Now You See Me, Now You Don’t – The Power of Illusion and Identity Now You See Me, Now You Don’t is, at first glance, a film about illusionists — master tricksters who turn deception into art. But beneath the shimmer of spectacle and adrenaline lies something far deeper: a meditation on how we reinvent ourselves…
Tag: movies
The Power of Your Story in “Wake Up Dead Man”
Wake Up Dead Man – The Power of Reinvention Wake Up Dead Man, the newest chapter in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out universe, invites us into a story that dances between death and revelation, cynicism and grace. Beneath its sharp wit and tangled mystery lies a quiet meditation on what happens when the story you’ve been telling yourself…
The Power of Your Story: Formule 1
Formula 1 – The Power of Speed and Silence The film Formula 1, starring Brad Pitt as an aging driver chasing one last heartbeat of the engine, is far more than a story about racing. It unfolds as a meditation on identity, ambition, and the search for meaning in a world where speed can liberate or…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery as a tonal benchmarkIf people thought Glass Onion was a bit too jaunty after the breakout success of Knives Out, Rian Johnson’s third film in what has become a true franchise, Glass Onion’s successor stance is closer to a measured correction than a sequel’s vanity project. It’s a film…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Traindreams’
Traindreams (2025): A Journey Through Memory, Loss, and the American Soul There are films that tell stories, and then there are films that drift like recollections—fragmented, luminous, half-remembered. Traindreams, adapted from Denis Johnson’s spare and haunting novella, belongs to the latter kind. Directed by Chloé Zhao, whose meditative gaze captures both the beauty and loneliness of…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Downtown Abbey the Grand Finale’
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is a tender and richly detailed farewell to the Crawley family saga, unfolding in the early 1930s amid shifting social tides and deeply human struggles. The film revisits familiar characters and themes while introducing new narrative threads that bring fresh emotional complexities and challenges, weaving a story both intimate and…
The Power of your story in ‘Monster: The Ed Gein story’
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is not merely about one man and his atrocities; it is about the deepest corners of the human need to make sense of monstrosity. The series retells the story of Ed Gein — the quiet Wisconsin farmer whose crimes in the 1950s shocked an America that prided itself on decency and…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning
The movie opens two months after Ethan Hunt and his team retrieve the source code key for a malevolent artificial intelligence known only as “the Entity.” U.S. President Erika Sloane contacts Ethan, warning him that the Entity continues to seize control of global nuclear weapons systems with the help of undercover doomsday cultists. Despite orders…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Task’
In the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, “Task” unfolds as a nuanced crime drama following two men on opposite sides of the law: weary FBI agent Tom Brandis and rugged robber Robbie Prendergrast. Tom, tasked with forming a special unit to stop a string of violent robberies, leads an ensemble of novice agents through the alleys…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Materialists’
Introduction: “Materialists” and the Lure of Status—Why Storytelling is the Real Wealth In Celine Song’s “Materialists” (2025), we don’t just watch a love story unfold—we witness the power and peril of the stories that govern how we live, love, and lead. The film’s whip-smart, emotionally layered portrait of contemporary New York dating, calibrated by algorithms…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Gladiator’
Introduction: The Warrior’s Path to Legend Gladiator is an epic saga of honor, loss, and redemption set against the grandeur and brutality of Ancient Rome. At its heart is Maximus Decimus Meridius—a revered general whose world shatters through betrayal and tragedy. From the ashes of loss, he is forced into slavery and the gladiatorial arena, where…
The Power of Your Story in ‘the Accountant 2’
By Peter de Kuster In every life, there is a ledger—of choices, regrets, secrets, and hopes. The Accountant 2 is not just an action thriller about Christian Wolff’s quest to solve a murder; it is a profound meditation on the stories we inherit, the ones we try to escape, and the courage it takes to become the…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Straw’
By Peter de Kuster Every so often, a film emerges that doesn’t just tell a story—it holds up a mirror to our own struggles, our breaking points, and our capacity for transformation. Tyler Perry’s Straw (2025), starring Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson, is such a film. It is a raw, unflinching exploration of a woman’s descent…
Bridget Jones: What About the Boy? A Hero’s Journey of Second Chances
“Bridget Jones: What About the Boy? — A Hero’s Journey Through Loss, Love, and Second Chances” By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When Life Turns the Page, What Story Will You Write? Bridget Jones: What About the Boy? brings our beloved, ever-awkward heroine into a new era: single motherhood, grief, and the daunting world of modern dating….
A Door to Grace: What ‘The Room Next Door’ Teaches Us
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: A Quiet Masterpiece About Endings, Courage, and the Stories We Choose The Room Next Door (2024) is a deeply moving meditation on friendship, mortality, and the courage to be present at life’s most difficult thresholds. While not a Hitchcock thriller, its emotional suspense and psychological depth echo the master’s fascination with…
The Hero’s Journey in Touch: Discover the Power of Your Own Story
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: Memory, Longing, and the Power of Your Story Touch (2024), directed by Baltasar Kormákur, is a sweeping romantic drama that travels across decades and continents, exploring the enduring pull of first love and the courage it takes to seek closure. While not a Hitchcock thriller, Touch shares the master’s fascination with fate, longing,…
The Lambs Within: The Hero’s Journey and the Stories That Transform Us
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: Facing Monsters—Within and Without The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is more than a psychological thriller—it’s a masterclass in suspense, transformation, and the courage to confront what terrifies us most. Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee, is drawn into a deadly game of wits with the brilliant and monstrous…
Shawshank Redemption and the Hero’s Journey: Story on Personal Freedom
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: Hope, Resilience, and the Stories We Author The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is more than a prison drama—it is a profound meditation on hope, resilience, and the power of self-authorship. Directed by Frank Darabont and based on Stephen King’s novella, the film follows Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly convicted of murder, as…
Goodrich: A Hero’s Journey in Second Chances
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When Life Forces a Rewrite Goodrich (2024) is a heartfelt comedy-drama about Andy Goodrich, a successful but emotionally distant art dealer whose world unravels when his wife enters rehab and leaves him to care for their young twins. As Andy fumbles through parenting, confronts his failing business, and faces the fractured…
A Real Pain: Healing, Heritage and the Stories We Carry
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When the Past Calls, What Story Will You Tell? A Real Pain (2024) is a deeply moving dramedy about two cousins—one neurotic and responsible, the other free-spirited and troubled—who travel together through Poland to honor their late grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. What begins as a heritage tour quickly becomes a journey…
Brothers: The Journey Through War, Family and Forgiveness
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When Everything You Know Is Torn Apart Brothers (2009) is a powerful exploration of loyalty, trauma, and the fragile bonds that hold families together. The film follows two siblings—Sam, a decorated Marine, and Tommy, a drifting ex-con—whose lives are upended by war, loss, and the struggle for redemption. As Sam is…
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Rewriting the Future
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When the World Is Remade, Will You Lead or Follow? Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) is a sweeping saga set generations after Caesar’s reign, where apes rule and humans have faded into legend. At its heart is Noa, a young chimpanzee whose peaceful life is shattered, sending him…
Absolution: The Last Chance to Rewrite Your Legend
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When the End Looms, What Story Will You Leave Behind? Absolution (2024) is a brooding crime drama that asks: Can a life defined by violence and regret be redeemed in its final act? The film follows an aging gangster, known as Thug, who—facing terminal illness and haunted by his past—sets out…
Zero Day: Truth in the Ashes – A Hero’s Journey Through Chaos
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When the Lies Unravel, Who Will You Choose to Be? Zero Day (2025) thrusts former President George Mullen (Robert De Niro) into a cyber-apocalypse where national security collapses, and the line between truth and conspiracy blurs. Tasked with uncovering the perpetrators of a catastrophic attack, Mullen battles political betrayal, personal grief,…
Defying Gravity: Leadership Lessons from Wicked’s Hero Jourey
In a world that fears difference and rewards conformity, Wicked (2024) soars as a powerful reimagining of Oz—told through the eyes of Elphaba, the “Wicked Witch of the West.” This vibrant, emotionally charged film isn’t just a fantasy; it’s a mirror for anyone who has ever felt out of place, misunderstood, or called to challenge the status…
Conclave: Secrets, Power, and the Story You Choose to Tell
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: Power, Secrets, and the Call to Integrity Conclave (2024) is not just a political thriller set in the hallowed halls of the Vatican—it’s a meditation on leadership, conscience, and the cost of truth. As the world’s most secretive election unfolds behind locked doors, Cardinal Lawrence finds himself at the center of…
