Review: Halloween Ends Sends a Classic Horror Franchise Out with a Whimper
Sometimes a film franchise goes out with a bang; other times, a whimper seems more appropriate. In the case of what is reported to be the final entry in the […]
Review: Horror Maestro Dario Argento is Disappointingly Off-Base with Messy Dark Glasses
There was a time—entire decades, if we’re being honest—that the name Dario Argento meant horror films that would be suspenseful, terrifying, bloody and inventive. Works like Suspiria, Opera, Deep Red, […]
Review: Tension and Unease Abound in TÁR, as Power and Gender Dynamics Clash with Classical Music
When fictional classical conductor Lydia Tár (an electric Cate Blanchett) spouts the statement “Don’t be so eager to be offended” to a mixed-race student, I began to worry that this […]
Review: Smile Is a Debut Horror Film with Familiar Elements and Compelling Potential
Most recent horror movies that are actually veiled metaphors for the lasting impact trauma can have on a person’s psyche don’t actually use the word “trauma” as much as Smile, […]
Review: My Best Friend’s Exorcism Is an ’80s-Set Teen Comedy With a Dark Twist
Directed by Damon Thomas and taking full audio/visual advantage of its 1988 period setting, My Best Friend’s Exorcism brings us into the world of high school sophomores and best friends […]
Review: Zac Efron’s Goofy Energy Is a Bright Spot in an Otherwise Misguided The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Based on truly inspiring real events (which is not to say the film is inspiring; stay tuned…), The Greatest Beer Run Ever tells the story of dopey-but-loyal New Yorker Chickie […]
Review: A Strong Ensemble Cast Help Elevate Dead for a Dollar an Otherwise Washed-Out Western
Casting no aspersions on the great filmmaker Walter Hill, his new western, Dead for a Dollar, isn’t particularly memorable or special. In fact, the whole piece looks like it was […]
Review: Bros Channels the Best of Rom-Coms Through a Queer Lens, With Plenty of Laughs
Smart, insightful, an avenue for LGBTQ characters to tell their stories, and screamingly funny, Bros marks the first time a major motion picture studio (Universal) has released an R-rated gay-centric […]
Review: Made of Archival Footage, Riotsville, U.S.A. Harkens to Contemporary Times
This review was originally published in January 2022 for our Sundance Film Festival coverage. Built entirely from archival footage taken from both commercial broadcast television and material shot by the […]
Review: Don’t Worry Darling Has Plenty of Style, But Hardly Any Substance to Back It Up
If you have heard anything lately about Olivia Wilde’s sophomore feature film (after 2019’s coming-of-age comedy Booksmart), chances are it’s the on- and off-set drama surrounding the filmmaker and her […]
Review: In Blonde, a Narrow Script and Chaotic Filmmaking Reduce an American Icon to an Empty Vessel
Blonde, the new film by Andrew Dominik (Killing Them Softly, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), is a torturous 2 hours and 46 minutes long, most […]
Review: The Justice of Bunny King Channels Authenticity, Emotion and Even Anxiety in a Gripping Family Drama
In a work that is both unexpectedly raw and beautifully tender, director Gaysorn Thavat’s debut feature film, The Justice of Bunny King, follows the largely tragic life of its title […]