The Slumber Party: Movie Review

Disney’s The Slumber Party is The Hangover except change to teen girls, minus the drugs, and swap out the general R-rated raunchiness for PG misadventures. It manages to still be fun and perfectly tailored to its audience. This is a wholesome, progressive teen girl adventure comedy that focuses on fun. The overall themes about friendship and family are kept to a minimum. The girls just get to have fun instead of delivering virtuous messages.		2023 Directed by: Veronica Rodriguez Screenplay by: Eydie Faye, Jen Malone Starring: Darby Camp, Emmy Liu-Wang and Alex Coopher Cohen

See You on Venus: Movie Review

A light-weight tragi-comedy fizzles out into a confused romantic drama.

A girl with a secret makes a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Spain. She also manages to convince an almost stranger recovering from a tragedy to join her. Mia (Virginia Gardner) can steal hearts from the beginning; she’s a kind-hearted, street-smart girl who loves photography and grew up in the foster system. It’s clear she’s seen things in her past but has found a way to continually embrace positivity.		2023 Directed by: Joaquin Llamas Screenplay by: Victoria Vinuesa Starring: Virginia Gardner, Alex Aiono

Happiness for Beginners: Movie Review

A light-weight romantic dramedy with a lovely tranquil and serene atmosphere.

Happiness for Beginners gets off on the right foot. Ellie Kemper’s Helen is funny and Luke Grimes’ Jake is sweet. Helen is a little miss perfectionist, plans things to the detail and expects everyone else to just follow her lead. That type of character can get annoying but Kemper provides her with enough humanity that audiences are most likely to be sympathetic to her rather than frustrated by her.		2023 Directed by: Vicky Wight Screenplay by: Vicky Wight, Katherine Center Starring: Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes