Bill Garrison's Blog

I watched three movies this week, and each one hit me in a completely different way. Here are my thoughts—spoiler-free, quick, and honest.

You can still preorder the Kindle Version of my new novel, The Road to Ruin, at the link below.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

The Road to Ruin Preorder.

⭐ The Running Man (2025) — Glenn Powell

This is obviously a remake of the 1980s film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I watched the original probably 20–25 years ago, and I still remember the premise: a dystopian future run by massive corporations, a violent game show, and a hunted man whose struggle plays out live on national TV.

The new version keeps the same setup. Glenn Powell plays the contestant on the run, now motivated by the need to win money to save his daughter.

Comparing it to the original doesn’t really make sense — they were made in completely different eras, and the “first-watch magic” of the 1980s version is impossible to recapture.

So the real question is: Is the new one good on its own?

In some ways, yes. The world-building is cool, the action sequences are well-done, and Powell is solid in the role. But when the movie ended, it felt pretty forgettable. It couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a personal story about a father fighting to get home to his family, or a broader takedown of the system behind the Running Man show — and it didn’t fully commit to either.

Ranking:

The Running Man (2025): 1320 / 1707

Original Running Man (1980s): 225 / 1707

A gorgeous, well-acted movie… but ultimately below average in myoverall rankings.

⭐ Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

(Third film in the series)

The third installment brings back most of the cast — Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher — and introduces three young magicians who idolize the original Horsemen.

The premise is still amusing: magicians treated like global celebrities with massive fanbases. It’s not very believable, but you have to accept the setup to enjoy the ride.

The plot is pretty bland, but there are enjoyable moments, and it’s an easy streaming watch if you liked the first two movies.

Ranking:

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: 1324 / 1707

Definitely average or below.

⭐ Playdate — Kevin James & Alan Ritchson

This was the biggest surprise of the three.

Playdate is wildly different from most streaming movies — in tone, in pacing, in genre. It mixes buddy-comedy, family adventure, and action, and somehow the combination works. Kevin James and Alan Ritchson have great chemistry, the kids are strong actors, and the movie zips along. The first half barely slows down. The middle drags a little, but the ending picks back up.

We immediately know that Alan Ritchson’s character, Jeff, and his son CJ are different in some way. The movie reveals the twist about halfway through — and while the twist itself isn’t all that unique, the way the movie tells the story keeps things fun. Most of the surprises land, and a lot of them lead to genuine laughs.

It’s funny, strange, unpredictable, and stands out because it’s willing to be weird in ways other movies aren’t.

Honestly, this one could have even done well in theaters.

Ranking:

Playdate: 249 / 1707

A clear standout among modern streaming releases. I watched with my kids on Thanksgiving, then again with my wife the next night.

⭐ Final Ratings Recap

The Running Man (2025): 1320 / 1707

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: 1324 / 1707

Playdate: 249 / 1707

Playdate is the only one that truly rises above average — and it does so in a big way.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving & Black Friday Book Deals!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Today I’m sharing Chapter One from BOTH of my novels:
📘 The Road to Ruin (NEW!)
📕 The Day She Died (Best-seller)

📣 Both are ON SALE for Black Friday!
You’ll find ordering links below each preview.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

📘 The Road To Ruin — Chapter OneSummary

Christian author Bill Garrison has released The Road To Ruin, an exciting new thriller set in the world of corporate suspense. Tommy Knox is at the pinnacle of his profession. He has money, power and a beautiful girlfriend, but does not have the approval of his father. When he discovers fraud at Freeman Construction known as the Solomon Project, executives will stop at nothing to keep Tommy from exposing their deceitful activities.

People he considered friends are pressuring him to ignore what he has found. Tommy is betrayed and finds himself being blamed for the fraud. He turns to co-worker Lindy Ross for help. Lindy is struggling with her guilt over having a child out of wedlock and longs to provide a stable home for her son. With Lindy’s help, Tommy decides to fight back, and he must battle executives at Freeman and a ruthless killer with ties to state government.

Tommy realizes that reconciling with his estranged father may be the only way to expose the men behind the Solomon Project, salvage his career, and save his life.

📌 Pre-order the Kindle version here (Black Friday Sale!):
👉 The Road To Ruin – Kindle Edition by Bill Garrison
(Preorders count toward bestseller rankings on release day!)

Chapter 1

At midnight, whispers and shadows roamed the deserted streets. The darkness offered no protection for his life, or his soul. It would take a deliberate act for another person to come upon him tonight. The deliberate didn’t scare him; he could predict normal behavior. He worried about the unpredictable. The homeless bum, the unsupervised teenagers.

He also hated driving his own car. Someone could recognize the car or recall the license number. Paranoia, but justified paranoia. He glanced at his phone, then stifled a yawn and muttered a curse. He hated himself. He hated lying to his wife. He hated taking the risk that could destroy his innocent family.

Yet there weren’t any other options. At least it will be over soon.

He sat in his own car in a dark alley in the darkest part of town. Waiting. As he waited, memories of his children’s laughter filled his mind. He had promised them a better life, but now he risked everything. How had it come to this?

Finally, a car approached and rolled to a stop in front of his own. The bald man stepped onto the crumbling asphalt. Then, the back doors opened, and two men got out. The two men followed the bald man to his window. Now nervous, he handed over the packet.

“We want to count it. Wait.” The bald man returned to his own car.

As the courier, the deliverer, the “Moneyman,” he had no idea how much the packet contained. The bald man had never counted the money before. The bald man returned from his car and whispered something to one of his men. The men wore black and looked middle-aged and strong, and he didn’t have time to notice any more details before one of them pulled a gun.

“Get out of the car!”

His heart sank and tears began to form. His soul ached to be home with his family.

“Get out!”

As soon as he cracked the door, one of the men yanked it open. The other pulled him out and threw him against the wall of the back of a decrepit strip mall store. One man held him up while the other hit him.

They kept hitting him.

He doubled over at the repeated blows to the stomach. They stopped, he waited for more, expecting them to target his face next.

Instead, the man released him.

“That’s not all the money,” the bald man said, standing over him. “We want it all next time, plus $20,000 for our troubles.”

Battered, he dropped to the ground and lay in the fetal position, trying to recapture his breath. Through blurred vision, he watched the three men get in the car and drive away. He remained on the ground for what seemed like hours. He dragged himself off the ground and into the front seat. His breaths came in short, quick bursts. He started the car and left the alley.

While driving home, his anger boiled into a fury. They wanted more money. Why wasn’t all the money there? Who decided not to put all the money in the bag?

He imagined his wife waking in the morning and finding out her husband had been killed in a dark alley on the outskirts of town. She had no idea who he really was, and it broke his heart.

