movie review
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“Wake Up Dead Man” Keeps the Knives Sharp (Review)
I would be perfectly excited if Rian Johnson made a new “Knives Out” movie every few years for as long as he wants to. Continue reading
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Welcome to the Apocryphal Tale of “The Carpenter’s Son” (Review)
I’m a simple man. I enjoy the art of cinema. I hear “Nicolas Cage in a faith-based horror movie,” and I’m intrigued. Continue reading
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In “Eternity,” Love Never Dies…It Just Gets Complicated (Review)
Pitting Larry and Luke against each other with their lived experiences is the kind of romantic rivalry you just can’t see anywhere else. Continue reading
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“Frankenstein” is the Fiery Culmination of Guillermo del Toro’s Career (Review)
If there’s anyone who can frame a tale about the true nature of monsters and the utter agony of being alive, it’s him. Continue reading
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“Rental Family” Finds the Truth in Human Relationships (Review)
There are things with which we all need help, or moments where we just need somebody to be there. Continue reading
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“Is This Thing On?” is Bradley Cooper’s Midlife Mic Check (Review)
“Is This Thing On?” lies somewhere on the spectrum between Judd Apatow and Noah Baumbach as Cooper toes the line between quirky familial drama and genuine laughs. Continue reading
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“Black Phone 2” Rings Twice as Loud (Review)
“Black Phone 2” swaps out dank basement grime for a snow-laden landscape, providing an all-too-clean canvas that begs to be decorated with stark red blood. Continue reading
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Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt” Flips the Script (Review)
He’s a filmmaker of many flavors, who obsesses over a number of central concepts in nearly every one of his works – chiefly, desire and passion, including their effects and consequences. “After the Hunt” is no different. Continue reading
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Chris Stuckmann’s “Shelby Oaks” is a Warm, Haunting Hug (Review)
There’s no bigger success story than Chris Stuckmann, who began reviewing movies on YouTube in 2009. Now, he has successfully led the biggest horror movie crowd-funding endeavor in history. The difference 15 years can make! Continue reading
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Paul Thomas Anderson’s Latest is One Banger After Another (Review)
It’s rare to sit down for a movie and realize in real time that you’re watching a masterpiece. You can see the future, and that what you’re witnessing is going to be cherished and discussed for many decades to come.… Continue reading
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“The Smashing Machine” Crashes Its Way to Mediocrity (Review)
“The Smashing Machine” feels like just the first half of a larger piece of art — and it’s a pretty disappointing first half at that. Continue reading
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“Primate” Goes Apeshit in True Slasher Fashion
With a shocking amount of gore and violence, you can tell just how happy this movie is to exist. Continue reading
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“The Long Walk” Confronts the Unvarnished Truth of Life and Death (Review)
We come to understand that, by premise alone, death for all but one of these boys is inevitable. The question becomes…how will we get there? Continue reading
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“Eddington” is Something Different for Ari Aster (Review)
Alienation is inevitable in the works of Mr. Aster, whose polarizing subjects are, this time, holding an uncomfortable mirror up to an audience that is undoubtedly unsure of what to expect from his latest venture. Continue reading
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“Superman” is Ambitious, but Delightfully Authentic (Review)
There was only one place to start for a brand-new DC universe, and it was their most powerful and inspiring hero. Continue reading
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Danny Boyle Viciously Reinvigorates Franchise Filmmaking with “28 Years Later” (Review)
“28 Years Later” makes a compelling argument for Boyle to be considered one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers of the 21st century. Continue reading
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“The Life of Chuck” is an Inspiration for All Time (Review)
Like most of Flanagan’s work, it’s highly evocative, but this time of memory rather than fright. Continue reading
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“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is the Sum of Our Choices (Review)
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is both an exercise in patience and an extraordinarily cathartic release. Continue reading
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“Fear Street: Prom Queen” Revives Shadyside For Another Nostalgic Spree (Review)
Come to “Prom Queen” for a much-needed return to Fear Street, stay for the gory delights of the modern horror genre – reverent, but assertive, forging its own path while generously indebted to its predecessors. Continue reading
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“Final Destination Bloodlines” is the Perfect Shot in the Arm
The biggest strength of this brutal return to form is a gleeful willingness to explore new avenues of the central premise, and to deliberately subvert expectations based on the franchise’s established rules. Continue reading
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“The Monkey” is a Terrifically Fatalistic Ode to Death Everlasting (Review)
Perkins’ wry personality shines through in this delightfully demented ode to the inescapable fate awaiting us all…after all, as long as we know it’s coming, there’s more than enough time to laugh about it. Continue reading
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Captain America (and the United States) Enters a “Brave New World” (Review)
“Brave New World” is the 35th film in the MCU, a milestone that explains a lot about its own reception. Continue reading
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“Heart Eyes” Has a Lot to Love (Review)
It doesn’t reinvent the wheel of either genre, but the novel approach to their combination gives a fan of both something new to see. Continue reading
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“The Gorge” is an Affectionate Genre Machine (Review)
“The Gorge” isn’t just a romance; it’s also a high-concept sci-fi action movie, with some horror (director Scott Derrickson’s specialty) thrown in there for good measure. Continue reading
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“Love Hurts,” But It Doesn’t Sting (Review)
