‘Da 5 Bloods’: A War That Wasn’t Theirs
Spike Lee’s newest feature is an absolute gut-punch. I don’t think any introduction besides that would do Da 5 Bloods justice. Lee’s latest follows four Vietnam veterans, jovial Eddie (Norm Lewis), an...
View Article‘Feel the Beat’ (and All the Feelings)
Looking for a cinematic pick me up? Feel The Beat throws a bunch of feel-good genres into a blender, and delivers 90 minutes that should put a smile on 99% of faces. (There’s just no…
View Article‘Disclosure’ is a Vital Look into Transgender Representation in Media
Early on, Disclosure states an eye-opening statistic: 80% of people don’t personally know someone who is transgender, meaning an overwhelming majority of us get our information on trans people from...
View ArticleI Watched ‘365 Days’ and Have Many Questions
You know something is a phenomenon when it makes Gaspar Noe‘s Love — an explicitly unsexy movie — also popular. Usually, I would say something like “for better or worse, 365 Days has taken everyone…
View ArticleAdú Brings an Intelligent View to a Complex Situation
Adú is director Salvador Calvo’s sophomore feature and is a big step up from the solid 1898: Our Last Men In The Philipines. It covers three lightly interconnected stories that take place across...
View Article‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ is Mostly a Waste of Its...
The story of the underdog is one of the oldest stories in human history. It has inspired countless people over the generations to go for what they want, despite the obstacles that stand in their…
View Article‘The Old Guard’ Kicks Ass and Should Make Names
Netflix’s record with original Hollywood action movies is patchy at best. When the so-so Extraction is among the finer examples of their big-name blockbusters, there’s something not working. With The...
View Article‘Fatal Affair’ is the Worst Kind of Bad Movie. It’s Just Plain Boring.
Fatal Affair debuted at #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 feature last weekend. It’s also the latest in a long line of baffling movies to appear on the streaming giant’s puzzling feature. Sure, Da 5 Bloods,…
View ArticleFor Better or (Mostly) Worse, ‘The Kissing Booth 2’ is More of the Same
2018 was a big year for Netflix as they finally began to figure out their original content production formula. Specifically, producing as many romantic comedies as humanly possible. From To All the...
View Article‘An Easy Girl’: A French Connection
I have truly not been able to stop thinking about An Easy Girl, the latest from French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski. The last time I kept thinking about a movie this much after watching it was…
View Article‘Unknown Origins’ Needs More Courage in Its Convictions
Unknown Origins, David Galan Galindo‘s first solo feature as director (he previously helmed one of the sections of portmanteau film Al Final Todos Mueren) brings the world of comic book fandom to the...
View Article‘Love, Guaranteed’— Entertained? YMMV
How bad is Love, Guaranteed? Well, this is what’s displayed before the end credits: While you’re busy throwing up, I’ll watch a cat video for a bit. Love, Guaranteed opens with Rachael Leigh Cook’s…
View Article‘i’m thinking of ending things’: Kaufman’s Latest Is One of the Most...
The following contains major spoilers for i’m thinking of ending things!!! Let’s be honest, 2020 is just the worst. It is an absolute black hole that swallows anything fun or even relatively comforting...
View Article‘The Babysitter: Killer Queen’ is Exactly What You’d Expect from a Sequel to...
The original The Babysitter was a surprisingly odd showdown between Cole (Judah Lewis) and his babysitter Bee (Samara Weaving)’s gang of satan worshipping teens. In The Babysitter: Killer Queen, two...
View Article‘The Devil All The Time’ Has All the Star Power, Not Enough Shine
It is rare that I am pleasantly surprised by a movie, especially a Netflix movie. Especially a Netflix movie that so far, has been deemed mediocre by critics and fans alike. Especially an allegedly...
View Article‘The Social Dilemma’ Is Both Powerful and Forgettable
The Social Dilemma is one of the latest Netflix Original documentaries to be released by the platform. In many ways, it feels like an unofficial prequel to The Great Hack, another anti-social media...
View Article‘The Boys in the Band’ Is a Remake That Stands on Its Own
The Boys in the Band is a 2020 American comedy/drama film directed by Joe Mantello, and stars Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesús, Brian Hutchison,...
