“Ava” (2020) Podcast Movie Review

By Daniel Barnes on May 11, 2021

Ava (2020) – Dare Daniel Podcast Episode 88

“This is business.”

Derek and the Dominos cover band frontman Corky McDonnell and comedy understander Daniel Barnes confront Management with their review of the dreadful Ava. Jessica Chastain stars as the titular palindrome, a sensitive hitwoman confronting her tortured past. The film is vacuous and unoriginal without any real style or point-of-view, while a strong ensemble cast makes no effort.

Elsewhere, Daniel and Corky discuss port-a-potty church casino raves, TikTok assassinations and Joan Chen freak trains.

NEW DARE

Say It Isn’t So (Leo Logan)

AVA (2020) FACTS AND FIGURES

Daniel’s craft spirit: Gold River Distillery‘s Wheelhouse Malted Rice Whiskey

U.S. theatrical release date: Sept. 25, 2020

Worldwide box office: $3.3 million

Critics scores: 17 on Rotten Tomatoes; 39 on Metacritic

This week’s darer: Caroline Hostetler

IMDB synopsis: “Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high profile hits. When a job goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival.”

This week’s referenced movies: Goodfellas; Hercules in New York; The New Mutants; Midnight Cowboy; The Wizard of Oz; There’s Something About Mary; Rollerball (2002); Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li; The Pawnbroker; The Illustrated Man; The Help; Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse; the John Wick franchise; Fantastic Four; The Saint; The Bourne Supremacy; Across the Universe; Trainspotting; Bad Moms; Rawhead Rex; Forrest Gump; Swamp Thing; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner