facing monsters movie review

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Thursday, September 22, 2022

'facing monsters' (2021) movie review.

There’s plenty of cinematic documentation of surfers going bigger, farther, more extreme; padding out into increasingly hostel tides, near-tsunami-sized breakers, even using jet skis to get to previously inaccessible aquatic terrain. For the likes Laird Hamilton, the late Eddie Aikau, and more, this goes beyond a hobby or a sport or even a lifestyle; riding giants is a calling, a purpose. And Kerby Brown definitely belongs on this list.

[Related Reading: 'Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story' Movie Review]

Slab wave surfing is a phenomenon with which I was wholly unfamiliar. The basic premise is, a wave crashes into a shallow reef or submerged outcropping of rock. This impact forces the water up with a fervor, creating big, intense waves that offer short-but-extreme rides that often play out in just a few feet of water and end up against cliffs or reefs. If that sound gnarly, that’s because it very much is. It’s one of the riskiest, most exciting forms of surfing, and it’s where Kerby plies his trade.

Facing Monsters  begins like so many of these documentaries, by showing the Australian surfer doing his thing, explaining that thing to the unfamiliar as it goes. It then gets into his background, childhood, and all the usual stuff. It’s interesting enough, but what truly grabs the viewer here are the visuals. This is a stunning movie to behold. The way the cameras capture the waves; the expansive, isolated nature of the remote breaks; the grandeur and power of the ocean, is a spectacular sight. The frame soars above and below the waves, and lenses attached to Kerby and his buddies in support roles, like on jet skis waiting to tow him in or pull him out, place us in the midst of it all, offering immersive immediacy. Even non-surfing moments are shot and framed with grandiosity and bravado; something as simple as a shadowy outline of Kerby, backlit by the roaring flames of a bonfire, creates a sense of scope and scale as he tells his tale.

[Related Reading: 'Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey' Documentary Review]

But the real hook, the true emotional resonance of  Facing Monsters , surfaces when it digs into Kerby’ psyche, that of a singular man who goes to such extremes more or less for kicks and his own satisfaction. This isn't a lucrative existence. A fascinating, driven individual, the film offers an up-close, intimate, warts-and-all portrait. We watch the profound, lifelong bond he has with the tides and currents, and witness not only how it impacts and shapes his life, but also the lives of those closest to him. As one might imagine, such a focused, single-minded personality is not always easy to be around and love, and it’s riveting to see all the struggles unfold. 

After a serious injury, which is one of the most terrifying, suck-the-air-from-your-lungs scenes I’ve encountered in any film, let alone a documentary, watching Kerby grapple with an uncertain future is both harrowing and heartbreaking. Does he keep going, pursuing the thing that’s always given his life the most meaning? Or does he hang up his board for his own health, not to mention the well-being of his wife, his kids, his friends, his father, all of whom have had to come to terms with how he lives? It’s every bit as impactful watching them wrestle with how to approach him on this subject. They don’t want to tell him to knock it the fuck off or he’s going to kill himself, but they so, so obviously want or  need  to tell him to knock it the fuck off. From outside it sounds so simple, on both sides—he should just quit, they should just tell him, right?—but the movie does the work setting up precisely how much this means to him, how much it’s saved his life even as he continually puts it at risk.

[Related Reading: 'All the Streets are Silent' Documentary Review]

Facing Monsters  may not break the mold, but it does exactly what this type of documentary should do and does it incredibly well. It focuses on a remarkable, charismatic individual engaged in a fascinating, unusual pursuit ; it digs deep into what makes him tick, what truly drives him to push boundaries; and creates a sincere emotional reverberation in the core of the viewer. The cherry on top is that it’s an absolute stunner to behold and one of the best films of the year.  [Grade: A]

This is a very nice review. The ocean footage is jaw dropping and cinematography gorgeous. I agree, grade A.

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Facing Monsters Reviews

Candid an emotionally engrossing with exhilarating wave footage. Not as powerful nor entertaining as The Endless Summer, though.

Full Review | Nov 21, 2022

Facing Monsters may not have a particularly compelling story, but the feeling of the ocean may wash over the audience as they start to feel what Kerby feels. Something that is like nothing else.

Full Review | Nov 19, 2022

The documentary Facing Monsters adeptly balances the story of Australian surfer Kerby Brown with captivating footage of his talent and candid confessions about his private life. The movie's title refers to monster surf waves and Brown’s personal demons.

Full Review | Nov 6, 2022

It's not narrative-rich. It's actually quite a simple tale. Boy's first and enduring love is the ocean which he leaves for a brief time but is drawn back, health and safety be damned.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 9, 2022

CULTURE MIX

Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend

Review: ‘Facing Monsters,’ starring Kerby Brown

Arts and Entertainment

Australia , Bentley Dean , Chris Shanahan , Cortney Brown , documentaries , Facing Monsters , Glenn Brown , Imogen Caldwell , Kerby Brown , movies , Nicole Jardine , Nola Brown , Phoenix Brown , reviews , Rit Rayner , Saraha Brown , surfing

November 6, 2022

by Carla Hay

“Facing Monsters”

Directed by Bentley Dean

Culture Representation:  Taking place in Australia, the documentary film “Facing Monsters” features an all-white group of people discussing Australian “slab wave” surfer Kerby Brown, with the documentary having a lot of showing footage of him doing daredevil surfing.

Culture Clash:  Members of Brown’s family have concerns about the dangers of him surfing as he gets older and more vulnerable to physical injuries. 

Culture Audience:  “Facing Monsters” will appeal primarily to people interested in surfing movies or movies about athletes who have to face decisions on when they’ll retire .

The documentary “Facing Monsters” adeptly balances the story of Australian surfer Kerby Brown with captivating footage of his talent and candid confessions about his private life. The movie’s title refers to monster surf waves and Brown’s personal demons. You don’t have to know anything about surfing and you don’t have be a fan of surfing to appreciate this memorable movie.

Directed by Bentley Dean, “Facing Monsters” (which was filmed entirely in Australia) isn’t a comprehensive biography that delves into Brown’s entire life. His childhood, teenage years and young adulthood (he was born and raised in western Australia) are mentioned but not explored in depth. Instead, “Facing Monsters” focuses primarily on a period of about one year in Brown’s life, when he was at a crossroads about deciding how much longer he was going to continue the dangerous sport of “slab wave” surfing. At the time of filming “Facing Monsters” in 2020, Brown was 36 or 37.

“Slab wave” surfing is known as one of the riskiest forms of surfing, because it’s about riding a “slab wave”—a wave that is very thick, as opposed to very tall. Because of this thickness, a “slab wave” can much deadlier than a tall wave, if it crashes on a surfer. It’s this element of danger that’s a big part of the thrill for surf enthusiasts such as Brown.

His younger brother Cortney Brown is his best friend and constant companion on surfing excursions. When the two brothers go out on the waves together, Cortney often drives the boat or jet ski when Kerby and his surfboard need to be dragged by a rope. In the documentary, Kerby describes Cortney as “the best brother … He’s my wing man, my partner in crime.”

Not everyone in his family is enamored with the brothers’ surfing activities. Kerby’s father Glenn Brown, who is a crayfish fisherman, comes right out and says that he gets nervous every time Kerby and Cortney go to certain areas that are considered highly dangerous for surfers. The movie begins with footage of the brothers surfing in Gabagaba, in the midwest coast of Australia. Glenn comments that he doesn’t like this area for his sons to surf. Every time that his sons go to the area, Glenn says he feels like it’s “like going to their funeral.”

When Glenn was young, he was a musician who frequently wasn’t home because of his travels. And so, Glenn missed out on seeing Kerby develop a passion for surfing when Kerby was a child. “I regret it deeply,” Glenn says in the documentary. Kerby’s mother Nola Brown seems supportive of her sons’ surfing activities, but she has less screen time than Glenn and doesn’t say much in this documentary.

Early on in the documentary, Kerby says in a voiceover: “The ocean is where I go to peace and a place where I belong. It’s where I feel free. Without that connection, I don’t feel like I’m the person I’m supposed to be. I lose that balance. It’s where I feel most alive.”

As a young adult, Kerby says that he tried competitive surfing to make a living, but he gave it up because he didn’t like the rules and politics of entering competitions. Instead, Kerby made a name for himself as an independent daredevil surfer who made money through sponsorships. Kerby says that he knew from an early age that he was never meant to have an office job. When he can’t get money for surfing, Kerby often takes work where he can be near the ocean, such as oil-rig jobs.

Kerby also talks about what is often an obsession for surfers: finding and riding the biggest wave they can possibly find. “Facing Monsters” follows him on this quest. Cortney talks about Kerby getting many surfing injuries and still going out on the waves after barely recovering from those injuries. Kerby describes how it feels to be crushed by an ocean wave: “It’s like your skull is in a vice. You can’t black out.” Cortney comments, “It’s an addiction, really, surfing these kinds of waves.”

Speaking of addiction, Kerby opens up about the period of time in his life when he was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He says his addictions were at their worst when he didn’t have surfing to keep him occupied. His on-again/off-again girlfriend Nicole Jardine comments in the documentary about Kerby’s self-destruction: “That was hard to watch. I’m not his mother. I’m his partner. He had to make better choices.”

Kerby had moved to Perth to be with Jardine. And he says he cleaned up his life after the birth of his and Jardine’s first child: a son named Phoenix, who was born in 2012 or 2013. The couple also has a daughter named Sahara, who was born in 2017 or 2018. Phoenix and Sahara are both shown in the documentary. And not surprisingly, Phoenix shows signs that he’s picked up an enthusiasm for surfing.

Jardine has mixed emotions about Kerby’s surfing passion. She thinks his type of surfing is “dangerous” but “uplifting” and “positive.” It goes without saying that she would rather have Kerby surfing for his own peace of mind than damaging himself through drugs and alcohol.

Kerby says his determination to chase the biggest monster waves in Australia was the main reason why he decided to move from Perth to Wadandi Boodja, which is known for having some of the biggest monster waves in Australia. Kerby says moving away from his brother was “the hardest decision I ever had to make.” The brothers still have a very close bond, and when they’re together, they inevitable surf together.

“Facing Monsters” shows a fateful surfing trip that Kerby and Kortney took to Waudaarn, on the southern coast of Western Australia. Before this trip, Kerby is shown saying goodbye and giving hugs to Jardine and Sahara. Jardine looks worried bur accepting of the fact that there’s nothing anyone can do when Kerby has his mind made to go surfing in a dangerous area.

Kerby says in a voiceover, “There’s a huge fear of not coming home to my family and not being there for my kids. I really don’t want to have those thoughts going through my head while I’m trying to do what I do. I don’t see what I’m doing as a reckless thing anymore. I try to be calculated with it.”

Despite the best intentions and all of his surfing experiences, Kerby gets an enormous setback on this surfing trip. This setback is briefly glimpsed near the beginning of the documentary, which circles back to this harrowing moment in the last third of the film. The remaining part of the movie chronicles how Kerby overcame this obstacle. Kerby’s father Glenn wrote a song about this experience called “World’s Been Changed,” which Glenn performs in the documentary.

“Facing Monsters” wisely took the approach of not having a lot of talking-head interviews and lets a lot of the surfing footage speak for itself. Outside of Kerby’s immediate family, the only other people featured in the documentary are his surfing pals Rit Rayner and Chris Shanahan, as well as Cortney’s girlfriend Imogen Caldwell. The documentary is about Kerby, but a great deal of the story is also about the brotherly bond of Kerby and Cortney.

One of the best aspects of “Facing Monsters” is the gorgeous cinematography by Rick Rifici. Viewers will feel as if they are almost going through a virtual-reality experience of being right there on the waves. It’s an exhilarating feeling that should be seen on the biggest screen possible.

The movie also has some other artistic touches, such as opening with a striking aerial shot of Kerby lying face up in body of water that is salmon pink. This artistic shot is shown again in the movie when Kerby has his setback in Waudaarn, in order to contrast the high and lows of surfing. “Facing Monsters” stands out for having numerous majestic scenes of powerful ocean waves. However, the movie wouldn’t be as compelling without showing the strengths of human resilience and following a life passion when facing obstacles.

Level 33 Entertainment released “Facing Monsters” in select U.S. cinemas on October 14, 2022. The movie is set for release on digital and VOD on November 15, 2022. “Facing Monsters” was released in Australia on March 10, 2022.

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Opening with the distant image of a surfer lashed to his board and floating on a sea of red, the camera moves progressively closer to reveal a badly injured and nearly unrecognizable Brown after his attempt to ride out “monster” waves off a distant island. What ensues is a fairly linear storyline that follows Brown and his family, including his father Glenn, mother Nola, and partner Nicole (and eventually his two young children) who are all impacted by this very dangerous pursuit.  As Kerby himself admits, there is something about the ocean that keeps calling out to him and which provides him with ultimately satisfying experiences that are unlike anything he could ever find on dry land. When Kerby tries to adopt a more conventional lifestyle with Nicole in Perth, his personal daemons surface and get exacerbated by his excessive use of drugs and alcohol. Kerby returns to the coast with his family and is buoyed by occasional visits from Cortney. Facing Monsters reaches a crescendo when the brothers discover the most challenging surf they have ever seen and Kerby’s attempts to master the waves results in a close brush with death.

What elevates this film above and beyond most surfer epics that I have seen is the incredible blend of aerial and oceanic cinematography delivered by the cameras of Jeremy Ashton and Rick Rifici, respectively. The latter’s shots literally immerse us in the huge waves that rise from and crash against the ocean’s surface, in sharp contrast with much smaller size of the surfer who is trying to negotiate them. Writer-director Bentley Dean gives us a simple script that tries to draw out his star who is surprisingly camera-shy and covers how much his extreme sport worries a family who wonder if the next wipe-out will be his very last ride. The production team must also be congratulated for the way in which they have managed to work around the early days of COVID-19 in Australia. The result is a masterful film that leverages this continent’s vast coastline as the stunning backdrop for a taut tale of derring-do by a man who is clearly fearless. Even if you know little or nothing about surfing, Facing Monsters will prove to be a compelling watch and keep you glued to the screen for its hour and a half running time. Highly recommended.

Facing Monsters will screen in select theaters beginning September 22, 2022 and be available as Digital VOD on November 15, 2022

• Rating Certificate: Not Rated
• Studios & Distributors: Beyond West Productions | Red Eye Production | Veerhuis Pictures | Garage Entertainment | Level 33 Entertainment
• Country: Australia
• Language: English
• Run Time: 94 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Director: Bentley Dean
• Written By: Bentley Dean
• Release Date: 22 September, 2022

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Facing monsters.

Directed by Bentley Dean

Kerby Brown made headlines in 2008 when he surfed a 40-foot wave: The ride of a lifetime. He's been chasing that thrill ever since. Facing Monsters follows Kerby and his brother Cortney into the furious power of the ocean

Kerby Brown Cortney Brown Glenn Brown Nicole Jardine Nola Brown Imogen Caldwell Chris Shanahan Kit Rayner

Director Director

Bentley Dean

Producer Producer

Chris Veerhuis

Editors Editors

Tania Nehme Meredith Watson Jeffrey

Cinematography Cinematography

Rick Rifici

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Frank Chidiac Susanne Morrison

Composer Composer

Sound sound.

Xoe Baird Ric Curtin Jeremy Ashton

Beyond West Productions Red Eye Production Veerhuis Pictures

Documentary

Releases by Date

24 oct 2021, 10 mar 2022, releases by country.

• Premiere Brisbane Film Festival
• Theatrical M

94 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by sillycatmom ★★★★★

Anyone who surfs a 40 foot wave is amazing. Now  2-Australian brothers Cortney and Kerby  aim for higher. So these brothers defy gravity and surf everything high! It’s crazy. The footage also be is mesmerizing. I don’t know how they even film it? If you can, watch it. And Yes there is an injury. But they surf!

Review by Aaron White ★★★★

At the risk of being reductive, this really is the surfing version of "Free Solo", but considering my immense love for the Alex Honnold climbing documentary, consider that high praise. When comparing the two, it's just so easy to see how these two driven athletes feel almost spiritually drawn to their activity - Alex hanging rope-less high atop the side of a mountain, and Kerby standing on a surfboard riding the elusive heaviest slab waves, powerful and huge ones that are particularly dangerous due to their proximity to reefs and shallow depth.

What makes Kerby Brown's story unique to me, though, is the introduction of children into his life and how that additionally challenges him and his family with regards…

Review by ndc32002 ★★★½

ngl the sound of crashing ocean waves lulled me to sleep 15 min in.

but when i woke up 45 min in, i found the film had become a poignant character study that i found myself relating to more than i expected. near the end, after dealing with a horrendous life-threatening injury, kerby says something like "i don't know how i can be happy sitting on the sidelines".

this resonated with me. while ive never surfed, i love mountaineering and have found myself facing certain death a number of times as i press myself to do more on these peak summits. the thrill of the undiscovered begins to take over until it runs you like any drug addiction, and you…

Review by Kate Rose ★★★ 5

Amazing footage, but of two fairly boring people.

Review by André Hecker ★★★½

Some people pursue their dreams even if it could cost their lives. 

#OceanFilmTour 

Review by Alix Tayler ★★★★½

HUNDRED N TWELTH ENTRY by alix tayler.

Was gonna see this with my bezzy mate Slick Man Man but he is in isolation.

Absolutely beautiful documentary. It’s easy to make something seem beautiful when you’re capturing the Australian scenery and breathtaking waves, but this team had some seriously amazing shots. The score was phenomenal & the editing is one of the best I’ve seen from a doco.

Left me breathtaken,

Review by Sierra Wagner ★★★

The waves were big, the ouchies were bigger

Review by Justin Nordell ★★½

Stunning and I mean STUN. NING. Surfing and ocean footage is offset by a group of people that don’t really feel comfortable on camera in this Aussie doc.

Review by ZacharyBinx ★★½

SLAMDANCE 2022 Watch #19

More blood than the last surfing doc I watched but they all really blend together. Other than striking visuals of beaches and waves, Facing Monsters offers little new to the surfing genre.

Review by Morgan ★★★

There’s something about watching a man repeatedly being devoured by huge waves…

Review by introlifetrap

gorgeous footage of the ocean, southern australian wilderness, and dude bleeding from a headwound. recommended for fans of Planet Earth and deathmatch wrestling. and surfing i guess

Review by Ridger Palma ★★★★½ 1

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🏄‍♂️🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖

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Facing Monsters

Where to Watch

Kerby Brown Cortney Brown Glenn Brown Nicole Jardine Nola Brown Imogen Caldwell Chris Shanahan Kit Rayner

Bentley Dean

Facing Monsters is a feature length documentary that digs deep into the psyche of West Australian 'slab wave' surfer Kerby Brown, a man whose connection with the ocean runs as deep as his love for his family.

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Facing Monsters: Review

The ocean is one of the most unexplored areas of the world and yet it covers so much of it. The mystery of the depths still draws people to it today and the contrast between the calmness and the violent roar of the waves puts fear and joy in people in equal measures.

We feel like ants in awe of its power and there are many that respect that, but others see it as a challenge waiting to be conquered.

As Facing Monsters , a documentary directed by Bentley Dean starts, amongst the beautiful images of the Australian coast there’s a terrifying one of surfer Kerby Brown . He’s covered in blood, laying down and has his head in a bandage. It feels like this image has come not long after a session out among the waves and this is how we start to know what drives him to go out there.

Serving as part documentary on the feeling of the pull of the surf and part biography of surfer Kerby Brown, the audience gets to know a little about his story between incredible shots of the biggest waves in the world. Kerby says himself that there’s no other feeling like being out in the ocean and riding the waves and he doesn’t know what he’d do without it.

However, there’s also a side to Kerby’s story that sheds a little light on his addictive pastime as his own life has been marred by drink and drugs addiction and numerous arrests. Speaking to Kerby’s wife Cortney, the audience may understand that his compulsion to surf may be the thing that saves him, but it may also be what ends up killing him.

Thankfully, life has a way of sending messages and due to the birth of his children, Kerby became a changed man and his drive became his children rather than catching the next big wave. Although, that’s not to say that Kerby doesn’t still go out there from time to time.

Facing Monsters may not have a particularly compelling story, but the feeling of the ocean may wash over the audience as they start to feel what Kerby feels. Something that is like nothing else.

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Jim Schembri

Journalist, critic and author based in melbourne, australia, visually stunning surf movie ‘facing monsters’ takes us into the heart and head of a premium surfer and raises tough questions about risk.

Waterwall: Surfer Kerby Brown rides the face of a giant wave in ‘Facing Monsters’.

FACING MONSTERS ***1/2 (94 minutes) M Definitely not your father’s surf movie, this. Director Bentley Dean ( Tanna ; A Sense of Self ) helms an absorbing, visually jaw-dropping look into the life and mentality and Kerby Brown, a West Australian surfer who likes his waves large, angry and full of peril.

Some truly awesome footage by cinematographer Rick Rifici – with drone work from the film’s sound recordist Jeremy Ashton and on-the-water GoPro footage from Kerby’s brother Glenn – captures the scale and power of these waves.

Sometimes they look the way we’ve seen in countless surf movies, curling into themselves and forming beautiful tubes as the waves crest and fall. Often, however, they appear not as waves but as sheer cliffs of water that hang in the air momentarily before collapsing in on themselves with a devastating thunderous crash.

Far from the surf porn that tracks surfers as they either conquer or are wiped out by waves – nothing wrong with those films, by the way – Facing Monsters complements its visuals with a deep delve into the mentality of Kerby Brown.

The film explores his motivation, casting him squarely as a traditional beach rebel who found in surfing a liberation from the strictures of a traditional work life, which he tried but couldn’t hack.

While the titular “monsters” refer to the giant waves that crash into select locales on the West Austrslaian coast, other monsters are faced, including Kerby Brown’s depression, and his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

With a family to care for, Kerby is aware of how his love of gratification through surfing puts both himself and them at risk. So when things go south for Kerby the film steps up to show the less noble side of the sport.

Implicitly, the film raises the same issue regarding thrill-seekers that came up in the recent film The Last Mountain .

While we admire adventurers for their bravery and skill, and feel sorry when things turn bad, how much sympathy do they truly deserve when the odds go against them?

As with the skydiver whose parachute fails to deploy, the danger-defying surfer who loses out against the giant wave they are riding find themselves in a plight of their own making.

The film is bookended by the injuries Kerby Brown sustained when he fell victim to the logic and gravity he so enjoyed defying.

Without pushing the issue, the film’s final stretch makes clear the distinction between adventure and folly, implicitly asking at what point does a thrill seeker become brave enough to say enough, realizing how the only thing that saved them from a death – or, worse, a life not worth living – is luck.

Director Bentley Dean took some time out to talk about the film, its making and how he came to do it. He also addresses the thorny issue regarding the thrill-seeker mentality.

Please enjoy.

‘Facing monsters film review’

• Slider Home
• • 23.03.2022
• • BY Sam Morgan

I was blown away with the new surf film Facing Monsters which played last night at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick. Cinema one in the Sydney theatre was a full-house of frothers, curious to see the big-wave surfer Kerby Brown’s journey conquering the heaviest waves in the world.  

The project was directed by Bentley Dean and shot by legendary surf cinematographer Rick Rifici. It has been a long process for the film to be shown in theatres around Australia with over five years of production and the challenges faced by COVID.

Browns level of respect  in the surfing world illustrated by three-times world-champion and fellow big-wave charger Tom Carroll introducing the film.

Anyone that follows surfing extensively knows the insanity of Brown’s unique big wave approach. Kerby is not about charging the tallest waves like Nazare or perfect big waves at Jaws. He is all about finding the thickest slabs usually in rogue locations that are meant to be un-surfable.

A lot of these waves are on the west coast of Australia, Brown’s home state. Swells from Antarctica gather speed and gain gigantic sizes before hitting sharp reefs and rocks on the west coast of Australia, resulting in thick slabs.

Kerby’s brother Cortney is his tow-in driver and partner in crime. The film illustrates there special relationship hunting waves up and down the 20,000 km West Australian coastline, trusting each other with their lives since they first picked up boards.

Cortney, the younger brother, a highly skilful big wave surfer himself, claims to not be as crazy as his older brother Kerby. His father Glen watches on with disagreement but supports his sons surfing ridiculous waves of consequence.

Many surf films are repetitive, this was not one of them. Each wave surfed makes your stomach churn, questioning if Kerby was/is a psychopath. His mate and fellow big wave charger Chris Shanahan says in the film “he [Kerby] could have a few screws loose”.

Kerby, a promising competitive surfer when he was younger just could not stand the small, and in his eyes, shit waves of the qualification circuit. Knowing he could be chasing slabs around WA and the world was more exciting to him. He quit the goal of being on the world tour to focus on big waves.

Immediately the film gives you an understanding of him, Kerby is a deep thinker and is extremely passionate about the ocean where he feels most home. I was surprised with his child-like wonder and willingness to express himself,  my perception of him was one of a bearded mad-max character roaming the lands solo who kept to himself.

Does this deepness come from the perils of addiction and recovery? The film intimates it does.

In his 20’s, Brown was a sponsored free-surfer travelling with the love of his life, his partner Nicole. However still tormented by his personal demons which he states have always been there.

Some of our favourite surfers and extreme-sports athletes share this battle with addiction. When the big swells were around Brown was focused and content, but when the waves were flat, he would party like an absolute mad-man, four-day alcohol and drug benders were nothing out of the ordinary.

The madness allows him to charge waves that few can, but it can also lead to a self- destructive path. Who knows what would of happened to Kerby, if his wife didn’t fall  pregnant with his first child, a wake-up call for Kerby, making him want to be in his words ‘a better person’.

Whilst not expecting it to, the film to had me pondering about the importance of a loving and supportive family. Kerby’s main focus now is that of a husband, father, son and brother. Of course followed by his healthy or perhaps unhealthy obsession of surfing slabs.

It is indeed an unhealthy obsession as Kerby is currently recovering from a spinal injury, which occurred on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean not too far from Antarctica. The first to surf this wave Kerby’s fearlessness caught up to him resulting in a hectic wipe-out on his first crack at the shallow slab.

After a two-wave hold down, his brother Cortney found him bloodied up, the film crew worried about his head and how were they going to get him back to land. Kerby knew immediately his back was severely damaged, he would next be in hospital having a cervical spine plate inserted and extremely lucky to not be paralysed or even alive.

In the Q&A following the film, Brown was asked by a young grommet “what happened when you got smashed on that wave?”

He explained he smashed his head on the sharp reef and only could remember feeling his “spinal vertebrae’s move six times out of place like in a game of dominoes”.   The audience shrieked from Brown’s clear description of the injury.

Brown is still unsure of surfing big-waves again and has only started paddling on a board,  grateful to be alive and appreciating the small things in life.  

This film is more than facing big waves, it is about facing your demons, the importance of family and chasing your dreams no matter how crazy they are.

Click here to see where Facing Monsters is being screened in Cinemas around Australia & New Zealand .   There is no digital release date yet.

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Facing Monsters Movie

Who's Involved:

Chris Veerhuis, Bentley Dean

Release Date:

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 VOD / Digital

Plot: What's the story about?

A feature length documentary that digs deep into the psyche of enigmatic West Australian ‘slab wave’ surfer Kerby Brown, a man whose connection with the ocean runs as deep as his love for his family. This film is far more than just a surfing story. It’s an unapologetic musing into the essence of Kerby and his family as we join them on his quest to ride a ferocious slab wave in the deep southern ocean that no one on the planet has surfed before. It’s a film about fear, addictions, and family bonds as we explore what drives Kerby, what anchors him and why he’s obsessed with pitting himself against one of nature’s most intimidating forces.

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Who stars in Facing Monsters: Cast List

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Who's making Facing Monsters: Crew List

A look at the Facing Monsters behind-the-scenes crew and production team.

Bentley Dean

Screenwriters

Level 33 Entertainment

Production Companies

Watch facing monsters trailers & videos.

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Production: What we know about Facing Monsters?

Filming timeline.

• 2022 - October : The film was set to Completed  status.

Facing Monsters Release Date: When was the film released?

Facing Monsters was a VOD / Digital release in 2022 on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 . There were 3 other movies released on the same date, including R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned , Revealer and Prophet .

Facing Monsters DVD & Blu-ray Release Date: When was the film released?

Facing Monsters was released on DVD & Blu-ray on Tuesday, January 10 , 2023 .

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• Sat., Dec. 10, 2022 from Amazon
• added the US DVD release date of January 10, 2023
• Sun., Oct. 23, 2022
• added Level 33 Entertainment as a distributor
• added a synopsis
• set the MPAA rating to NR
• added a running time of 94 minutes
• added a poster to the photo gallery
• added Chris Veerhuis as producer to movie credits
• added Bentley Dean as director to movie credits
• added documentary as a genre

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Facing Monsters - Film Review

Facing Monsters (2021)

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Facing Monsters

Facing Monsters digs deep into the psyche of enigmatic West Australian ‘slab wave’ surfer Kerby Brown, a man whose connection with the ocean runs as deep as his love for his family. This film is far more than just a surfing story. It’s an unapologetic musing into the essence of Kerby and his family as we join them on his quest to ride a ferocious slab wave in the deep Southern Ocean that no one on the planet has surfed before. It’s a film about fear, addictions, and family bonds as we explore what drives Kerby, what anchors him and why he’s obsessed with pitting himself against one of nature’s most intimidating forces.

Directed by Bentley Dean (Contact, Tanna) and produced by Chris Veerhuis (Red Dog: True Blue, Breath) along with executive producers Frank Chidiac, Susanne Morrison and co-producer Sonya Rifici, this suspenseful, action-packed drama unravels Kerby’s inner demons whilst confronting the real-world consequences that his death-defying passion could have on his family.

Featuring stunning cinematography by Rick Rifici (Breath, Blueback), we are right there with Kerby immersed in the ferocity of the Southern Ocean and the thunder of its deadly monsters as he prepares to take on the ride of his life, We become part of Kerby’s journey into the unknown as Facing Monsters transports viewers to places and feelings never before experienced on the big screen.

• Facing Monsters

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Wishmaster Gave Us One of Horror's Most Underrated Villains

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The mythology of wishmaster's djinn explained, why wishmaster's djinn is one of horror's greatest villains, why wishmaster deserves better.

• Wishmaster introduced one of the most entertaining horror villains of the '90s.
• The Djinn has appeared in multiple movies yet doesn't get the fanfare he deserves.
• Wishmaster has a lot to offer in relation to the modern horror landscape.

Everyone knows Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Pinhead, but Wishmaster gave audiences one of the most underrated horror villains. From Dracula to Jigsaw, a horror movie is usually only as good as its villain, and typically why they tend to get top billing. While horror fans love to discuss their favorite creatures, slashers, and evil scientists, Wishmaster's twisted Djinn rarely gets a seat at that table. When reflecting on the horror antagonists that chilled viewers to the bone, made them laugh silly, or even root for them, it raises the question of what makes for a compelling character. Moreover, as the idol enthusiasm of iconic horror movie characters continues, it highlights how many characters are left neglected by fans and filmmakers alike for their creepy contemporaries.

Known for popular horror movies such as Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street , director Wes Craven took on the role of executive producer for Wishmaster in 1997. This ambitious film featured an all-star horror cast and an imaginative premise about an evil genie. Despite having beloved horror actor Robert Englund in a supporting role, Wishmaster didn't quite reach the pop culture heights of A Nightmare on Elm Street . However, its box office success and mixed reviews were enough to spawn multiple sequels. The series continued with the 1999 straight-to-video sequel Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies and concluded in 2002 with the fourth film, Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled . The franchise remained dormant until 2020 when the official novelization of the first film was published. With no news of a remake, sequel, or future projects, some wonder if the Wishmaster franchise is destined to exist only as a subject of retrospectives and the occasional merchandise release, only remembered for its unique contribution to '90s horror.

• Writer Peter Atkins named many of Wishmaster's characters after famed sci-fi and fantasy authors.

The Watchers' Twist Ending, Explained

The Watchers is M. Night Shyamalan's latest project and its twist ending has left audiences shocked at what the movie has revealed.

In horror movies, monsters like Frankenstein , vampires, and werewolves have become as recognizable as any Disney princess. However, Wes Craven's horrifying fairy tale brought something unique to the genre. This film series introduced the Djinn, a sinister wish-granting entity that operates under multiple names, such as Nathaniel Demerest or Steven Verdel. Unlike typical slasher flicks or creature features, encountering the Djinn means facing a brand of magic wielded at a terrible price and with a twisted sense of irony. Anyone crossing paths with Wes Craven's wicked wish-crafter should beware, as his promises often lead to horrifying consequences.

In mythology and religion, the term "Djinn" refers to various entities, but in popular culture, it often corresponds to the classic wish-granting genies found in fairy tales. However, the Wishmaster series portrays their Djinn as far from the friendly figures seen in media like Aladdin and I Dream of Jeannie . Loosely inspired by Zoroastrianism and Middle Eastern mythologies, the film features Angus Scrimm, of Phantasm fame, who explains the origin of Wishmaster's Djinn. According to the film, when God created the universe, the demonic Djinn manifested and wandered the space between worlds. The main antagonist of Wishmaster is one of many Djinn, but one of the few freed to interact with humanity. Trapped within an enchanted gem by an ancient sorcerer, if the Djinn grants three wishes to the person who frees him and collects enough souls from those who accept his services, his people will be free to terrorize the cosmos, ultimately fulfilling an ominous prophecy.

The Djinn in Wishmaster possesses reality-warping abilities similar to Wes Craven's Freddy Krueger , but unlike the razor-clawed killer, he isn't confined to the dreamscape. The Djinn can do almost anything as long as someone else wishes it. His terrifying feats include turning people into mannequins, making a skeleton erupt from a person's body to attack others, and transforming a bodyguard's wish to "escape" into a deadly Houdini-worthy performance. However, there are some limitations to the Wishmaster's powers. In the first movie, the Djinn demonstrates that he cannot remove all evil from the world or destroy himself. Moreover, the Djinn can only be stopped by divine and enchanted objects, often from angels. As a villain, the Djinn's immense power brings a horrifying weight to the adage "be careful what you wish for," making him one of the most formidable antagonists in horror cinema.

• Known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies, actor Verne Troyer also briefly played Wishmaster's Djinn.

Horror Movies Have Finally Abandoned a Tiresome Pattern

In an exceptional year for horror movies, the top-grossing releases hold some important lessons for the genre's future.

Many horror series are defined by the iconic killers they created. A Nightmare on Elm Street wouldn't have worked without the cruel Freddy Krueger. Once Jason took over, Friday the 13th became synonymous with the hockey-masked slasher. Halloween tried to escape the shadow of Michael Myers on several occasions, but the failures of titles like Halloween III: Season of the Witch proved the series needed its main antagonist. While these horror icons continue to steal the spotlight and live on in the nightmares of their fans, many others are neglected. Despite the Djinn's unique and terrifying nature, it's unfortunate that he remains overshadowed by more mainstream horror villains when he's always been just as entertaining.

As a character, the Djinn is just as sadistic as Freddy Krueger, as relentless as Michael Myers, and unlike Jason, knows how to throw a killer party. The Djinn is a fascinating villain whose powers and concepts allow for some imaginative scenarios. There's something downright chilling about someone who can read the heart's fondest wishes and use that against their victims in grotesque ways. At his core, the Djinn represents desire and how it can blind people through fear, suffering, or avarice. Wishmaster's Djinn isn't scary in the same way as Ghostface or Chucky; he embodies a high-pressure sales situation, ensuring wishes are made, deals are brokered, and the only one who benefits is him, through twisted words, misunderstood conditions, and exploitation of loved ones.

While various horror actors have portrayed Wishmaster's Djinn, Andrew Divoff brought exceptional charm and depth to the role. His portrayal combined amusement with grandiose terror, highlighted by his creepy rasp and the energy he projected. Whenever Divoff made a groan-worthy quip or flashed that twisted grin, audiences couldn't help but chuckle, sensing that he and the character were genuinely enjoying the performance and embracing a dark sense of humor. However, when the Djinn wished to instill fear and hopelessness, his delivery became legitimately blood-curdling, ensuring everyone knew he was not just the most powerful being in the room but in the entire universe. The Djinn had all the makings of a top-tier villain and a horror icon . Unfortunately, the first film's shortcomings and the declining quality of the straight-to-video sequels ultimately prevented Wishmaster's villain from receiving the recognition he deserved.