Nr 24: The Quiet Hero’s Journey – And the Story You Choose to Tell
By Peter de Kuster Introduction: When History Calls, Will You Answer? Nr 24 is not just a war drama—it’s a testament to the power of ordinary people to shape history. The film chronicles the true story of Gunnar Sønsteby, a quiet accountant from Rjukan, Norway, who becomes the legendary resistance leader “Number 24” during the Nazi…
Juror II: The Hero’s Journey in the Courtroom of Conscience
Clint Eastwood’s Juror II is more than a courtroom thriller—it’s a masterclass in moral reckoning, personal responsibility, and the stories we tell ourselves when the stakes are highest. The film follows Justin Kemp, a journalist and recovering alcoholic, who is summoned for jury duty in a high-profile murder trial—only to realize he may be responsible for the…
Reclaiming Your Narrative in the Face of Darkness
Introduction: When the Spotlight Isn’t Safe Woman of the Hour is a riveting, unsettling journey into the heart of 1970s America—a time when sexism, celebrity, and violence collided on live television. Anna Kendrick’s film tells the true story of Sheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress who, in her search for a break, finds herself face-to-face with a…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Carry On’
“Carry-On” stars an effective Taron Egerton as a TSA Agent named Ethan Kopek, who becomes a key player in a terrorist plot. After a too-long bit in which we meet Ethan’s girlfriend Nora (Sofie Carson), who also works at the airport (of course), and discover that they’re about to have a child, we join Ethan on one…
Facing the Rabbit: How Donnie Darko Can Inspire Your Hero’s Journey
Introduction: The Strange, Twisting Path to Meaning Life doesn’t always make sense. Sometimes, it feels like we’re wandering through an alternate reality, unsure of how the pieces fit together. In the movie Donnie Darko, we meet a troubled teenager navigating visions of a sinister rabbit, cryptic warnings about the end of the world, and the mysteries…
Unraveling Your Story: Life Lessons from Pulp Fiction
Introduction: The Chaos and Power of Non-Linear Narratives Life rarely unfolds in a straight line. Like Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, our stories are often messy, unpredictable, and filled with seemingly disconnected moments that only make sense when viewed as a whole. This groundbreaking film, with its non-linear structure and morally complex characters, invites us to reflect…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Our Little Secret’
After taking nearly a decade off, Lindsay Lohan made her return to the movies in 2022 with a starring role in the Netflix Christmas romantic comedy “Falling for Christmas.” Since then, she has made two more rom-coms with the streamer: “Irish Wish” and this week’s “Our Little Secret.” What this pivot has proven is that Lohan is…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Joy’
Sometimes we just need a nice, cozy movie featuring a heartwarming true story and actors with British accents. And if Bill Nighy is one of them, well, that’s just a bonus. “Joy” is based on the three intrepid researchers who pioneered in vitro fertilization or IVF treatments, leading to the first baby born from an egg…
The Power of Your Story in The Last Front
“The Last Front” is a first-rate movie about a historical drama, which is troubling considering the subject matter of the film: the attempts to liberate a small Belgian farming community from German troops who’ve occupied it during World War I, and the unrelenting cruelty that invading soldiers inflict on civilian populations under the guise of carrying out…
The Power of Your Story in Pedro Paramo
For over two decades, Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto has established himself as one of his trade’s most accomplished artists. After breaking out on the international stage with Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Amores Perros” and “21 Grams,” Prieto has gone on to work with directors like Ang Lee for “Brokeback Mountain,” Ben Affleck for “Argo,” Martin Scorsese…
The Power of Your Story in ‘Caddo Lake’
Someone says to Paris Long, one of the dual protagonists of Max’s original film “Caddo Lake,” “If you can’t explain yourself, you’re not going anywhere.” I’m not sure I could fully explain this movie, so I might be in trouble. That’s not a real place like Caddo Lake, which really looks more like a collection…
The Power of Your Story in ‘The Shining’
Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is utterly eerie for its baroque uncertainty. As its three main characters are hopelessly isolated inside its vast and ominous setting, the movie constantly unnerves us with the increasing unreliability of their respective viewpoints. The result is alternatively baffling and terrifying to the very end. Noticing again how cold and distant…
The Power of Your Story 