Flick Fix- The Friend, Drop, and Aliens (1986) - 05/14/25

Grief, paranoia, and pulse rifles, just another day at the movies.

First, Austin reviews The Friend, a quietly moving drama about a woman processing the loss of her best friend. In the aftermath, she takes in his energetic and slightly unpredictable dog, an act that disrupts her emotional routine in the best (and sometimes messiest) ways. It's a story about love, letting go, and how even a four-legged tornado can help you find your footing again.

Then, Austin tackles Drop, a tense, high-stakes thriller that wastes no time pulling you under. A widowed mother's first date in years quickly unravels when she starts receiving anonymous, threatening messages during dinner. As the night spirals out of control, trust breaks down, and every smile hides a potential danger. Fast, sharp, and anxiety-inducing in all the right ways.

And in our spotlight review, we revisit Aliens (1986), James Cameron’s legendary sequel that took Ridley Scott’s slow-burn horror and turned it into a cinematic firestorm. We dig into the production’s rocky road, Cameron’s unexpected rise after The Terminator, and why Aliens is still one of the greatest follow-ups in film history. From Ripley’s maternal strength to themes of trauma, gender, and survival, this one's got a lot more going on than just xenomorphs and explosions (though it’s got plenty of those, too).