📕 The Day She Died — Chapter OneSummary

In this clean, time-travel whodunit, a middle-aged coffee shop owner always wondered what his life would have been like if he’d stayed in town the day his college fiancée disappeared—the victim of an unsolved crime.

One morning, he wakes up twenty years earlier and finds himself once again a student at the University of Oklahoma—on the very day she died.

What begins as a search for truth becomes a journey across time and faith. As he encounters people connected to Kim’s disappearance, he begins to see his life from new angles. Oddly enough, the past has changed—this time he’s a baseball player, and later, a pastor—two paths he never lived before. Can he finally uncover what happened to Kim? Or even prevent her death? And if he succeeds, what happens to the wife and children waiting for him in the present?

📌 Buy the E-book here (Black Friday Sale):
👉 The Day She Died – Kindle Edition by Bill Garrison
Paperback and audiobook also available!

Part One

Chapter 1

Darkness pulled at John, weighed him down like an anchor. Tendrils of knowledge and light penetrated his subconscious, lifting him toward the noise hammering against his mind.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, followed by heavy silence, not the usual Dora the Explorer from the living room television.

Would today be any better, or would Renee still not look him in the eyes?

The musty smell of dirty laundry wafted to his nose. Twisted covers. Brightness.

Brightness!

He threw the covers aside and swung his feet to the floor. Why hadn’t Renee or the kids awakened him?

He sat at the edge of the bed and looked around in stunned silence.

Heart pounding, he tried to make sense of it. This had to be a dream. But dreams were never this real, the smells never this strong, the colors never this bright. He squeezed his eyes shut, but he knew nothing would change. This was real.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

He shut off the alarm.

He sat on a twin bed in a small apartment. Not just any apartment. His old Village Square efficiency, the place he lived during the fall of 1992.

Could it be an elaborate prank? Would Dennis do something like this? Would Renee let him?

John stepped to the window. Overgrown weeds shot up through cracked asphalt. His dark gray 1988 Grand Am with the racing pinstripe, a car he’d relegated to the junk pile many years ago, sat in perfect condition, parked to the left of the front door.

He turned back to the room and took it all in. The bed with its sagging mattress served as chair, couch, and, of course, his bed. The ironing board, a permanent fixture in the kitchen, doubled as more shelf space when necessary.

The dirty laundry formed a pile in the corner between his bed and the wall. His pride and joy, a Compaq 386 computer, sat on top of a rickety computer desk that had taken him hours to put together. A TV rested on a milk crate with a VCR perched on top. It had been luxury… twenty-two years ago!

A clicking noise caused him to jump.

The window air conditioning unit powered up and began delivering ice cold air.

This wasn’t a joke. This was his old apartment.

The phone rang.

John stared at the phone on the dresser. It kept ringing. Four rings. Five. Six. No answering machine. No Caller ID.

Should he answer it? He shrugged. Why not? “Hello.”

“Are you coming over or what?” Music pounded in the background, the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime.” He recognized the voice right away. Dennis Vance.

“Um, sure. What time?”

“Now would be good. Don’t forget the money. I have the tickets.” Dennis hung up.

Tickets? The memory slammed into his mind. The Red River Rivalry. The Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns football game at the Texas State Fair. Dennis had gotten him seats on the forty-five yard line that year. His hand tightened around the phone.

No! It couldn’t be.

He swallowed, and his gaze darted around the room for anything that would tell him the date. He dropped the receiver onto the dresser. His trembling fingers grabbed the Oklahoma Daily, the college newspaper, off the kitchen counter, where a cockroach scurried away.

John’s heart pounded out of his chest as he focused on the date.

October 9, 1992.

The day Kim disappeared.

The worst day of his life, and he was living it again.

He clenched his fist and slammed it into the refrigerator. The appliance shook, and a framed picture of his parents and younger siblings fell from the wall onto the vinyl kitchen floor. The glass shattered. John shook the pain out of his hand. You didn’t feel pain in dreams.

He grabbed a pair of Levi’s off the floor and pulled them on. They fastened so easily, a sensation he hadn’t experienced in a while with his slowly expanding waistline. Putting on a Sooners sweatshirt, he stepped into the tiny bathroom.

He leaned toward the mirror and stopped cold. A smooth face with thick, dark hair stared back at him. No wrinkles and no gray hair. Somehow, someone or something had reached into the life of John Michaels, forty-five-year-old coffee shop owner, and transported him back into the life and body of a twenty-three-year-old college student.

How had this happened? Why did it happen? Fear stole into his heart, but he pushed it away.

He grabbed his watch. Two fifteen. Tickets could wait. He still had time.

He took his wallet and keys from the ironing board, but couldn’t find his phone. He threw clothes and papers across the room looking for it. He’d lost the stupid thing again.

No, wait. He halted his frenzied search. He didn’t have a cell phone in 1992. No one did.

He grabbed his watch. Two fifteen. Tickets could wait. He still had time. Maybe he could change the past.

He picked up the cordless phone again. His fingers, white with fear, clenched the receiver as he dialed Kim’s number from memory, even after so many years.

The phone rang. And rang again. No answer.

“I can do this; I can do this.” He searched his memories. The police had talked to all of Kim’s acquaintances, but never figured out her exact movements that day. Except for one thing . . . she . . . had last been seen going to Gittinger Hall on the South Oval of the University of Oklahoma campus.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Intro

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

We just finished watching The Lowdown on FX and Hulu, starring Ethan Hawke — and there’s a lot to like about it. It’s sharp, funny, full of eccentric characters, and best of all, it’s set in Tulsa, my hometown. Between Tulsa King and The Lowdown , the city has had quite a bit of screen time lately.

Growing up there, I remember when Tex (with Matt Dillon) filmed scenes in my high-school gym. Of course, The Outsiders was set in Tulsa too, and even Friends sent Chandler here for a storyline. The iconic Weird Al movie, UHF, was also filmed in Tulsa. Apparently, Hollywood’s rediscovered our red-dirt charm.

The Story

The Lowdown runs eight episodes, each about 40–50 minutes. Ethan Hawke plays Lee Raybon, a quirky bookstore owner who moonlights as a long-form journalist for an independent paper. He labels himself as a “truthstorian.” At the start, he’s just published an exposé on the Washburns — a powerful Oklahoma family whose patriarch Donald is running for governor.

When one of the Washburn brothers, Dale (Tulsa’s Tim Blake Nelson), dies by apparent suicide, Lee suspects there’s more to the story. What follows is a wild blend of mystery, satire, and political intrigue as Lee chases the truth through a maze of corruption, secrets, and unexpected allies.

