Review: Small Engine Repair Follows an Unlikely Family with an Unexpected Darkness
The topic of masculinity has been a common one in many movies made over the decades, almost to the point where I’m not sure anything new can be said about […]
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: Oscar Isaac Plays a Complicated, Compelling Game in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter
William Tell (Oscar Isaac), the central character of writer/director Paul Schrader’s latest work, The Card Counter, may seem more pulled together and in control of his actions than many of […]
Review: Powerfully Intimate Martyrs Lane is Anchored by Two Extraordinary Performances by Young Actors
Featuring two of the most captivating child performances I’ve seen this year, this British horror offering, Martyrs Lane, from actor-turned-writer/director Ruth Platt (The Black Forest), centers on 10-year-old Leah (Kiera […]
Review: Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali Explores the Bond Between Two Influential, Controversial Figures
It’s something of a companion piece to Regina King’s 2020 directing debut One Night in Miami (although I’ve gone back and forth on which you should watch first)—or perhaps the […]
Review: Visually Interesting with a Curiously Intriguing Story, Zone 414 Channels Ridley Scott Sci-Fi
As far as I’m concerned, the perfect blend of science fiction and film noir will and always will be Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Mine is hardly an original thought, but […]
Review: Character Actor Shea Whigham Shines in Gritty, Surprisingly Emotional The Gateway
There’s something about the presence of actor Shea Whigham in pretty much anything that makes me feel better about whatever it is I’m watching. With nearly 100 film and television […]
Review: Japanese Pop Star Masumi Leads a Bold, Brutal and Bloody Yakuza Princess
Right out of the gate during Brazilian filmmaker Vicente Amorim’s (Motorrad) latest work, Yakuza Princess, I learned something new and very interesting—that Sao Paulo, Brazil plays host to the largest […]
Review: A Family Tears Itself Apart From the Inside in Debut Feature Film We Need to Do Something
While many recent horror films have taken on the guise of a domestic drama, in which some evil or corrupt force exploits the cracks in the family dynamic and uses […]
Review: Superhost Gets the “Influencer” Thing Right, if Not Always the Scares
Sometimes a horror movie can be very good at what it does but still not be especially scary. We had a higher-profile example of that in last week’s Candyman, but […]
Review: Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Highlights the Best of Martial Arts in a Solid Stand-Alone Saga
I have been a massive admirer of martial arts films since I was a youngster, so seeing the genre represented, respected and modified to fit the superhero mold the way […]
Review: Humorless and Ingratiating, Vacation Friends is a Comedic Dud
In the same way I’ll ding a horror film for not being scary, I’ll eagerly discuss the existence of comedies that rarely make me laugh. Welcome to the feature film […]
Review: No Man of God Puts a Serial Killer and a Scientist in the Same Room, to Fascinating Results
At this point, the only reason to dive into the world of Ted Bundy again would be if a filmmaker had discovered a more interesting way of tackling the subject […]