View ArticleKilling Gets Wholesome in ‘Dick Johnson is Dead’
In 2007, filmmaker Kirsten Johnson lost her mother, Catherine (nicknamed Katie Jo), to Alzheimer’s. Johnson was struck by how little footage she had shot of her mother, despite being a cinematographer...
View Article‘Enola Holmes’ is MBB’s ‘Citizen Kane’
Ah, autumn. The leaves changing colors, the air getting crisp, the faint smell of campfires. Autumn is my favorite season, and it only has a little bit to do with the fact that I have…
View Article‘The Binding’ Is the Perfect Example of Almost Everything that Can Go Wrong...
Dario Argento. Lamberto Bava. Lucio Fulci. We cannot deny it: the Italians have some big names when it comes to horror movies. And that is exactly the reason why I eagerly sat down to watch The…
View ArticleThe Blow-Away Emersion that is ‘The 40-Year-Old Version’
I love it when I’m watching a movie at home, and it grabs me to the point where I start doing all sorts of crazy stuff in the middle of the film. I’ve yelled at…
View Article‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ is One of the Best 2020 Has to Offer
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a 2020 American historical legal drama written and directed by critically acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin, and stars an ensemble cast that includes (*deep breath*) Yahya...
View Article‘Rebecca’, Netflix’s Latest Attempt at Remaking a Beloved Classic
Rebecca is an upcoming British romantic drama film scheduled to be released worldwide on October 21st by Netflix. The film is directed by Ben Wheatley and stars the likes of Lily James, Armie Hammer,...
View ArticleSandler Is Back to His Old Shtick in ‘Hubie Halloween’
Hubie Halloween is the latest Happy Madison production directed by Steven Brill and co-produced, co-written, and starring Adam Sandler. Alongside him are some of the usual Sandler suspects, such as...
View Article‘Cadaver’: Netflix’s Latest High-Concept Horror Blunder
Cadaver is Netflix’s latest post-apocalyptic horror film (the Netflix algorithm seems to love setting movies in a horrifically dystopian near-future) and is directed by Norwegian director Jarand...
View Article‘Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight’: Much More Than an Intriguing Title
I’ll admit it: I chose to review this movie merely because of its title. Now, I have done this before, and afterward regretted my choice (The Binding, for example). But this time, I was a…
View Article‘His House’ Is an Impressive and Deeply Unsettling Horror Debut
Don’t come to His House expecting a by-the-numbers haunted house horror movie. While there are plenty of jump scares, Remi Weekes’ debut combines these effectively with a gripping story about grief and...
View Article‘The Life Ahead’ Doesn’t Deliver on Its Weighty Themes
The first time I fell asleep during a movie was with Forrest Gump. Since I had missed quite a big part of the movie, I went to see it again. At the exact same moment,…
View Article‘If Anything Happens I Love You’: The Other U.S. Epidemic
Warning: This article assumes you have seen the film If anything happens I love you. Please, go watch it on Netflix before reading. It’s only 12 minutes. 2020 has proven to be an incredible year…
View Article‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Everything Wrong with Oscar Bait
I Am Sam, Grace Of Monaco, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. All made with the express purpose of winning Oscars. All absolute garbage. Joining this lackluster group is Ron Howard’s latest...
View Article‘The Prom’ Is Imperfect, But Full of Feel-good Extravagance
When it comes to musicals (and comedies, for that matter) things are very simple for me. Either I hate them with a passion, or I really like them. Indeed, there are some great classics (even…
View Article‘Mank’ Is an Idiosyncratic, Cynical Look Into an Alternate History
Citizen Kane. Decent flick. Odds are you were forced to study it endlessly in your Intro to Film course in college — it’s second only to Breathless among the films you were most likely to hate…
View Article‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’: Chadwick Boseman’s Impressive Goodbye
Every year, a day after the Oscars ceremony, I start writing an article about the awards for the following year. This year was no exception. Of the movies that I predicted to be nominated, some were…
View Article‘The Midnight Sky’ Reaches for the Stars But Falls Short
What Does Hollywood Have Against 2049? 2049 and three weeks after what is referred to as “The Event”, humanity faces extinction, except for the extravagantly named Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney),...
View Article‘Pieces of a Woman’: Vanessa Kirby’s Tour de Force Puts Her in the Oscars Race
Pieces of a Woman is Kornél Mundruczó’s first full feature in English. The acclaimed Hungarian director teamed up with big names such as Vanessa’s Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, and Ellen Burstyn, and the movie...
View Article‘Outside the Wire’ Loses Itself in Dreary Cyborg Action
I don’t know about you, but I certainly didn’t go into Outside the Wire expecting it to function as a critique of the U.S. military. Mikael Håfström’s latest operates with the idea that if the military...
View Article‘Malcolm & Marie”s Stunning Performances Elevate a Lackluster Screenplay
Sam Levinson’s lockdown project Malcolm & Marie will go down as one of the most divisive movies this year. Starring the incredible Zendaya as Marie and John David Washington as Malcolm, the film is...
View Article‘The Dig’ Is Not Worth the Ground It Is Built On
When we think of archeology, we think of exotic locales, hordes of ancient buried treasures, and danger coming from the locals who are not pleased by the sudden appearance of strangers. But in reality,...
View Article‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever’ – A Somewhat Sickly-Sweet but...
The third installment in the To All the Boys canon follows Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) as they prepare for their post-high school future at Stanford together. Everything is neatly...
View Article‘Red Dot’ Is Only Watchable Under Very Specific Circumstances
Well, it couldn’t last forever, could it? Week after week, I have been able to watch and review some splendid movies on this very site. Unfortunately, Red Dot is not one of them. In fact,…
View Article‘Moxie’: A New High School Movie for a New Era
High school movies are a dime a dozen. Though the specific narrative, characters, and details will vary, the genre, for the most part, is pretty cookie-cutter. The new Netflix film, Moxie (based on the...
View ArticleThe Super-Disaster of ‘Thunder Force’
What is the nicest way to ask a happily married couple to call it quits? An email? A phone call? A box of Shari’s Berries? If you have an answer, sound off in the comments.…
View ArticleIf You’re Fishing for Truth, Avoid ‘Seaspiracy’
Let’s get it out of the way first: Conspirasea was right there. It’s a vastly better name, but then again, it may have raised expectations for a documentary certainly incapable of delivering on any...
View Article‘Stowaway’ Is a Breath of Fresh Air
With the world slowly starting to show signs of normalcy, the impact of COVID-19 on the entertainment industry, and specifically film, is undeniable. The visible wake of the impact from the virus grows...
View Article‘Monster’ Is Mostly Good but Falls Short of Being Profound
I find myself thinking about 2017’s Get Out, a lot. It being one of the best movies made in my lifetime aides to that, but I often find myself reflecting on Jordan Peele’s decision in…
View Article‘Oxygen’: A Stylish Sci-Fi Thriller With an Emotional Core That Ultimately...
A woman wakes up in a cramped cryogenic pod. She can’t remember who she is or how she got there and as the pod’s AI matter-of-factly informs her, she’s fast running out of oxygen. Alexandre…
View Article‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ Is Another Resounding Win for Sony Pictures...
All hail Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, purveyors of all things deliriously unhinged, meta, and yet still somehow deeply thoughtful. I still contend one of the biggest mistakes in blockbuster...
View ArticleThere’s No Saving ‘The Woman in the Window’
As I’m sitting at my laptop writing this review, I’m drinking a glass of red wine — partly inspired by The Woman in the Window’s central protagonist Anna Fox, and partly driven to drink by…
View Article‘Army of the Dead’: A (Mostly) Earned Victory Shamble for Zack Snyder
It’s safe to say that no American filmmaker working today is quite as polarizing as Zack Snyder. Detractors renounce the Watchmen, 300, Man of Steel et al. director as the hack creator of one dour,…
View Article‘Xtreme’ Might Be the Start of Something Special
Gather ’round children, an old man is going to tell you about ye olde action movies. Let me take you back to a time when Chuck Norris headlined films. When Michael Dudikoff had a career.…
View Article