The Positives

Hawke is terrific — he completely inhabits Lee Raybon’s offbeat energy and restless curiosity. The supporting cast adds real texture, especially his stepdaughter, ex-wife, and a conflicted campaign aide torn between loyalty and conscience. Even the small characters, like the people who have businesses next to Lee’s bookstore bring character, humor, and realism to the show.

The show’s first six episodes are packed with bizarre, funny, and unpredictable moments — the kind where you find yourself saying, “I can’t believe that just happened.” It’s part Better Call Saul , part Justified , and part Oklahoma fever dream.

The Negatives

If there’s one letdown, it’s that the central mystery loses emotional depth over time. The story that starts as a personal investigation into Dale Washburn’s death shifts toward corporate and political maneuvering. The last few episodes trade the absurd humor for heavier plot work — still interesting, but not as much fun.

I also found it unrealistic that as a candidate for governor of an entire state, Donald Washburg would be spending so much time in the seedier parts of Tulsa.

Tulsa on Screen

Tulsa looks gritty, weird, and fascinating — not the polished version tourists see, but the diners, side streets, and warehouses that locals recognize. Basically, it looks like North Tulsa is where most of the show takes place.

At first, I thought the show painted Oklahoma unfairly. The would-be governor’s circle includes people with racist views, the police don’t come off great, and there’s tension with Native American communities. But the show handles it more as realism than accusation.

The Tulsa Race Massacre is referenced but not exploited, and while the series might lean slightly liberal in tone, it doesn’t feel hostile. It just reflects one artist’s perspective — and that’s fine. I don’t have to agree with every viewpoint to appreciate good storytelling.

Final Thoughts

Despite its flaws, The Lowdown is clever, bold, and full of great characters. It’s violent and profane at times, but never dull. It doesn’t exactly portray Tulsans or Oklahoma as I would like, but I would still recommend it for anyone who enjoys dark comedy, political thrillers, or watching Ethan Hawke disappear into another fascinating role.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (8/10)
Streaming on: FX and Hulu

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I’ve written about movies, TV shows, and books — all the usual corners of pop culture. But I’ve never written about music. The truth is, music has never really clicked with me. It doesn’t hold the same place in my life that films or novels do. Even as a kid sitting in church, I remember hoping the music would be over soon so we could sit down. To this day, as much as I hate being late to anything, I don’t mind showing up to church a few minutes after the music starts.

Why is that? I’m not sure. My grandpa was incredibly talented musically, my dad could play piano by ear and sang in a trio for years, and my mom has sung in the church choir her entire life. Somehow, all that musical talent and passion skipped right over me.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

My oldest son got it, though — he plays guitar beautifully and loves all kinds of music. Growing up, my parents didn’t let me listen to much pop radio, and that probably shaped how I viewed music. I liked “Weird Al” Yankovic because he made me laugh, and I listened to DC Talk and TobyMac because they had a message. But I had a passion for music or other artists.

Until NF. He has a new EP, Fear, out today, so I wanted to talk about his music.

NF: The Storyteller Who Raps About Real Life

Nathan Feuerstein — NF — doesn’t just rap; he tells stories. Honest, raw, vulnerable stories. His songs sound like journal entries set to orchestral beats. You don’t have to love rap to appreciate what he’s doing — you just have to love truth. His tagline is “Real Music,” and much of his music is about his personal struggles with OCD and dealing with the death of his mom.

He started out as a Christian rapper. He made the transition to mainstream music and hit it big with his hit, “Let You Down,” from his Perception album. He’s still a rapper who happens to be a Christian.

What pulls me in is the same thing that makes me love great movies and books: story and emotion. NF’s music is full of both. He’s not chasing trends, not flexing wealth or fame — he’s wrestling with himself, with God, with pain and purpose.

He doesn’t use explicit lyrics, but his songs hit harder than most “edgy” artists out there. He’s open about anxiety, faith, fame, doubt, and mental health — all wrapped in a cinematic soundscape.

Six Music Videos That Tell a Story

If you want to see how NF’s storytelling unfolds, watch these six videos in order. I love the stories these songs and videos tell, but except for Outro, they aren’t really my favorites. They don’t have replay value for me because I can’t really relate to his story. But I appreciate and enjoy them as art — and I understand how powerful they are to many people.

Each one has a beginning, middle, and end — together they create a deeply personal narrative arc:

🎥 Mansion (from the album Mansion) — This defines NF’s universe. It introduces the “house” that represents his mind and the rooms that hold his pain, anger, and memories. It’s where his story begins.

🎬 Outro (from Perception) — A powerful visual summary of where he’s been and where he’s headed. You can feel him closing one chapter and preparing for what’s next.

🔍 The Search (from The Search) — A visual metaphor for wandering through life’s confusion, carrying burdens (represented by balloons) and questions, looking for peace.

🚫 Leave Me Alone (also from The Search) — Ties directly to The Search. It shows NF battling the voices in his head and the weight of fame.

💡 Hope (from Hope) — A shift toward light. NF confronts his past self and begins to find freedom, faith, and purpose.

⚡ Fear (from the new Fear EP, November 14)* — The newest chapter. It feels like all the progress NF made in Hope was lost in Fear. He admits as much in this beautiful but haunting song. This is the true nature of mental illness, I guess. While I liked the song, it isn’t one I’ll have on replay — but it continues the story told through his videos. I have a feeling the story is far from over.

Together, these six tracks tell a complete story — from trauma to healing, to regression. It’s like watching a movie.

My Top 10 NF Songs (Personal Favorites)

This list isn’t based on the popularity of the songs or the artistry of the videos — it’s simply about what connects with me the most. These are the NF tracks I listen to over and over.

Running – Honest and reflective, a quiet confession that feels like closure. NF at his most vulnerable.

Clouds – Confident, sharp, and full of clever wordplay. A reminder that he can mix humility with swagger when he needs to. A great video.

Trust (feat. Tech N9ne) – A technical masterpiece. The flow and precision here are incredible. Evidently, Tech N9ne is a master of the craft.

Outro – A perfect summary of where NF had been and where he was headed next — intense, determined, and self-aware.

Paralyzed – Haunting and emotional. It captures that numb feeling when you’re trapped inside your own mind. I related to this one a lot.

Lost in the Moment – Cinematic and tense, like a movie scene set to music. NF wrestling with time, regret, and purpose.

Just Like You – One of his most relatable songs. It’s encouraging, honest, and grounded — a message that everyone struggles. Great vocals by Andreas Moss.

I Miss the Days – Nostalgic and heartfelt. It’s about longing for simpler times before the pressure and fame. Great gospel choir feel.

Remember This – Feels like life advice wrapped in a beat. Every line hits with conviction.

I’ll Keep On – A raw statement of perseverance and faith. Humble, prayerful, and powerful — the perfect closer.

Closing Thoughts

I’m not a music “person” or expert, but NF is definitely my favorite. His videos are like movies — epic and powerful. As he has transformed from a “Christian rapper” to a rapper who is a Christian, the message of his music has remained powerful and relevant.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Cover Reveal: The Road to Ruin

Today, I’m excited to reveal the cover of my new book, The Road to Ruin!
You can pre-order the Kindle version now on Amazon using the link below. When the book officially releases on December 16, the paperback edition will also be available.

Several years ago, when I first came up with the idea for this novel, I originally called it The Solomon Project. I liked the biblical connection, something that was common in Christian fiction at the time, but in truth, the word “Solomon” didn’t have much to do with the story itself. While there is a “Solomon Project” mentioned in the novel, it’s simply a term I created for the plot.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

As I got closer to publication, I wanted a title that revealed more about the heart of the book—and that tied in thematically with my previous novel, The Day She Died. That led me to The Man He Never Knew, which fit the father-son relationship at the core of the story.

However, after working with my talented cover designer Jeff Gerke (who also designed my first book), I realized the cover’s imagery—featuring both a man and a woman—might confuse readers. The title refers to two men, but the cover had a man and a woman (to represent the relationship between Tommy Knox and Lindy Ross).

I moved on to a new title, one that reflected the novel’s tension, danger, and emotion.

That’s how I landed on The Road to Ruin.
It’s stark. It’s powerful. And I think the cover captures the story perfectly.

Here it is 👇

You can preorder at the link below:

[🔗 Amazon Pre-Order Link]

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I didn’t grow up reading all the time, but I still remember when that started to change. In sixth or seventh grade, my friend Brandon Shaw gave me a stack of books for my birthday. One of them was Icebreaker by John Gardner — a James Bond novel. I didn’t read much else back then, but I read every single John Gardner Bond book after that.

In college, I started reading regularly for the first time. That’s when I got into Tom Clancy and Larry Bond — those big, global thrillers full of submarines, spies, and political tension. After college, when I had an office job and had kids, I made reading part of my daily routine. I’d read during lunch breaks or while waiting at my kids’ practices.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Over the years, I moved on to authors like John Grisham, James Patterson, Lisa Gardner, and Karin Slaughter. I don’t have as much time to read as I used to, but every now and then a book grabs me hard enough that I’ll stop what I’m doing and make time for it.

The first audiobooks I ever listened to were the Left Behind series. I remember wondering why the narrator kept trying to imitate the female voices — it sounded awful — but when I worked for the Turnpike Authority and spent long hours driving, books on tape made those days bearable.

Reading has shaped how I write. I’ve mentioned before that Richard North Patterson had a big influence on me — his pacing, realism, and sense of moral weight. Every writer should read as much as they can. That’s how you grow.

The Spreadsheet Years

Back in 1995, I started something that I’ve kept up ever since: a spreadsheet tracking every book I’ve ever read. Each one gets a score in four categories — characters, depth of plot, thrills, and an overall rating. Most books tend to score about the same across categories, but every now and then one stands out — maybe great characters but an average plot, or a slow start that ends up packing a huge emotional punch.

Looking at that list now, I can see how much my reading habits — and my ratings — have evolved. When you first discover an author who completely captures your imagination, that first book makes a huge impression. You read everything they’ve written, but by book ten, even if the story is just as good, it doesn’t feel as new or surprising.

That’s definitely true for me with John Sandford and his Lucas Davenport series. I still love them, but the first one I read will always be rated the highest — not necessarily because it’s the best, but because it was the one that hooked me.

My Top 10 Books

Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

The Rainmaker – John Grisham

Kiss the Girls – James Patterson

Black Light – Stephen Hunter

Mortal Prey (audio) – John Sandford

Silent Witness – Richard North Patterson

No Second Chance (audio) – Harlan Coben

Replay – Ken Grimwood

Debt of Honor – Tom Clancy

World Without End – Ken Follett

Looking at my list of favorite books, I’d have to say Atlas Shrugged probably shouldn’t be number one. I think I rated it so high partly because I was proud of myself for finishing it. Then you look at the other books — The Rainmaker, Kiss the Girls, Black Light — and realize they were all “first impression” books. They were the first books I read by those authors, and they hit me hard at the time.

Ken Grimwood’s Replay is an amazing book, and the only book I’ve ever read more than once. It’s a great time-travel story, and I have to admit it had a really big influence on The Day She Died.

The problem with re-ranking everything now is that I don’t remember a lot of those books as clearly anymore, so I’ll probably stick with my old rankings. And some of those authors I just don’t read anymore. I don’t think Richard North Patterson is even writing now. I still read Harlan Coben, Ken Follett, and John Sandford, and I try to keep up with Stephen Hunter. I’ve mostly stopped reading James Patterson, although I still like his NYPD Red series. I even stopped reading John Grisham.

So I guess it’s clear my tastes have changed over the years — but at the same time, they really haven’t. I still gravitate toward the same kinds of stories: smart thrillers, strong characters, and plots that keep you turning the pages.

And maybe that’s why I write the kind of stories I do now — stories about ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations, where truth and faith still matter. Those books I grew up reading didn’t just entertain me. They taught me what makes a story worth telling.

In future posts, I plan to cover some of my favorite Christian novels, and I want to get back to my series about streaming movies that could have made it big in theaters. Apple is next! But, for my next post, I plan on revealing the cover to my new novel, The Road To Ruin.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

As I dive into writing about pop culture and promoting my new novel, this is my first post about books I’ve read — and it feels right to start here.

Over the years, I’ve tried to read as much of Andrew Klavan’s fiction as possible. I especially enjoyed his Weiss & Bishop detective trilogy — fast-paced, gritty, and packed with sharp dialogue, moral complexity, and a narrator who wrestles with faith. It was one of Klavan’s early efforts to weave Christian ideas into mainstream fiction.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

His latest series, featuring Cameron Winter, has gotten better with each book, in my opinion. I’ve come to see Klavan (through his writing and worldview) as something of a spiritual mentor, a political sage, and — yes — an all-around annoyance to my wife (she insists women are perfectly capable of reason).

I can’t remember exactly when I realized Klavan was politically conservative, but I do remember discovering that he wrote the books that became the films True Crime and Don’t Say a Word. Since then, I’ve followed his work closely — and the Cameron Winter series might be his most layered creation yet.

