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Joe Friar

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Joe Friar is the Vice President of the Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS), a member of The Critics Choice Association (CCA), Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA), and reviews films for 104.7 KVIC (radio), Fort Worth Report (online), and The Victoria Advocate (print/online).

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) 93% 3.5/4 EDIT “Nia DaCosta leaves her mark on the franchise by intensifying the violence and adding brilliant needle drops, while moving away from the lo-fi aesthetic for a more traditional look. A standout performance by Erin Kellyman as Jimmy Ink. ” – Fort Worth Report Jan 27, 2026 Full Review Greenland 2: Migration (2026) 51% 1.5/4 EDIT “Waugh tries too hard to make every scene a worst-case scenario for this family just so he can amp up the special effects. He forgot what made the first film so memorable. It wasn’t about the special effects.” – Fort Worth Report Jan 12, 2026 Full Review Primate (2025) 79% 3/4 EDIT “Writer-director Johannes Roberts is not monkeying around. Believe the hype. A perfect blend of tension, jump scares, and gore. ” – Fort Worth Report Jan 10, 2026 Full Review We Bury the Dead (2024) 86% 3/4 EDIT “Finding a new perspective in the zombie genre is challenging. Zak Hilditch's horror thriller has two things going for it. An emotional performance by Daisy Ridley and a storyline where the living take precedent over the undead.” – Fort Worth Report Jan 2, 2026 Full Review The Plague (2025) 97% 4/4 EDIT “Polinger delivers an impressive debut feature with a final act that may leave you unnerved. The performances by the ensemble young cast are first-rate, while Edgerton delivers the worst pep talk in the history of cinema. ” – Fort Worth Report Jan 2, 2026 Full Review The Housemaid (2025) 74% 3/4 EDIT “Sweeney and Seyfried are enjoyable antagonists in Feig’s amped up version of the best-selling novel. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 31, 2025 Full Review Anaconda (2025) 48% 2/4 EDIT “The meta-comedy has its moments, but the 1997 original is funnier. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 31, 2025 Full Review Marty Supreme (2025) 93% 4/4 EDIT “A masterclass in acting and filmmaking featuring Timothée Chalamet in a career-best performance. One of the best films of 2025. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 31, 2025 Full Review One Battle After Another (2025) 94% 4/4 EDIT “Packed with exhilarating action sequences and featuring a career-best performance by Leonardo DiCaprio (who has never been this funny), alongside a terrific cast.The heart and soul of the film belong to Chase Infiniti” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review The Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025) 15% 2/4 EDIT “Director Renny Harlin shot all three chapters of "The Strangers" reboot at once, taking one bad film and expanding it into three. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review TRON: Ares (2025) 53% 3.5/4 EDIT “Dazzling special effects, a driving NIN score, and good performances make this an entertaining ride. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025) 61% 3.5/4 EDIT “Jeremy Allen White is convincing as the singer-songwriter, delivering a great performance as the rocker on the edge of his glory days. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Bugonia (2025) 88% 3.5/4 EDIT “The ending may have been deemed too outlandish; however, in the hands of Yorgos Lanthimos, I found solace as I gazed in bewilderment, deciphering what I just witnessed before the credits began to roll.” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Predator: Badlands (2025) 86% 3/4 EDIT “It gets silly a few times, and that’s okay. The action, special effects, and buddy elements make this an entertaining adventure.” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review The Running Man (2025) 62% 3/4 EDIT “An entertaining yet typical Hollywood blockbuster, packed with spectacular action scenes and a satisfying ending that leaves audiences feeling good. It’s a diluted version of Stephen King’s novel. ” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Keeper (2025) 53% 3/4 EDIT “Expect an outstanding performance from Tatiana Maslany, who convincingly portrays a woman descending into madness. It’s creepy, cool, and intricate but also unforgettable.” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Wicked: For Good (2025) 66% 3.5/4 EDIT “Cynthia Erivo is mesmerizing, while Ariana Grande takes the lead with a performance that elevates her character to new heights.” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025) 16% 2/4 EDIT “The only laughs come from the absurdity of the story, which begs for the appearance of more robots, as in Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo, and Gypsy from MST3K” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review Hamnet (2025) 86% 4/4 EDIT “Jessie Buckley delivers a career-best performance, expressing a wide range of emotions with such precision, rawness, and unfiltered honesty that the audience is left speechless.” – Fort Worth Report Dec 10, 2025 Full Review The History of Sound (2025) 70% 3.5/4 EDIT “Josh O’Connor does a terrific job of exposing his character’s vulnerabilities, which are often shielded by a calm exterior & self-assurance. Paul Mescal delivers one of his strongest performances yet—emotionally complex, understated, & deeply moving. ” – Fort Worth Report Sep 21, 2025 Full Review The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) 86% EDIT “For the first time in a long while, we care about the characters in a Marvel movie. This is the reboot the MCU needed and a great way to start the MCU’s Phase Six.ascal’s performance is downplayed, taking a backseat to the film’s VIP, Vanessa Kirby.” – Fort Worth Report Aug 24, 2025 Full Review Oh, Hi! (2025) 64% 3/4 EDIT “See the film for the first-rate performances by Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman!” – Fort Worth Report Aug 24, 2025 Full Review Nobody 2 (2025) 76% 3/4 EDIT “Taking cues from the Griswold family, the action sequel entertains with another dose of Odenkirk’s everyman antihero.” – Fort Worth Report Aug 24, 2025 Full Review Relay (2024) 82% 3/4 EDIT “The cat-and-mouse thriller keeps you hooked, thanks to Riz Ahmed’s performance and David Mackenzie’s consistent tone and pacing, along with Giles Nuttgens’s fluid cinematography.” – Fort Worth Report Aug 24, 2025 Full Review Eden (2024) 58% 3/4 EDIT “Ron Howard gets bold and daring with a tense drama based on actual events. Law’s snarky doctor and Kirby’s spiteful Dore are entertaining to watch in a love-to-hate way. My VIP pick is Sydney Sweeney, who delivers an outstanding performance. ” – Fort Worth Report Aug 24, 2025 Full Review
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