“Love Hurts” has a unique earnestness to it, and a confidence that can be off-putting to those not expecting an unapologetically silly movie. Continue reading
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“Companion” is a Darkly Thrilling Genre-Bender (Review)
“Companion” is at its most entertaining when you surrender yourself to the wonderful chaos. Continue reading
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“A Complete Unknown” Embraces the Enigma (Review)
Mangold’s film, inscrutable as it is, makes the right choices to cement its legacy. Continue reading
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“Nosferatu” is the Visceral Nightmare We Deserve (Review)
As far as I’m concerned, no director has better control over their vision than Robert Eggers. Continue reading
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Gia Coppola’s Tender Tribute to “The Last Showgirl” (Review)
Give me an intimate portrait of the indomitable human spirit, and I’m all in. Continue reading
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“The War of the Rohirrim” Bottles the Best of Middle-Earth (Review)
“The War of the Rohirrim” perfectly recreates Tolkien’s fully-realized world in a way we haven’t quite seen before. Continue reading
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Too Many Movies, Too Little Time: A Summary of the 2024 Fall Movie Season (Part Two)
To commemorate the conclusion of the season, we have reviewed every new release (that I have seen) that has not been previously covered on our site. Continue reading
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“Werewolves” is All Bark and No Bite (Review)
“Werewolves” is not a good movie, but it is a successful one. Continue reading
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Awards Season Ramps Up: A Summary of the 2024 Fall Movie Season (Part One)
To commemorate the conclusion of the season, we have reviewed every new release (that I have seen) that has not been previously covered on our site. Continue reading
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Wallace & Gromit Return with a “Vengeance Most Fowl” (Review)
This new film is the confluence of the best ideas and imagery this series has offered in its 35 years of history, and to bring back one of their most iconic baddies is just icing on the cake. Continue reading
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“Moana 2” Struggles with Structure (Review)
One song every quarter of an hour cements what I already knew (and this is the kicker) – I think this would have made a very good series. Continue reading
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The Monumental Journey of “The Brutalist” (Review)
“The Brutalist” speaks beautifully and honestly to America’s betrayal of immigrants and the broken promise of the infamous (some might say mythical) American Dream. Continue reading
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“Wicked” Destroys All Doubt (Review)
“Wicked” is a coin with many faces, and its many morals are what makes it unique; it’s vivacious proof that a musical does not have to acknowledge its lessons directly in the lyrics of its songs. Continue reading
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“Gladiator II” is Too Focused on Legacy (Review)
Ridley Scott’s movies are typically visually and tonally excellent, creating memorable images and sequences, but he doesn’t really elevate material. Continue reading
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“Red One” is Not Bad…It’s Something Much Worse (Review)
It’s a movie designed to live as a Blu-ray in front of the checkout aisle at Target with a 30% off sticker slapped on the case. Continue reading
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“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is a Titanic Achievement (Review)
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” doesn’t exist because the director willed it into being, it exists because it demands to. There is no world in which it doesn’t. Continue reading
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“Look Back” on the Beauty of Art and the Everyday (Review)
“Look Back” is a compelling argument for the power of art to transcend space and time and connect with the deepest parts of ourselves. Continue reading
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“Anora” is the Fairytale of Your American Dreams (Review)
“Anora” lets us bask in director Sean Baker’s perspective on Americana, its broken dream, and the ever-expanding wealth gap and classism rotting at the country’s core. Continue reading
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“Conclave” Confronts Controversy with Grace and Faith (Review)
Controversy and the Church, for better or worse, go hand-in-hand. Continue reading
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Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2” is Failed by the System it Celebrates (Review)
There’s a certain quality to “Juror #2” that I will forever find endearing, and that is its willingness to embrace the inherent excitement of its premise. Continue reading
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“Better Man” Rises Above the Biopic Formula (Review)
It’s abundantly clear that this was a deeply personal film for Robbie Williams. Continue reading
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Steven Soderbergh’s Experimental Horror “Presence” is a Haunting Delight
“Presence” is not a scary movie. It’s actually very sweet, charming, and strangely funny, and horror-averse moviegoers will be relieved at the lack of deliberately jarring jump scares. Continue reading
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“We Live in Time” Has its Heart in the Right Place (Review)
Even with a structure that’s frustratingly inconsistent, the greater frustration is that there are such compelling themes, ideas, and performances that ideally would have been done a bit more justice. Continue reading
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Family History is “A Real Pain” (Review)
This should be the poster child for how to approach historical trauma with sensitivity and tact while maintaining a levity that is necessary to escape the ever-present pull of misery. Continue reading
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Live from 1975, it’s “Saturday Night!” (Review)
Complex and controversial history aside, it’s undeniable that SNL changed the landscape of television and entertainment as a whole. This is the perfect time for a movie like this. Continue reading
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Coppola’s “Megalopolis” is a Plea for the Future from the Past (Review)
Coppola is the singular creative visionary – a position that comes with an infinity of expectations and pressure, but if anyone can handle them, it’s the five-time Oscar winner who has delivered four of the greatest films ever made. Continue reading
Knock on Wood 