine lyrics that detail where Rudy is in his life: “Change is not the answer unless you change the change, love is lovely when you’re loving but it’s time to rearrange.” And, if that weren’t cringe enough, those lyrics are even displayed on the walls and ceilings of the subway in a moment of hallucination.

So sure, Música stomps its way into some cheesy pitfalls, but it’s also an unusually refreshing rom-com. The central plot may be as old as time, but Mancuso’s twist on it and the ending (which I won’t spoil) are more realistic than what you’d typically find of counterparts within the genre. While this film may be especially beloved by my fellow theater kids out there, I think there’s at least something in here that can be appreciated by everyone: a beautiful view of the Ironbound, a relatable love story, or even, dare I say, a beat you can tap your foot to.

Advertisement

Supported by

Critic’s Pick

‘Música’ Review: What He Hears Is What We Get

Rudy Mancuso stars in and directs an inventive debut feature about a man with synesthesia who tries to manage his complicated life and relationships.

• Share full article

‘Música’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The director and composer rudy mancuso narrates a one-shot sequence from his film, in which he also stars..

“My name is Rudy Mancuso. I’m the director, composer, and co-writer of ‘Música.’” [PIANO MUSIC PLAYING] “This sequence that I call the theatrical montage is almost a five-minute oner. So the whole thing is shot in one take. I guess it was always my unorthodox approach to your typical second or third act montage. As you see here, it all starts in Rudy’s bedroom. And Rudy, who’s played by me, based on me with this condition called synesthesia, where he has a unique relationship to sound. And music and sounds turn into rhythm. And the reveal is that we’re on a stage, opens up. And the intention of the scene was for the very chaotic energy of trying to pull off an elaborate oner with movable sets that are flying in and out and being assembled and disassembled in real time reflects the chaos in this character’s life. This is the point in the film where Rudy is juggling the three people he cares about most in his life, and he’s lying to all of them. On the page, it’s actually called the rhythm of lies. As we see here, this is his long-time girlfriend, who’s trying to rekindle things with him, Haley, played by Francesca Reale.” “Later.” “Yeah.” [MUSIC PLAYING] “Next, we see that set disappear and a new set up here that’s meant to emulate Rudy’s house, Rudy’s mother’s kitchen, another woman in his life that he’s lying to, who’s played by my actual mother, Maria Mancuso.” “I promised — I promised Anwar that I would hang out with him.” “Oh, yeah?” “Yeah. But I’ll see you later.” “O.K.” “I love you.” “All right, I love you, too.” - [NON-ENGLISH] “O.K., all right.” [MUSIC PLAYING] “And then, the third, of course, that we’re about to see is his newfound relationship with Isabella, Camila Mendes here, who plays Isabella, who he’s starting to grow really fond of. And what was important to me was that not only that the camera never stopped, because that’s difficult and challenging and Rudy’s life is difficult and challenging, but also have the lighting cues be syncopated to rhythm. So anytime a new light is powered on and another one is off, those cues are actually in time with the music. The other thing that was important to me was for Rudy to change his own wardrobe in real time. And that the big question. How is really going to change outfits? And I said, well, what if he just changes it himself?” - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] “So that background, that piece, which I believe is on wheels, had to be flipped — rotated, flipped. Lights had to fly out. New lights had to fly in. And yeah, it’s a very live performance-y, theatrical approach to a montage, which was — which was always the vision. And at this point, we’re retracing our steps. Basically, we went forward and tracked Rudy from behind, rotated to the right, and then came back to the left. And now we’re going backwards, retracing the steps. Amazonia, which is a subtle nod to our studio — the camera at this point is now rotating a full 180, and we’re trying in this moment to emulate some kind of nightlife, lounge, club environment.” “But I can’t really have a late night tonight. I just have so much.” “Oh, it’s O.K.” “So much stuff. Sure.” “I want to, though.” “That’s fine.” “You understand?” “Yeah.” “And the very last stage location is the one you’re about to see here, which is meant to emulate a movie theater, which we just did with some clever lighting and projection. This whole piece was really well prepared. We didn’t have a lot of time. I guess one never does. But particularly to pull this oner off, because it was very elaborate, we also had my very tall order of wanting it to also syncopate rhythmically. And it all ends where it began, which was also very important to me. It starts and ends in Rudy’s bedroom. And by the time the camera fully flips back around to where we started, it looks like we’re back in the bedroom. You don’t see that divide behind him in the background. So with clever schematics designed by my production designer, Patrick Sullivan, and my amazing DP Shane Hurlbut, and myself, we were able to pull this impossible thing off.” [PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

By Amy Nicholson

The artist Rudy Mancuso has a prolific career that’s hard to define. He sings, shoots puppet skits and films wistful live action shorts set to his own piano tunes. Mancuso uploads most of his output online; however, he opened for Justin Bieber in Brazil, where he once lived. “Música,” Mancuso’s phenomenal feature debut, is a comic trip inside a mind that’s forever feverishly creating — even against his will. In the first scene, Rudy (Mancuso), his semi-autobiographical lead, gets dumped at a diner because his synesthesia won’t allow him to focus on a serious talk about the future. His brain can’t ignore a knife chopping, a broom sweeping, a spatula clanking. The percussion swells, the clatter harmonizes and his romance collapses, leaving Rudy alone in his bedroom with a lamp attached to — oh dear — a Clapper.

5 Films Our Critics Are Talking About

Critic’s Pick | Not rated | Comedy, Drama

Audience members revolting against bad art isn’t a new thing, but Quentin Dupieux puts a fresh twist on that theme in his surreal new comedy.

Read our full review.

Not rated | Biography, Drama

In 2019, the prince went on air to respond to accusations involving Jeffery Epstein. The drama here is in how the BBC convinced him to do it.