The Cameron Winter SeriesWhen Christmas Comes (2021)

Summary:
English professor — and former covert operative — Cameron Winter is drawn into the murder of a beloved small-town librarian, Jennifer Dean. Her boyfriend, an ex–Army Ranger, confesses to the crime, but Winter senses something deeper. As he investigates, he confronts his own haunted past and the loneliness that shadows his quiet academic life.

Why it matters:
This first book establishes the tone and structure of the series: a crime story entwined with Winter’s inner life. His “habit of mind,” the ability to mentally reconstruct crime scenes, becomes his defining gift and burden.

My thoughts:
The plot twist wasn’t particularly shocking, but the book’s emotional depth stood out. Klavan uses the story to explore Winter’s childhood and his first love — Charlotte, a few years older than he was when they met. That early attachment shapes how he sees women and love for the rest of his life.

A Strange Habit of Mind (2022)

Summary:
When a former student texts Winter “Help me” and then leaps to his death from a San Francisco rooftop, Winter travels west to uncover the truth. His search leads to Gerald Byrne, a sinister tech billionaire whose empire manipulates minds and lives. Winter’s investigation blurs the lines between psychological control and personal guilt.

Why it matters:
This entry moves the series into the modern world of Big Tech and power, expanding Winter’s moral and investigative scope.

My thoughts:
I don’t remember this book as clearly as the others, but it marked a shift — showing Winter stepping beyond the classroom and into a world shaped by corruption and control.

The House of Love and Death (2023)

Summary:
A mansion in an affluent Chicago suburb burns to the ground, leaving four people dead — all shot before the fire started. Only a young boy survives. Winter is drawn into the investigation and discovers layers of deceit, privilege, and long-buried sin behind the tragedy.

Why it matters:
This novel deepens Winter’s inner conflict and places him squarely in the role of investigator rather than reluctant observer.

My thoughts:
I thought this was one of the best in the series. It returns to a smaller-town setting and introduces a new possible love interest, Gwendolyn Lord, who adds emotional complexity to the story. There’s also an unforgettable flashback sequence that reveals more about Winter’s secret past.

A Woman Underground (2024)

Summary:
Winter becomes entangled in overlapping mysteries — a missing college student, his long-lost love Charlotte, and a resurfaced mission from his covert-ops past. As political unrest and violence spread through major cities, Winter finds himself confronting both external danger and his own ghosts.

Why it matters:
The personal and the political collide here. Klavan uses the story to explore themes of faith, violence, ideology, and redemption.

My thoughts:
This is my favorite book in the series so far. It brings back Charlotte, ties together multiple threads from earlier novels, and unfolds during a time of left-wing riots and moral confusion. It’s also where Klavan experiments with structure — using a novel-within-the-novel device that I usually dislike, but here it works surprisingly well.

After That, the Dark (2025 — forthcoming)

Summary:
Cameron Winter is falling in love. After finally working up the courage to contact the attractive therapist Gwendolyn Lord, he finds himself immersed in a passion that feels heaven-sent. When Gwendolyn tells him about a true-life “locked room mystery,” Winter feels compelled to investigate.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a solid citizen named Owen McKay suddenly went mad and killed his wife and child. Locked in a padded cell and monitored on video, he was nonetheless discovered dead from a projectile fired into his head. As Winter begins to ask questions, he finds Tulsa officials have been intimidated into silence by a killer who once tried to attack Winter during his days as a government assassin.

What’s more, another mysterious death — just like McKay’s — has taken place in Connecticut. And both murders seem linked to a sinister billionaire who once clashed with Winter’s old mentor, the Recruiter.

Winter’s past and present are coming together in a single dangerous conspiracy. And though he desperately wants to escape his career as an assassin, his love for Gwendolyn is deepening quickly — and he will do anything, and kill anyone, to protect her.

Why it matters:
If the previous four books chart his fall and self-discovery, this one may bring him face to face with the darkness he’s spent his life escaping.

My Thoughts on the Series as a Whole

The Cameron Winter novels aren’t overtly political or religious, but they do reflect Andrew Klavan’s worldview — moral, spiritual, and unapologetically conservative. That’s not a flaw; it’s part of what gives the series its identity. Klavan writes from a deeply moral perspective, which naturally shapes his characters and their choices.

Some readers on Goodreads have criticized this, saying it distracts from the mystery, but I disagree. Some of my favorite authors — John Sandford and Michael Connelly, for instance — weave their worldviews into their stories too. It’s believable. Real people bring their beliefs into everything they do, so why shouldn’t fictional detectives?

Klavan seems to have designed the Cameron Winter series to explore these deeper questions — not through sermons, but through Winter’s haunted conscience. Each book balances the outer mystery with Winter’s internal one, revealed through therapy sessions and flashbacks with the Recruiter, the enigmatic figure who once brought him into a covert agency. In the audiobooks, the Recruiter’s voice is fantastic — manic, darkly witty, and philosophical.

Storytelling and Structure

I’ve always been fascinated by the way authors choose to tell their stories. Some go straight through the timeline; others play with structure, weaving past and present together until they mirror each other.

Richard North Patterson was the first author who showed me how powerful that can be — his novels often pause the main story and jump back decades to reveal something essential. Gillian McAllister does this too, using shifting timelines and overlapping realities. Her Famous Last Words uses a book-within-a-book device that didn’t quite land for me, but Just Another Missing Person pulls off the shifting timelines beautifully.

In my own writing — particularly The Day She Died — I use time travel to split the story into two distinct parts: Part One in the past, Part Two in the present. My upcoming novel, The Road to Ruin, doesn’t rely on time travel but still uses flashbacks to reveal key moments from the main character’s past.

Final Thoughts

What makes Klavan’s work stand out — and what keeps me coming back — is his willingness to tackle spiritual growth in a genre that usually avoids it.

When I think of my other favorite writers — Harlan Coben, John Sandford, and Michael Connelly — their main characters (Myron Bolitar, Lucas Davenport, and Harry Bosch) evolve professionally and personally, but rarely in matters of faith or morality.

Cameron Winter, by contrast, is a man wrestling not only with crime but with his own soul. That’s rare, and it’s what makes this series so memorable. With the fifth book arriving soon, I’d say this five-book journey is absolutely worth taking.

Andrew Klavan remains one of the best — an author unafraid to tell the truth as he sees it, and to let his characters live in the light and shadow of that truth.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I just watched The Last Bus, the new Apple TV+ movie starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Paul Greengrass — and it’s one of those films that feels like it should have been released in theaters. This movie ties in perfectly with my series about streaming films that could have done really well on the big screen. I covered Amazon Prime movies in a recent post and will be covering Apple titles soon.

