Review: Kin Proves an Interesting Blend of Sci-Fi and Family Drama
Mixing genres can be a tricky thing in the movies, but in the last couple years, some of the finest exercises in horror—The Babadook, A Quiet Place, The Witch, Hereditary—have […]
Steve Prokopy is chief film critic for the Chicago-based arts outlet Third Coast Review. For nearly 20 years, he was the Chicago editor for Ain’t It Cool News, where he contributed film reviews and filmmaker/actor interviews under the name “Capone.” Currently, he’s a frequent contributor at /Film (SlashFilm.com) and Backstory Magazine. He is also the public relations director for Chicago's independently owned Music Box Theatre, and holds the position of Vice President for the Chicago Film Critics Association. In addition, he is a programmer for the Chicago Critics Film Festival, which has been one of the city's most anticipated festivals since 2013.
Review: A Layered Story and Terrific Performances Make The Bookshop Worth a Visit
The Bookshop, a bittersweet, fragile drama set in 1959 England based on the novel by Penelope Fitzgerald, centers on Florence Green (the always great Emily Mortimer), a widow who has spent months […]
Review: Operation Finale is Part History Lesson, Part Spy Thriller
There are times when telling a story simply and with as few frills as possible results in a film with the greatest dramatic impact. Such is the case with director […]
Review: The Sting of Arizona Lands Between the Laughs
Although the horror-comedy Arizona is the first feature from Jonathan Watson, he has actually spent many years working second unit on films and TV series created by the likes of […]
Review: The Wife Weaves a Tangled Web, with Glenn Close at its Center
Based on the novel by Meg Wolitzer (adapted by Jane Anderson), The Wife is the story of a nearly 40-year marriage that is held together by the same things that […]
Review: Papillon Update Brings More Grit, Suffering and Strong Performances
I’ve never read either of the books written by Henri Charrière upon which Papillon is based, but I can tell you that the 1973 film is a perfect movie—a character […]
Review: An Unexpected Comedy Duo Makes Blue Iguana a Good Time
Although the setup to this British crime comedy is a bit of a stretch, the execution is often quite funny, and let’s face it: anytime you get a chance to […]
Review: Dark Family Dynamics Drive a Thrilling, Tense Custody
In 2013, writer/director Xavier Legrand made a short film called Just Before Losing Everything, about a woman attempting to extract herself and two children from what she felt was a […]
Review: Uninspired and Disappointing, The Happytime Murders Totally Misses the Mark
Just before the closing credits on director Brian Henson’s (son of the late Jim Henson, the Muppets creator) latest film The Happytime Murders begin to roll, a compilation of footage […]
Giveaway: Advanced Screening of Armed, from Mario Van Peebles
One of the strongest and most consistently working black filmmakers for nearly 30 years has been Mario Van Peebles. His feature-film debut was 1991’s vital crime drama New Jack City, […]
Review: Far From the Tree Explores the Struggles and Triumphs of Being Different
At first, it may be difficult to figure out what the common threads are in the various family stories being laid out in the new documentary Far From the Tree, […]
Review: Action and Friendship at the Heart of Alpha
Perhaps best looked at as a prehistoric twist on the “boy-and-his-dog” adventure story, Alpha is set 20,000 years ago (in the last Ice Age, according to the press notes) in […]