
In 1965, Robert Kennedy was the first man to summit Mount Kennedy in the Yukon Territory, named in honor of his late brother. Leading that expedition was Jim Whitaker, the first American to summit Everest and original fulltime employee of REI. 50 years later, Jim’s sons Bob and Leif, along with Christopher Kennedy, decide to climb the mountain again in honor of their fathers’ joint accomplishment and unique friendship. Seattle-based filmmaker Eric Becker’s touching documentary combines archival footage—including several Kennedy home movies—with interviews from Jim himself and those who them best as we follow three sons and the journey literally in their fathers’ footsteps. Eddie Vedder, a personal friend of Bob’s, writes original music for film that tailor shots of the expansive mountain ranges together in this wholesome story.
The film may be a thriller, but I wasn’t thrilled by it. If anything, I was bored and annoyed.
Prajdnik Awasthi’s film uses a mix of metaphor and more grounded details to tell the story of childhood sexual abuse that caused the narrator to close himself off from his father.
Nick Rowland’s She Rides Shotgun is a blistering, blood-soaked road thriller that doubles as a bruised love story between a haunted ex-con (a career-best Taron Egerton) and the daughter he barely knows (astonishing newcomer Ana Sophia Heger). Fueled by white-knuckle chases, razor-tense shootouts, and quiet moments of aching tenderness, the film captures both the terror and fragile beauty of survival. It’s gritty, heartbreaking, and unforgettable—a father-daughter odyssey destined to leave audiences shaken.
“Reboot” can be crass and has much room to improve, but with investments of time and care, could flower out of the seed of a vision.
Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece, Parasite (2019) became one of the few international films to break into the American mainstream.