With Greengrass (who directed United 93 and two of the Jason Bourne films) behind the camera and McConaughey in the lead, you can feel the cinematic weight from the very beginning. The movie centers on the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California — something I admittedly knew very little about going in. But once the story began, I was pulled in completely.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

The Story

The fire starts at the base of a powerline and spreads almost instantly. The film captures how impossible it is for first responders to stop something that powerful once it’s moving. The chaos, the speed, the confusion — all of it feels real. Communication breaks down, evacuation orders come too late for some, and the sense of panic is overwhelming.

Amid all this, McConaughey plays Kevin, a man who volunteers to help a group of children whose parents can’t reach them in time. Alongside a teacher, played by America Ferrera, he sets out to lead them to safety through a landscape that’s literally burning around them.

The film alternates between Kevin and the kids on one side, and the desperate Cal Fire team led by Chief Martinez (Yul Vazquez) on the other. You can sense the dread and hopelessness in the fire crews as they realize they’re fighting a losing battle. The exhaustion, the radio chatter, the helpless looks — it’s all hauntingly believable. As they slowly accept that they can’t stop the fire, that realization feeds the sense of doom surrounding Kevin and the students, tightening the emotional grip on the audience.

The Middle Stretch

About two-thirds through the movie, the story slows down. The kids on the bus are hot, thirsty, and struggling with the smoke and heat. It’s a quieter stretch that lets the audience breathe before the movie gears up for its final act. The children stay surprisingly calm — no screaming, no chaos. At first, I thought they seemed too composed for what was happening, but in hindsight, it probably mirrors reality more than we think. After all, they did survive.

This section also gives more insight into Kevin. Early on, the movie sets him up as a down-on-his-luck single dad and an unreliable bus driver trying to hold things together. The dispatcher character is a perfect foil — she believes in him but doesn’t always trust him to do the right thing. That tension makes his decision to step up during the fire even more powerful. His choice to help the kids is even more compelling given that he fears his own son and mother may be trapped in the blaze.

The Climax

As the fire closes in, the movie shifts back into high gear. Kevin and the kids face one obstacle after another — blocked roads, falling debris, and the terrifying reality that there’s no clear path to safety. Paul Greengrass directs these scenes with his signature intensity: shaky camera work, quick cuts, and a sense of chaos that still feels grounded.

What really stands out is Kevin’s transformation. The man who once struggled to show up for work now refuses to give up on these kids, no matter the cost. McConaughey plays him with quiet determination instead of movie-hero bravado, which makes the story’s emotional payoff hit even harder.

Faith, Politics, and the Fire Itself

From a Christian and conservative angle, one thing stood out to me: none of the characters ever mention praying for help. Even the most hardened person will pray when their life is at stake. I’m not saying the movie needed a sermon, but a single moment of faith — even desperation — would have added realism and depth to the story.

And while the California wildfires are a deeply political issue — especially with last year’s fires reigniting debates about land management and government response — The Last Bus mostly sidesteps that. The fire chief makes one brief statement at a press conference, but otherwise the film doesn’t take sides. Still, the sheer overwhelming power of the fire almost makes its own political and moral statement: sometimes nature doesn’t wait for government to get its act together.

Final Thoughts

As someone from Oklahoma, I can’t fully grasp what Californians go through with wildfires, just as they might not understand what it’s like to face a tornado. But The Last Bus bridges that gap. It puts you there — in the fear, the chaos, and the humanity that rises up in the middle of it.

It’s a gripping, emotional movie that deserved a big-screen release. Does Apple hope to get more subscribers by creating movies like this, or are they just trying to give quality content to their current ones? I don’t know, but it’s sad that the model of releasing high-quality, mid-budget dramas in theaters has mostly disappeared.

My Score: The Last Bus ranks #187 out of 1,703 movies I’ve seen — putting it solidly in the top 10%. That’s high praise from me. I’d give it 9 out of 10 for Box Office Potential, because with Greengrass and McConaughey at the helm, this easily could have been a major theatrical hit.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Play Dirty: Shane Black’s Stylish Return, Minus the Stakes

I went into Play Dirty curious. I just wrote about Amazon Prime movies I’ve seen and whether I thought they could make it in theaters. This movie is a perfect test case for that. Mark Wahlberg starring in a Shane Black movie sounded like a throwback to the kind of crime thrillers Hollywood used to make — fast-talking, violent, and funny in that offbeat Shane Black way. Black wrote Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang — all built around the same DNA: flawed men, hard-boiled action, and snappy dialogue.

Those movies were big in the ’80s and ’90s, but we don’t see many like them anymore. So when Play Dirty hit streaming, I wondered if it might bring that energy back — a slick, mid-budget, non-franchise crime story at a time when almost everything in theaters is either a sequel or a superhero movie.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

The Movie: Smart Setup, Uneven Execution

Wahlberg plays Parker, a crook and thief adapted from Donald Westlake’s novels. I’ve read a few of Westlake’s books, but none of the “Parker” series, so it’s new to me. He’s not a hero — he steals, lies, and kills his way through high-stakes heists. From the opening scenes, the movie establishes that world fast. But something feels off almost immediately: the sheer amount of killing.

Parker and his crew take down bad guys, but innocent bystanders also die — casually, without hesitation or guilt. I’ve seen plenty of violent movies, but the randomness here is what stood out. It’s unclear whether the violence is meant to be satirical, the way Shane Black sometimes exaggerates things for dark comedy, or whether it’s just lazy storytelling. Either way, it dulls the impact.

The first half of the movie moves briskly, mixing action with Shane Black’s trademark wit — a few clever one-liners, a few moments that almost feel like self-parody. But the film really comes alive once Parker meets his team. Led by Keegan-Michael Key, the group dynamic is easily the most enjoyable part of the movie. The banter works, the chemistry clicks, and it feels like we’re watching a better, more playful film within the film.

Honestly, Play Dirty might’ve been stronger if the whole movie revolved around the crew. Those sections are fun to watch, even if the comedy isn’t consistent. They remind you how good Shane Black can be at creating characters who irritate and amuse each other at the same time.

What Doesn’t Work

For all its momentum, the movie never quite finds its tone. The blend of comedy and brutality doesn’t gel. It’s too violent to be lighthearted, too glib to be serious.

By the time we reach the final act, a late plot reveal tries to explain the reckless violence, but the motivation is weak and unconvincing. The bigger problem is that the movie never makes us feel like Parker is really in danger. There’s no real tension, no sense of risk. He’s always one step ahead, always confident, always bulletproof — which makes the stakes feel weightless.

That’s what separates this from Shane Black’s best work. In Lethal Weapon or The Nice Guys, the heroes were funny but vulnerable; the danger felt real even when the dialogue sparkled. In Play Dirty, it’s like the heart fell out somewhere along the way.

Would It Have Worked in Theaters?

Honestly, maybe. With Wahlberg’s star power and a marketing push behind Shane Black’s name, Play Dirty could’ve opened well. It feels cinematic enough — big cast, clean action, stylish direction — to deserve a theatrical run.

But I’m not sure how far it would’ve gone. Shane Black’s biggest hits were twenty or thirty years ago, and his brand of cynical, wisecracking action might not connect with today’s audiences in the same way.

It’s also worth noting how rare a film like this is now. I remember when Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz came out in 2010 — people pointed out that it was an original action story. That was more than a decade ago. Since then, the only action movies that seem to make money are sequels or comic-book properties.

Technically, Play Dirty is based on a book, but for most viewers it will feel original — and that’s part of its charm. Unless you remember Payback, the 1999 Mel Gibson film based on the same Parker novels, you’d never know this story wasn’t completely new. And in today’s landscape, that alone makes it stand out.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed Play Dirty. It’s entertaining in stretches, especially when Wahlberg and his crew are on screen together. But the violence — and the lack of emotional weight behind it — kept nagging at me. It’s a slick movie that looks and feels like a throwback, but it doesn’t carry the same spark or moral center that made Shane Black’s classics work.

Maybe that’s just where we are now. Play Dirty is a reminder of a kind of movie that used to dominate theaters — star-driven, funny, violent, and a little dangerous — and how hard it’s become to make those films resonate in the modern era.

I’ve covered the Christian/Conservative angle on other movies I’ve reviewed. This one’s a standard thriller with violence, language, and brief nudity. The interesting part is Wahlberg — a strong and public professing Catholic — playing this kind of role. No judgment from me at all. The question of whether Christians should take parts like this is a whole other conversation, and not one I’m looking to cover here.

Overall Rank: 688 out of 1,702
It rates in the top third of the movies I’ve seen. It gets that high despite its flaws, because of its originality and humor.
Box Office Potential: 6 out of 10

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

🎬 Where Have the Moviegoers Gone?

I love movies. I love the thrill of watching a new trailer in the theater—or now, as it usually happens, on YouTube.
I love reading reviews, following the box office, and diving into opinion pieces about why certain blockbusters succeed while others flop.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Every year brings a new round of analysis about the state of the box office. Some years it rebounds, other years it sinks, and ever since COVID there’s been a steady stream of articles trying to explain why movie theaters are struggling.

That’s where people like John Nolte at Breitbart come in. Nolte has been one of the loudest voices arguing that Hollywood’s wounds are self-inflicted:

“Hollywood is blaming everything but itself for its own failure to produce appealing movies.”
“The problem is not streaming, the pandemic, or a lack of product. The problem is the appeal of the product — the product is movies.”

He’s written repeatedly that the few breakout hits—like Top Gun: Maverick, Sound of Freedom, or Barbie—succeed because they’re fun, sexy, and unapologetic, while the flops are “woke, sexless, and joyless.”
His point: when Hollywood stops preaching and starts entertaining, audiences show up.

Other analysts see deeper shifts at work:

📰 The Los Angeles Times notes that “many people, especially families, are content to wait for movies to land on streaming, rather than paying for theater tickets.”

💰 Forbes argues that “Hollywood’s most ambitious and costly films increasingly bypass the big screen, premiering instead on streaming platforms—siphoning audiences that once would have been the bedrock of box-office success.”

🎓 And an academic study by Souza, Nishijima & Rodrigues found that the rise of Netflix’s streaming platform is associated with a 14 – 17 percent drop in domestic box-office revenue.

Together these perspectives frame the debate: Nolte blames bad product and ideological filmmaking; others point to streaming and changing viewing habits as the real culprits behind the box-office collapse.

The explanations we hear most often—superhero fatigue, endless sequels, COVID hangover, or streaming—are all partly true. But it made me start asking a bigger question:

Has Hollywood really lost its touch, or has its creativity and talent simply migrated to streaming?

🎞️ The Truth Is Probably Both

Hollywood has fallen into habits that weaken its own movies. Too many blockbusters feel oddly sexless—they have attractive leads but no spark, no chemistry, no real human tension. (Just look at most of the Marvel output.) The industry seems afraid of sincerity, romance, or even basic fun.

At the same time, the hits that have broken through—Top Gun: Maverick, Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Sound of Freedom—prove that audiences still crave movies that make them feel something.
When studios deliver spectacle, heart, or even controversy, people show up. Maverick pulled in more than $700 million domestically. Sound of Freedom quietly out-grossed major franchise films. Barbie turned a toy movie into a pop-culture event.

Those aren’t flukes; they’re proof there’s still a formula for success.

But here’s the other half of it: I can’t help wondering how many potential hits never even got the chance.
How many mid-budget comedies, thrillers, or dramas that might have made real money in theaters ended up quietly debuting on Netflix, Prime, or Apple TV+?

Maybe Hollywood hasn’t lost its creativity—it’s just spread across too many platforms.

That’s what led me to look at the streaming movies I’ve watched recently and ask a simple question:

Would these films have worked at the box office?

In the next few posts, I’ll look at each major streamer—starting with Amazon Prime—to see where the real movie magic has gone.

🎥 Amazon Prime: The Theatrical Hits That Never Were

All of the streamers follow the old Hollywood model to some extent: big stars and unique movies. The steaming movies are unique because they are mostly original stories. Lets take a look at the Amazon Prime movies I have seen over the last few years.

Below isn’t an exhaustive list, just the movies I’ve personally watched on Prime.
They’re ranked by how I rated them at the time (out of 1,701 films).
Could any of these have been box-office hits? Maybe. Each would have had a marketing campaign and a real theatrical push to get the public interested.

Rank: 207 (out of 1700). All the Old Knives (2022)

Stars: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne
Genre: Spy Thriller

Two former CIA lovers reunite years later to uncover a mole in a deadly terrorist incident.
💭 Thoughts: My first thoughts were this reminded me of the 1980s thriller No Way Out with Kevin Costner. All the Old Knives is a sexy spy thriller full of twists and turns.

Box-Office Potential: This film has known starts, but not box office draws. I enjoyed the slow burn suspense of it, but it probably wouldn’t have appealed to a wide audience.

4 out of 10 Box-Office Potential.

311. The Big Sick (2017)

Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Genre: Romantic Comedy / Drama

A Pakistani comedian and his girlfriend navigate love, illness, and cultural differences in a heartfelt true story.
💭 Thoughts: I love a good rom-com and this one was a lot of fun. The cultural differences create a natural barrier the couple most overcome.

