‘SMILE’ Curses Audience With a Bloody Good Time
A surprisingly brutal and weird horror movie from a major studio, Smile has something to say about the "grin and bear it" mantra of traumatized Americans but is most fun…
REVIEW
REVIEW
Mia Goth Has the ‘X’-Factor in Devilish Prequel ‘PEARL’
An electrifying improvement over ‘X’, Ti West’s Technicolor slasher is a darkly funny thirst trap; a gory origin story that sees Mia Goth give an absolute scene-stealing performance as the…
REVIEW
‘DON’T WORRY DARLING’ Caught Between Sexy Paranoid Thriller and MAGA Utopia
Olivia Wilde's feminist satire boasts a terrific Florence Pugh performance, a remarkable score, and illustrious production details (including some impressive camerawork) but the whole of 'Don't Worry Darling' is let…
REVIEW
‘BARBARIAN’ Is Part ‘DON’T BREATHE’, Part ‘WRONG TURN’ and it Rules
A case of an accidental double booking goes full nightmare in Zach Cregger's simmering horror feast 'Barbarian'. Part suspense-driven horror thriller, part gonzo camp-fest, the tonally turbulent but ferociously fun…
REVIEW
‘THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING’ and the Problem of Story Telling as Storytelling
A visually-arresting story about a scholar and the djinn who offers her three wishes, ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ doesn’t quite bring the magic. Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton are…
REVIEW
‘BEAST’ a Shaggy Summer Slasher With Sharp Claws
Man vs. Lion B-movie ‘Beast’ doesn’t rewrite the creature feature playbook but nor does it need to. Strong pacing, gnarly animal action, and a worthy lead in Idris Elba make…
REVIEW
Exhaustingly Excessive Actioner ‘BULLET TRAIN’ is Pure Joyless Destruction
David Leitch's cartoonish adaptation of 'Bullet Train' is a loud, violent, messy action-thriller that borrows liberally from a handful of movie genres - thriller, actioner, whodunnit, crime drama - to…
REVIEW
‘THIRTEEN LIVES’ Explores the Depths of Human Ingenuity and Bravery in Workmanlike Retelling
Ron Howard's penitently faithful adaptation of the true story of 13 youths trapped in a Thai cave makes for a workmanlike and harrowing film. Cutting against the grain of exploitative…
REVIEW
‘NOPE’: Spielbergian Sci-Fi Falls to Earth, Proves Jordan Peele is Human
'Nope' showcases the brilliance of Jordan Peele while also revealing his kryptonite. The Spielberg-inspired horror-tinged sci-fi features some outstanding individual elements - and Keke Palmer is a real scene-stealer -…
REVIEW
Waititi’s ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ As Aimless, Superfluous As The MCU’s Phase 4 Writ Large
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is an unnecessary addendum to the titular character’s story, one that tries to hide its lack of narrative prowess underneath colorful sets and costumes and behind…