• Pazuzu, the demon from The Exorcist, makes a cameo as a statue in Wishmaster .

Forget Ghost Ship, Wes Craven Gave Us the Best Horror Opening

Ghost Ship may have had a killer opening act, but an underrated Wes Craven movie starts with everything a horrified audience could wish for.

As Hollywood revives Jason, regurgitates The Exorcist , and searches for ways to bring back Freddy Krueger, it's evident that characters like the Djinn from Wishmaster never received the same fanfare from horror enthusiasts. The Wishmaster movies had so much untapped potential, and, unfortunately, they didn't get the recognition they deserved, especially when even the Leprechaun movies garnered more attention over the years. The Wishmaster series showcased a variety of talent and creativity that modern studios like Blumhouse sometimes lack in their ambitious projects like Imaginary . Perhaps it's time to reevaluate Wishmaster —not necessarily for a remake or sequel, but to appreciate what it achieved and to see how its innovative elements could inspire and be applied to modern horror films.

Wes Craven's Wishmaster was at its best when it was enjoyably over-the-top, fully embracing the potential of an almost all-powerful antagonist. Despite some lackluster special effects, the series offered a lot of fun as audiences watched the Djinn twist poorly worded wishes into horrifying outcomes. Unlike films that fail to capitalize on their premises, like Night Swim with a clichéd "miracle cure" story featuring a wish-granter, It's a Wonderful Knife's stretched plot or Imaginary's lackluster voyage into the Never Ever, Wishmaster wasn't afraid of its concept. In every Wishmaster movie, each wish was set up like a joke, with each kill being a horrifying yet satisfying punchline where no idea was too absurd. While many horror films rely on standard scares, Wishmaster created fates worse than death and genuinely uncomfortable moments. As Hollywood continues to promote questionable reboots like Halloween Ends and struggles to take risks with more inventive concepts, there's a desire for more unique titles. Now, more than ever, is an ideal time for the Djinn to grant that wish for more horror movie magic.

While it's unlikely the Djinn will appear in Dead by Daylight anytime soon, and a new Wishmaster movie seems improbable, the series leaves a subdued legacy with a valuable lesson for horror fans: appreciate the mold-breakers, the ambitious titles, and the films that lack a famous face like Freddy Krueger's to endorse them. It's important to show love to lesser-known characters through discussions, artwork, and merchandise. Above all else, share movies like Wishmaster with those who will appreciate their unique charm and creativity so that, like the Djinn, they, too, can make wishes come true.

An ancient Djinn is released from a gemstone, granting twisted wishes to those who summon him. As the Djinn wreaks havoc, a woman named Alexandra Amberson discovers the connection between the mystical entity and the chaos around her. She must race against time to stop the Djinn before he unleashes his brethren and brings about an age of terror.

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EW's 24 most anticipated movies of 2024

From Joker and Deadpool to J.Lo and Bong Joon Ho, here's what we can't wait to watch this year.

Mark your calendars: 2024 has an overwhelming array of exciting cinematic treats in store for moviegoers. We can't wait to see the highly-anticipated sequels to Dune , Joker , Gladiator , Deadpool , Inside Out , and many more massive movies past. We're also thrilled to see new projects from acclaimed filmmakers including Bong Joon Ho , Francis Ford Coppola , Ethan Coen , and Robert Eggers , plus spinoffs from the worlds of John Wick , Mad Max , A Quiet Place , and more. Here are 24 of EW's most-anticipated movies of 2024.

Deadpool 3: Deadpool Movie/Twitter; Joker: Folie à Deux: Gotham/GC Images; Dune: © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection; Inside Out: © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

'The Beekeeper' (Jan. 12, in theaters)

Vengeance is sweet like honey. The latest buzzy action thriller from David Ayer ( End of Watch , Fury ) stars Jason Statham as a beekeeper with a very particular set of skills: He’s a former member of the secret special ops organization called, incredibly, the Beekeepers. He embarks on a John Wick / Equalizer -style revenge mission where he’ll crack skulls, slice fingers, and set his adversaries on fire with — you guessed it — honey. —Wesley Stenzel

'Lisa Frankenstein' (Feb. 9, in theaters)

Robin Williams ’ daughter Zelda Williams makes her directorial debut with this spooky rom-com, featuring a script from acclaimed screenwriter and Oscar winner Diablo Cody ( Juno , Jennifer’s Body ). Kathryn Newton stars as a lonely goth high schooler who reanimates a hot Victorian corpse (Cole Sprouse) in 1989. "I know Hollywood gets a bad rap for regurgitating sequels and remakes and reboots over and over and over," Williams said . "And yeah, it totally does that! But it's also finally letting me make the most bonkers, wonderful zombie script I've ever read, and for that, I will be forever grateful!" Check out EW’s first look at the film here . —Wesley Stenzel

'This Is Me...Now: The Film' (Feb. 16, on Amazon Prime Video)

Jennifer Lopez is releasing her first album in a decade on Feb. 16, and on the same day, she’s dropping an accompanying movie on Amazon Prime Video. Don’t expect a making-of documentary, though — instead, the teaser trailer promises a fantastical journey through a fictionalized version of J.Lo’s love life, featuring eye-popping visuals and elaborate dance choreography. Lopez’s husband Ben Affleck is also credited as a co-writer on the project and is expected to appear in some scenes of the film, which is only fitting, as the actor/director was a primary inspiration for her 2003 album This Is Me… Then . —Wesley Stenzel

'Drive-Away Dolls' (Feb. 23, in theaters)

This lesbian road trip caper stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan , and marks the first solo narrative directorial project from Ethan Coen , who co-wrote the movie with his wife Tricia Cooke. "As a queer writer, it's exciting for me to make a lesbian film that is playful and innocent in a way, but also perverse and subversive," Cooke told EW . "Back then, the studios would go, 'Well, if you have gay characters, it's gotta be important.' Just doing a fun movie with gay characters somehow computes in a way now that it didn't then." —Wesley Stenzel

'Dune: Part Two' (March 1, in theaters)

Denis Villeneuve ’s sandy sci-fi sequel was one of the biggest projects delayed by last year’s Hollywood strikes, and our anticipation has only grown stronger. Joining Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are series newcomers Florence Pugh , Christopher Walken , Lea Seydoux , and a very bald Austin Butler . And though this second part will finish adapting Frank Herbert’s original novel, Villeneuve already has ideas for how he’ll expand the saga — "I will say, there are words on paper," the filmmaker said of a potential Dune Messiah adaptation. —Wesley Stenzel

'Road House' (March 21, on Amazon Prime Video)

Prime Video/YouTube

Jake Gyllenhaal is the most ripped he’s been since Warrior in this remake of the 1989 classic starring Patrick Swayze . Here, the Nightcrawler actor plays an ex-UFC fighter who takes down his enemies with exhilarating MMA skills, as seen in the first footage from the film . Doug Liman ( The Bourne Identity ) serves as director, while Daniela Melchior ( The Suicide Squad ), Billy Magnussen ( Game Night ), and UFC star Conor McGregor costar. —Wesley Stenzel

'Civil War' (April 26, in theaters)

Alex Garland ( Ex Machina ) directs A24’s most expensive project to date: a sci-fi thriller that sees the United States once again at war with itself. Real-life couple Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons star alongside Cailee Spaeny and Wagner Moura. We don’t know much about the film’s plot so far — its only logline describes it as "a race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge." The first trailer suggests that 19 states have seceded from the Union, and that Nick Offerman is president. —Wesley Stenzel