Box-Office Potential: This one actually had a solid box office run. Before I realized that, I was thinking this movie was an old-school romantic comedy and could have done well at the box office. I was right. 😊

378. The Tender Bar (2021)

Stars: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Christopher Lloyd
Genre: Coming-of-Age Drama

A boy growing up in 1970s Long Island finds fatherly guidance from his uncle and the patrons of a local bar.
💭 Thoughts: An enjoyable drama. Ben Affleck is always fun to watch

Box-Office Potential: Probably could have done decent as a Ben Affleck/George Clooney (director) movie. But, is there a market for biographical dramas, even with big stars? I haven’t seen many at the box office, so I don’t know if it isn’t because they wouldn’t do well, or because they aren’t even an option for ticket buyers? I don’t think I would have felt the need to see this in theaters.

3 out of 10 box office potential.

387. Air (2023)

Stars: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman
Genre: Sports Drama / Biopic

Nike takes a risky bet signing rookie Michael Jordan and changes sports marketing forever.
💭 Thoughts: The Air Jordan story. Pretty Awesome. It is cool to see the origins of a product that we pretty much take for granted.

Box Office Potential: Another Amazon movie that actually was released in the theaters, which I remember. It did pretty well, and shows at least that biographical movies with stars can do well.

407. The Tomorrow War (2021)

Stars: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons
Genre: Sci-Fi Action

Soldiers are drafted from the present to fight a brutal alien war 30 years in the future.
💭 Thoughts: Apparently this movie was originally planned for the theaters, but Covid changed that. It probably would have done well, and gets props for being an original story, but I remember not being overwhelmed.

7 out of 10 box office potential.

422. Deep Water (2022)

Stars: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas
Genre: Psychological Thriller

A wealthy husband lets his wife have affairs until jealousy turns deadly.
💭 Thoughts: Ben Affleck again. Are we seeing a trend? Erotic thrillers haven’t been a thing since the 1990s. The casting is top notch and the movie was well made and suspenseful.

4 out of 10 box office potential.

452. Heads of State (2025)

Stars: Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Genre: Action Comedy

Two secret agents from rival nations must team up to stop a global threat with plenty of chaos along the way.
💭 Thoughts: I wrote a previous post about this movie. I actually liked it a lot. I think it had the star power with John Cena and Idris Elba to do well at the box office.

8 out of 10 box office potential.

502. I Want You Back (2022)

Stars: Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Two recently dumped strangers team up to sabotage their exes’ new relationships.
💭 Thoughts: A good rom/com with a contrived twist, but still enjoyable. It may have done well at the theaters if it had a big marketing push because the stars are not who you would associate with big money draws.

4 out of 10 box office potential

742. Ricky Stanicky (2024)

Stars: Zac Efron, John Cena, Jermaine Fowler
Genre: Comedy

Three childhood friends hire an actor to pose as their long-invented fake friend “Ricky Stanicky.”
💭 Thoughts: Hard R-rated comedy with star power of John Cena and Zac Efron. While it wasn’t great, it was pretty funny and I think would have done really well at the theaters.

9 out of 10 box office potential.

861. Shotgun Wedding (2022)

Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Coolidge
Genre: Romantic Comedy / Action

A couple’s destination wedding turns chaotic when pirates take the party hostage.
💭 Thoughts: Mid-level star-driven, with a unique concept. This movie was fun, funny, and forgettable. Kind of reminds me of The Lost City with Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock. Could have made money at the box office, but I would have waited to watch at home.

5 out of 10 box office potential.

1039. The Burial (2023)

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett
Genre: Courtroom Drama / Biopic

A charismatic lawyer helps a small-town funeral-home owner fight a billion-dollar corporation in court.
💭 Thoughts: Great cast and an old school “based on a true story” drama that could have easily matched Erin Brockovich-style box office, if it had been a better movie. No one thinks of “Big Funeral” as a real enemy. Ranking at 1039 on my movie list, we are starting to get into the category of movies I had a negative overall opinion of.

4 out of 10 box office potential.

1127. On a Wing and a Prayer (2023)

Stars: Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham
Genre: Faith-Based Drama / Thriller

After their pilot dies mid-flight, a passenger must land a plane to save his family.
💭 Thoughts: This has all the ingredients for a successful box office run (for a faith-based film). It has the stars and a cool plot, but the cheesiness, and the plotting, and how the characters reacted to their situations didn’t ring true. This is another movie that initially had been planned for a box office release.

2 out of 10 box office potential.

1212. Radioactive (2019)

Stars: Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Anya Taylor-Joy
Genre: Biographical Drama

The story of Marie Curie’s groundbreaking work on radioactivity and its lasting impact.
💭 Thoughts: A prestige biopic that didn’t make it to theaters because of Covid. I never would have even thought about going to the theater to see it, even though the story is actually cool. Why I rated it so low, I don’t remember.

1 out of 10 box office potential.

1215. Without Remorse (2021)

Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jamie Bell
Genre: Action Thriller

A Navy SEAL uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking revenge for his wife’s murder.
💭 Thoughts: Michael B Jordan. Tom Clancy. This should have worked. But I didn’t like it. The action and plotting were quite generic. With the right marketing, it could have had a great opening weekend but it would have sunk after that because it just wasn’t that good.

6 out of 10 Box Office Potential.

1451. Book of Love (2022)

Stars: Sam Claflin, Verónica Echegui
Genre: Romantic Comedy

A straitlaced English writer discovers his novel is a hit in Mexico, thanks to his translator’s spicy rewrites.
💭 Thoughts: The unique plot got me to watch, and I regretted it. The worst a rom/com can be. This is why streaming is made, to show forgettable movies with 4-tier casts.

1 out of 10 box office potential.

🧭 Closing Thoughts

Prime Video’s lineup has one big advantage: no sequels, no superheroes.
That alone feels refreshing—and maybe explains why studios didn’t want to risk theatrical releases.

Still, The Tomorrow War would likely have been a summer hit, and Heads of State or Ricky Stanicky could’ve drawn strong crowds.

One sad reality of streaming is the loss of physical media. You can’t own a DVD or Blu-ray of most of these films.
Even when you “buy” them digitally, you don’t truly own them—as Amazon learned when it was sued for deleting purchased titles.

Amazon recently released Play Dirty with Mark Wahlberg, a movie that looks tailor-made for theaters.
I’ll be reviewing that one separately—but if it’s anything like these, it might prove that the best theatrical movies are already hiding in plain sight. Or, it could be as bad as The Union, the Netflix movie he made with Halle Berry, and I won’t even finish it.

Thanks for reading Bill Garrison! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.