Review: Riz Ahmed Channels His Own Lived Experience for Mogul Mowgli
Riz Ahmed’s career choices of late have seen him star in everything from the world’s biggest franchise (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) to an impressive indie drama about a […]
Review: The Year of the Everlasting Storm Allows Seven Filmmakers to Process the Pandemic Through Their Lens
As more and more films arrive that have been made during the last tumultuous 18 months (and counting), it’s interesting to see the many approaches filmmakers have adopted in order […]
Review: Dating & New York Channels Classic RomComs But Never Quite Creates Something New in the Genre
Dating & New York, perhaps the first true romantic comedy of the roaring ’20s, very much wants to be the When Harry Met Sally for the Tiktok generation. It nearly gets […]
Review: A Beloved Solo Climber is Finally, Begrudgingly in the Spotlight in The Alpinist
Not unlike the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo (whose subject, Alex Honnold, is featured prominently in this film), The Alpinist is not just about a solo climber and what motivates […]
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 […]
Review: Filmed Version of Come From Away Captures the Charm, Heart of 9/11 Musical About the Best of Humanity
As the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approach, there’s no shortage of documentaries, limited series, news specials and more made now to remember the tragic event a generation […]
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: Kay Cannon’s Modernized Cinderella Tries To Do So Much, It Doesn’t Do Any of It Well
About a decade ago, Kay Cannon’s script for Pitch Perfect became one of the most endearing, funny and commercially successful female-led films in recent memory. It’s a sharp screenplay, filled with […]
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 […]