'Challengers' (April 26, in theaters)

Zendaya is turning up the heat in this provocative tennis drama from director Luca Guadagnino , where a scandalous love triangle takes center court. The Euphoria star plays Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy who becomes a coach after a devastating career-ending injury. She's married to a Grand Slam champion named Art ( West Side Story breakout Mike Faist), and in an effort to end his current losing streak, she enters him in a challenger event where he'll face off against Patrick ( The Crown 's Emmy/Golden Globe-winning actor Josh O' Connor ), who also happens to be Art's former best friend ... and Tashi's ex-boyfriend. —Sydney Bucksbaum

'The Fall Guy' (May 3, in theaters)

Just call him Action Star Ken:  Ryan Gosling  headlines this action-comedy as a longtime stuntman named Colt Seavers, who takes a job working on a movie with his director ex-girlfriend ( Emily Blunt ). When the film’s star ( Aaron Taylor-Johnson ) goes missing, Colt volunteers to try to find him, putting his on-screen skills to real-world use. Director  David Leitch  — himself a former stunt performer — promises that  The Fall Guy  is filled with all sorts of spectacular stunts, including a 150-foot fall and a scene where Gosling surfs through the streets of Sydney, Australia, towed behind a moving vehicle. "We said, 'If we're going to lock down the Harbour Bridge, we better do something amazing,'"  Leitch told EW . "So you'll see in that sequence: We were actually dragging Ryan Gosling behind a garbage truck doing 40 miles an hour." —Devan Coggan

'Back to Black' (May 10, in theaters)

Amy Winehouse gets the biopic treatment in this drama from Sam Taylor-Johnson ( Fifty Shades of Grey ). Industry star Marisa Abela plays the late singer, while Eddie Marsan and Juliet Cowan play her parents and Lesley Manville portrays her grandmother, a former singer. The film has the blessing of Winehouse’s estate, and will feature her songs on the soundtrack. "I feel excited and humbled to have this opportunity to realize Amy's beautifully unique and tragic story to cinema accompanied by the most important part of her legacy — her music," Taylor-Johnson said last year . —Wesley Stenzel

'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (May 24, in theaters)

The fifth movie to be set in the sun-blasted, crazy car-filled universe of Mad Max is the origin story of Furiosa, the role played by Charlize Theron in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road . Anya Taylor-Joy plays a younger version of the character who is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by Chris Hemsworth ’s Warlord Dementus. —Clark Collis

'Ballerina' (June 7, in theaters)

Ana de Armas is a deadly dancer in this John Wick spinoff film from Underworld director Len Wiseman , which is set before the events of 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4. The cast also includes one Keanu Reeves , who told EW last year that "it was fun to put the suit back on" as the lethal Mr. Wick. —Clark Collis

'Inside Out 2' (June 14, in theaters)

2015’s Inside Out is one of the finest (and agonizingly beautiful) pieces of the modern Pixar era. It also didn’t feel like a coincidence that, after the success of personifying emotions such as Joy ( Amy Poehler ) and Sadness ( Phyllis Smith ), the storied animation house would go on to personify other things like souls (2020’s Soul ) and elements (2023’s Elemental ). Now Pixar is returning to Inside Out to see if there’s any other gold to mine from the mind of Riley. The young girl, who we followed on her family’s tumultuous move from the Midwest, is now a teenager in San Francisco and facing a whole new emotion : Anxiety ( Maya Hawke ). That addition somehow feels super relatable to the current times. —Nick Romano

'A Quiet Place: Day One' (June 28, in theaters)

Hush now. The next movie in the saga of A Quiet Place is almost upon us. While the first two films tracked the Abbott family as they fought to survive a world invaded by vicious alien monsters that hunt through sound, this next one will be centered on new characters played by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o , Stranger Things fan-favorite Joseph Quinn , and Hereditary standout Alex Wolff . Details are being kept under wraps, though we think it's fair to assume the movie will be taking us back to the day the monsters first arrived on Earth — you know, because the movie is called A Quiet Place: Day One . —Nick Romano

Untitled 'Deadpool' sequel (July 26, in theaters)

An R-rated Marvel movie? Hugh Jackman ’s Wolverine back from the dead ? And he's sharing the screen with Ryan Reynolds ' Deadpool for the first time since their long-lampooned X-Men Origins: Wolverine ?! Hell yeah! This Deadpool sequel has been a long time coming, and leave it to director Shawn Levy , who's worked with both Reynolds ( Free Guy , The Adam Project ) and Jackman ( Real Steel , Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) , to bring these guys together again. Not much has been officially released about this movie yet, though we do know Dogpool is involved . However, if you’ve paid attention to any of the leaks or reports in the press...then shame on you ! No spoilers, especially because this is now the only Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to be released in theaters this year. —Nick Romano

'Alien: Romulus' (Aug. 16, in theaters)

The xenomorph saga continues under the stewardship of Don’t Breathe filmmaker Fede Álvarez . Beyond the casting of Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, and Isabela Merced, little is known about the movie at present except that, according to Álvarez , Alien director Ridley Scott has seen it and pronounced the film to be "f---ing great." —Clark Collis

'Beetlejuice 2' (Sept. 6, in theaters)

Robin Marchant/Getty;Everett Collection

Tim Burton returns to the underworld of his spooky 1988 comedy alongside original cast members Michael Keaton , Winona Ryder , and Catherine O’Hara . Also joining the ghostly gang: Jenna Ortega , who worked with the filmmaker on Wednesday , and Willem Dafoe , who somehow has never crossed professional paths with Burton until now. The latter is playing an undead cop who was a B-movie star in life. "We're doing it exactly like we did the first movie," Keaton said last year. "There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line – I want people to know this because I love it – tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move." —Wesley Stenzel

'Joker: Folie à Deux' (Oct. 24, in theaters)

Wherever the Joker lurks and laughs, Harley Quinn can’t be far behind. So for the upcoming sequel to their Oscar-winning 2019 supervillain film Joker , director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix have recruited none other than Lady Gaga to be the belle of the ball. Phillips has been slowly teasing images from the film , featuring the characters with and without their iconic costumes. On top of everything else, Joker: Folie à Deux is also billed as a musical — though Zazie Beetz , who reprises her role as single mother Sophie Drumond, thinks "people will be surprised" by what that entails. —Christian Holub

'Gladiator 2' (Nov. 22, in theaters)

Director Ridley Scott heads back into the arena with this long, long awaited sequel to 2000's epic Gladiator . Plot details are scant , but it is said to follow the grown-up Lucius ( Paul Mescal ), the son of Lucilla and nephew of Commodus, from the original. Connie Nielsen is returning as a legacy cast member in her original role as Lucilla, as is Derek Jacobi, who will play Gracchus once more. Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington , Pedro Pascal , and The White Lotus star Fred Hechinger are also picking up their swords and joining the fight, which is sure to entertain us... again. —Lauren Huff

'Wicked Part 1' (Nov. 27, in theaters)

After years of false starts and casting rumors, the first part of Wicked is finally ready to try defying gravity. Starring Cynthia Erivo as green-skinned Elphaba and Ariana Grande as pink-obsessed, popular Galinda, the musical follows the lives of the witches of Oz, before Dorothy dropped in. The Wizard of Oz prequel has been delighting audiences on Broadway and around the world for the last 20 years — and now, we’ll get to see it brought to life on the big screen . We don’t know what we’re most excited for — seeing Jonathan Bailey make us fall in love with his Fiyero in "Dancing Through Life ," Grande’s take on "Popular," or hearing Erivo hit that high note as she takes to the Western skies. — Maureen Lee Lenker

'Nosferatu' (Dec. 25, in theaters)

Focus Features

Director Robert Eggers ’ long-in-the-works remake of F.W. Murnau's 1922 vampire classic finally shot in Prague last year with a starry cast and 2,000 live rats, as the filmmaker recently revealed to EW . Bill Skarsgård plays the titular bloodsucker, Lily-Rose Depp portrays the movie’s heroine Ellen Hutter, and Willem Dafoe is the vampire-hunter Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz. —Clark Collis

'Mickey 17' (TBD)

Bong Joon Ho is back in the director’s chair for the first time since Parasite conquered the world — and he’s returned to the sci-fi genre as well. Where Parasite was rooted in reality, Mickey 17 is an adaptation of the genre novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. Robert Pattinson stars as the titular character, a space explorer who gets cloned with his memories intact every time he dies — and the change in title from book to movie suggests there may be even more cloning involved in Bong’s version. Steven Yeun , Naomi Ackie , Toni Collette , and Mark Ruffalo are also in the cast. So far the only available footage is a brief clip of Pattinson hooked into a high-tech machine …but with names this starry, what else do you need to get excited? —Christian Holub

'Megalopolis' (TBD)

Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola returns with his first film in 13 years: a self-financed, decades-in-the-making sci-fi passion project about an architect reconstructing New York as a utopia after a disaster. The film’s all-star cast includes Adam Driver , Forest Whitaker , Nathalie Emmanuel , and Aubrey Plaza , as well as Coppola’s sister Talia Shire and nephew Jason Schwartzman . "It's a love story," Coppola said in 2022 . "A woman is divided between loyalties to two men. But not only two men. Each man comes with a philosophical principle. One is her father who raised her… the other one, who is the lover, is the enemy of the father." —Wesley Stenzel

'Kinds of Kindness' (TBD)

Following the resounding success of 2018’s The Favourite and last year’s Poor Things , Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone have reteamed for a third feature-length project: an anthology film where Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, and Margaret Qualley all play different roles in three distinct segments. "Apart from being a great actress, [Emma] is a very unique presence overall," Lanthimos told EW . Though no release date is set, it’s safe to assume that the film will debut in the fall for an awards play like the duo’s prior collaborations. —Wesley Stenzel

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‘Ultraman: Rising’ Review: The Iconic Japanese Superhero Wrestles Kaiju and Daddy Issues in Netflix’s Overcrowded Cartoon

An attractive, original take on the Ultraman legend privileges a heavy-handed parenting lesson over the kind of monster mania fans expect from the franchise.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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Ultraman has one job: to defend the world from kaiju. Across countless manga, video games and movies, Ultraman’s core duty has been to fend off ferocious land and sea monsters — which, of course, have always been allegories for other threats facing humankind. In “ Ultraman: Rising ,” our hero adopts one, which makes no sense in the greater scheme of Ultraman lore. (It would be like Batman going soft and raising a supervillain’s abandoned love child or Superman deciding to open a gift shop specializing in kryptonite.) But as with all metaphors, this one isn’t really about kaiju, but parent-child dynamics. And who doesn’t love a baby kaiju?

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Before Ultraman finds her, he has a whole new backstory crammed into the film’s first half-hour. Remember Ultraman’s one job? According to an opening voiceover delivered by Ken Sato (Christopher Sean), fighting kaiju is nothing compared with being a good dad. One day when Ken was just a kid, his own father (Gedde Watanabe) — who just so happens to be Ultraman — disappeared entirely, prioritizing kaiju control over parenting. Twenty years later, Ken is now living in the U.S. and playing baseball for the Giants. Both his mom and dad are gone, and Ken’s got a kaiju-sized chip on his shoulder.

As if that’s not enough backstory, there’s another enemy in the mix: Dr. Onda (Keone Young), head of the Kaiju Defense Force, a government-backed organization committed to wiping out kaiju altogether. Japanese movies go back and forth on whether kaiju are good or evil, and this one finds the vigilante Ultraman flip-flopping, while the KDF is determined to render them extinct by locating and destroying Kaiju Island. Once Ken adopts Emi, he has to not only juggle parenting and baseball, but also keep his hungry “little one” from letting loose and stomping through population centers.

All this mythology-bending plotting is presumably a lot more fun if you’re already invested in Ultraman. Otherwise, the movie offers more fleeting pleasures, as when Ken struggles to figure out how to placate and feed his baby kaiju, with the aid of a floating Siri-like droid named Mina (Tamlyn Tomita, who’s also the voice of Ken’s long-lost mom). It’s less clear why he doesn’t just smother or banish the creature, but I guess no one asks why Batman dresses as a big bat.

Both the character and the script seem schizophrenic about Ultraman’s identity, uncertain whether to cast him as humble guy or superhero — man or Übermensch, as Nietzsche might put it. There’s also a promising romantic subplot involving a single-mother television reporter named Ami (Julia Harriman), although the whole movie starts to feel overloaded at a certain point.

Remember, what audiences really want are super-scale dustups, and the movie delivers that, with the slightly evolved Emi taking Ultraman’s side against Mega Gigantron during the film’s spectacular finale. The idea is to bring father-child stakes into all this mayhem, which works to a degree. But in the movie’s desire to wring tears, parental figures die, disappear or otherwise sacrifice themselves for their kids, only to reappear later hale and hearty (as the “Rising” subtitle implies). The film winds up having it both ways once too often, to the extent that Ultraman’s fate and the movie’s message are ultimately unclear.

Reviewed on Netflix, June 8, 2024. In Annecy Animation Festival. Running time: 117 MIN.

• Production: (Animated – Japan-U.S.) A Netflix release, presented in association with Tsuburaya Prods. Producers: Tom Knott, Lisa M. Poole. Executive producers: Takayuki Tsukagoshi, Masahiro Onda, Kei Minamitani.
• Crew: Director: Shannon Tindle. Co-director: John Aoshima. Screenplay: Shannon Tindle & Marc Haimes, based on the “Ultraman” franchise from Tsuburaya. Editor: Bret Marnell. Music: Scot Stafford. Songs: Diplo, Oliver Tree.
• With: Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young, Julia Harriman.

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'Sweet Home' trailer teases 'ultimate showdown' in final season

June 21 (UPI) -- Netflix is giving a glimpse of Sweet Home Season 3.

The streaming service shared a teaser trailer for the show's third and final season Friday. Advertisement

Sweet Home is a South Korean apocalyptic horror series based on the Naver webtoon of the same name.

Song Kang stars as Cha Hyun-su, a suicidal teenager who finds new purpose after an apocalypse turns people into monsters. Hyun-su becomes a half-human, half-monster hybrid.

Season 3 opens with the survivors "at a crossroads between monsters and humans, facing greater struggles to make difficult choices. With the stadium safehouse compromised and new threats emerging, the stakes have never been higher," an official synopsis reads.

The trailer shows Hyun-su (Song) vow to kill and prepare for a final showdown with Sang-wook/Ui-myeong (Lee Jin-uk).

"From terrifying monsters born from greed to exploring life amid monsterization, the final season now takes us to the ultimate showdown to save all."

Sweet Home Season 3 premieres July 19 on Netflix.

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