Movie Review

Two-part documentary STEVE! shows the many facets of Steve Martin

Steve Martin in STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces.

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Not many people have been able to reinvent themselves as seemingly easily as Steve Martin has. Arguably the premier comedian of the late 1970s, he walked away from his unique version of stand-up comedy to become a movie star, a title he earned for almost 30 years. Along the way, he also became an acclaimed playwright, banjo player, and art collector, and now in his seventies, he’s returned to his first love alongside fellow comedian Martin Short.

Given the multitude of titles he’s held over the years, it should come as no surprise that the new Apple TV+ documentary about him, STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces, is not one film but two. The first, subtitled Then, is about his showbiz beginnings in the 1960s and his ascent to stardom in the mid-1970s. Anyone who has read Martin’s stellar 2007 memoir, Born Standing Up, will be familiar with much of the details, but they still remain fascinating.

Using a variety of clips and original animation to illustrate Martin’s history, director Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) takes the audience on a trip through Martin’s highlights. These include his first job as a magician at Disneyland, working for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, dating the daughter of blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, hosting Saturday Night Live, and more. For those not well-versed in Martin’s history, the film does an effective job at showing just how unusual Martin’s comedy was, and how big of a celebrity he became.

With Martin appearing in old clips and via a voiceover, it’s not immediately apparent that the first film features no actual footage filmed by Neville. Everything shown is either archival or animated, with Martin and interviewees like Jerry Seinfeld, Lorne Michaels, Martin’s collaborator John McEuen, and Martin’s sister Melinda Dobbs only speaking via audio clips. The film is no less engrossing because of this decision, and demonstrates an understanding on Neville’s part that no embellishment is needed for this part of the story.

It’s in the second part, Now, that the modern-day Martin makes his first on-camera appearance, and there’s an immediate difference, with the first scene showing him making breakfast in his kitchen setting the tone. While many of his movies – like Three Amigos, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, L.A. Story, and Father of the Bride – are brought up, it’s less a celebration of his great work and more a wistful reflection on the remarkable life he’s led by Martin.

Neville does include short clips of sit-down interviews with luminaries like Michaels, Tina Fey, Eric Idle, and Diane Keaton, but the two most notable celebrity appearances are a one-on-one conversation between Martin and Seinfeld, and multiple scenes showing the day-to-day friendship between Martin and Short. The comic duo, who have been touring together since 2014, are shown going biking, working on their stage show, and more, demonstrating the deep affection the two have for each other.

So much has happened in Martin’s life that Neville doesn’t even have time for his music efforts, including with his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, or his collaborations with Edie Brickell, the latter of which resulted in the Tony-nominated musical, Bright Star. Time is made for Martin’s late-in-life family, including his wife, Anne Stringfield, and his daughter, who is hilariously kept off camera by being represented by a stick figure.

The second part also shows Martin taking on yet-another title, as he collaborates with cartoonist/illustrator Harry Bliss on a book featuring comic strips with anecdotes about Martin’s many movies. With Martin also currently starring in the hit Hulu show Only Murders in the Building alongside Short and Selena Gomez, it seems that his ability to reinvent himself knows no bounds.

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STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces is now streaming on Apple TV+.

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Movie Review

Humans are scarier than zombies in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

It’s not often that a return to a franchise after years of no activity results in an actual good movie, but 2025’s 28 Years Later proved successful by reuniting director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who made the original 28 Days Later. Another sequel, The Bone Temple, was filmed back-to-back with last year’s film, with Nia DaCosta taking over for Boyle in the directing chair.

The movie picks up soon after the end of the first film, with the young Spike (Alfie Williams) now an unwilling member of a group called the Jimmies, which are led by a man who calls himself Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Unlike the main group in the first film that was just looking to survive the zombie apocalypse, the Jimmies are a bloodthirsty bunch who gleefully attack any zombies they find and brutalize other survivors they come across.

The story also returns to Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), whose solitary time at his self-built bone temple is interrupted by a massive zombie he has dubbed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Against the odds - and with the help of some morphine - Kelson is able to bond with Samson, giving Kelson some strange but welcome companionship. But with the Jimmies lurking nearby, any peace he’s found may soon be shattered.

DaCosta, working from a script by Garland, ably steps into Boyle’s shoes, putting the emphasis on the story rather than trying for lots of stylistic flourishes. That’s not to say that she doesn’t do great work, however. The creepiness and sadistic nature of the Jimmies comes through loud and clear under her direction, and she brings out the campy comedy that comes from the unexpected pairing of Kelson and Samson.

Like the first 28 Years Later, the story is somewhat of a slow burn. The film doesn’t have many plot developments over its 109 minutes, and so DaCosta must get by on mood rather than action for the most part. But when things do get ramped up, they can get very uncomfortable as the film does not shy away from extreme gore. The damage inflicted by Samson and other zombies is one thing, but when it’s sentient humans going savage, it becomes even more difficult to look at the screen.

The juxtaposition between the chaos of the Jimmies and the quiet existence of Dr. Kelson works well for the film. Their separation for the bulk of the story gives them plenty of time to have the characters come into their own. Sir Jimmy Crystal is the ringleader, but Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) gets her own showcase. Samson was already a (literally) big presence from the first film, but this film gives him a degree of humanity that gives the story more depth.

O’Connell made a big impression as the lead vampire in Sinners, and he’s just as interesting/intimidating here. Fiennes plays a character where being over-the-top is the natural reaction, and yet he keeps Kelson grounded in a number of ways that make him much more than one-note. Lewis-Parry was likely cast for his physique, but he brings out more from a zombie than you’d ever expect. Williams fades into the background a bit after his starring role in the first film, but he’s still strong.

Releasing The Bone Temple in January was not a great sign given the month’s reputation as a dumping ground for bad movies, but it actually proves to be a great choice. With most other releases being Oscar hopefuls or truly awful films, it stands out for being another compelling entry for the franchise, one that will make anticipation high for whenever the third film in the 28 Years Later series comes out.

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens in theaters on January 16.