The People’s Joker

Not rated | Comedy

Pure chaos is at play in a scrappy and unauthorized new parody about a character who looks a lot like the Joker. It’s a daring slice of queer cinema.

Kim’s Video

Not rated | Documentary

This documentary details how the coolest video collection in downtown New York ended up in a small Italian town.

Chicken for Linda!

Critic’s Pick | Not rated | Animation, Comedy, Musical

In this madcap film, a mother’s apology leads to a delightful misadventure that begins with mourning and ends with a father’s favorite recipe.

Mancuso crams all of his passions into the movie, including the puppets (which, with his cartoonish coif, he resembles). He’s playing a character who is occasionally too passive. Yet, he’s made a film that’s confidently, intentionally overwhelming. In Newark, where the movie is set, there’s always life, noise, inspiration banging away in the background. Rudy can’t control his distractions, but he can conduct the cacophony. An interlude involving a boisterous park of people playing checkers, basketball and double Dutch lets him do just that.

As balance, the script, written by Mancuso and Dan Lagana, is a tidy coming-of-age tale. Rudy bounces between the needs of three women: his college girlfriend, Haley (Francesca Reale), a charismatic fishmonger named Isabella (Camila Mendes) and his bossy Brazilian mother, Maria (played by his real mother, Maria Mancuso), who turns their living room into a singles bar for potential daughters-in-law. (She serves caipirinhas with paper umbrellas.) Occasionally, Rudy ventures out for advice from a shawarma truck operator (J.B. Smoove), who, when drunk, acts like a trickster sprite.

Mancuso, 32, is part of a digital generation that treated the internet like a self-taught film school. Eyeballs were his pass/fail grade. A low-budget, high-imagination director, he’s learned to delight viewers with practical effects and sharp physical timing, citing Charlie Chaplin as his inspiration. (Come to think of it, they have the same hair, too.)

“Música” eases us into his style when the tines of a fork turn into a musical score. Once we’re aboard, Mancuso and his skilled team — the editor Melissa Kent, the cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, the production designer Patrick Sullivan and the art director Gonzalo Cordoba — use visual stunts to put our attention on the act of creation. Several in-camera shots are so clever you’ll immediately want to watch them again.

The technical showstopper is a single-take spin through Rudy’s attempt to date both Haley and Isabella simultaneously. The camera stays with the two-timer through a cavernous space where rolling sets, painted backdrops and other actors waltz in and out of the frame. After that, there’s a less flashy, more emotionally grueling 10-minute restaurant sequence that wears everyone out, on-screen and off. Yet the film also honors small acts of ingenuity, including song fragments that quit after a stanza. While the ending feels similarly incomplete, perhaps that fits a young talent bubbling over with so much invention that he can’t predict what’s next.

Música Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and strong (sometimes crooned) language. Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes. Watch on Prime Video .

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig have wound in and out of each other’s lives and careers for decades. Now they are both headlining an Apple TV+ comedy of wealth and status .

Nicholas Galitzine, known for playing princes and their modern equivalents, hopes his steamy new drama, “Mary & George,” will change how Hollywood sees him .

Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth met while filming “Fargo” in 2017. Now married, they have reunited onscreen in “A Gentleman in Moscow.”

A reboot of “Gladiators,” the musclebound 1990s staple, has attracted millions of viewers in Britain. Is appointment television back ?

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

China Box Office: ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Has Hollywood’s Best Opening This Year

'Anatomy of a Fall' also enjoys top five debut in the Middle Kingdom.

By Patrick Frater

Patrick Frater

Asia Bureau Chief

• China Box Office: ‘The Boy and the Heron’ Earns $73 Million in Five-Day Opening 5 hours ago
• Korea Box Office: ‘Exhuma’ Hits $80 Million, Scores Seventh Weekend Win 7 hours ago
• CinemaCon: Worldwide Box Office Headed for Marginal Decline in 2024, Says Report 15 hours ago

Legendary Entertainment’s “ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ” had the best opening in China of any Hollywood film this year.

It scored $44.6 million (RMB317 million) in mainland Chinese cinemas between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. That was a nearly 70% share of the country’s weekend box office .

Nationwide, cinemas enjoyed $64.1 million of business, a significant leap from the $39.5 million they earned in the previous weekend. The total was the third biggest this year that was not driven by the Lunar New Year holiday titles.

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s” healthy performance was the fourth largest by a Hollywood title in the post-pandemic era. The biggest two, Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Fast X,” earned $52 million in December 2022 and $51 million in June 2023, respectively.

Imax reported that “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” earned $7.5 million on its screens in China, representing nearly 17% of its Chinese weekend haul.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” fell one place to second place in its second weekend. It earned $5.8 million, a 60% decrease from its opening frame. After ten days in Chinese cinemas “Kung Fu Panda 4” has a running total of $34.5 million.

“Viva La Vida,” a Chinese film that was pulled from release during February’s Lunar New Year holiday season, returned to cinemas in previews last week and finally got its official re-release on Saturday (most films release in China on Fridays) earned $4.3 million from Saturday and Sunday screenings. Including its previous earnings, the film finished the weekend with $22.3 million as its cumulative.

Previous chart-leader, “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon” earned $2.9 million over the latest weekend. That give it a cumulative total of $90.6 million.

French art-house film and 2023 Cannes-winner “ Anatomy of a Fall ” opened in fifth place with a $1.5 million (RMB10.7 million) debut.

More From Our Brands

The sephora spring sale is here, and these are the deals our editors think are actually worth shopping, one of natural wine’s biggest advocates isn’t into natural wine anymore—here’s why, caitlin clark by the numbers: a cheat code of a career, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, curb your enthusiasm series finale takes a page from seinfeld — but did larry suffer the same fate as jerry, verify it's you, please log in.