‘THE LIFE OF CHUCK’ Contains Multitudes

June 9, 2025 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Annalise Basso, Benjamin Pajak, Carl Lumbly, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cody Flanagan, David Dastmalchian, Harvey Guillén, Jacob Tremblay, Karen Gillan, Kate Siegel, Mark Hamill, Matthew Lillard, Mia Sara, Samantha Sloyan, Stephen King, The Life of Chuck, Tom Hiddleston 1 Comment

Mike Flanagan has always had a unique way of looking at death. From his first breakout series, The Haunting of Hill House, to his more mainstream horror features (Oculus, Doctor Sleep), he’s seen ghosts not as ghastly specters but as existential hangovers. A whispered celebration of life that doubles as an affirmation of its titanic meaning. Though the horror auteur is most closely associated with his genre work — and for good reason; few existing filmmakers come close to touching his impressive oeuvre — The Life of Chuck, an affirming story of life, love, dance, and numbers (but still featuring a probably-apocalypse and ghosts), is perfectly suited to his very particular sensibilities. Read More

Chilling ‘THE BOOGEYMAN’ Rekindles Fear of the Dark

May 30, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Bryan Woods, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Horror, Mark Heyman, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Rob Savage, Scott Beck, Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman, Vivien Lyra Blair 1 Comment

A family reeling from the sudden death of their wife and mother. A creature that feeds on grief and weakness. Crippling fear of the dark. These are well-worn horror movie tropes through and through but they are executed to impressive effect by filmmaker Rob Savage in his first traditional feature, The Boogeyman. Savage takes these overcooked conventions and tosses them in a wicked blender of terror and tension to make for a wicked fright fest that could well fling you out of your seat. Read More

Derelict ‘ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA’ Is Marvel’s Worst Yet

February 16, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Bill Murray, David Dastmalchian, Evangeline Lilly, Jeff Loveness, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Katy M. O'Brian, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Peyton Reed, William Jackson Harper 1 Comment

Ever since Endgame, the Marvel machine has seen its meticulously-plotted designs start to come apart at the seams. The latest to grind its wheels forward in this shared universe is Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and let me tell you: it’s not good folks. It is very, very not good. Throughout 31 (!!!) films and a handful of other Disney+ tie-in shows and special presentation one-offs, the MCU has delivered its fair share of highs and lows but never before has it unleashed such an objectively terrible content clunker. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is Marvel’s worst yet, seriously putting into question this critic’s commitment to keeping up with this increasingly disjointed and time-consuming franchise. Read More

Entertaining ‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’ Surprisingly Conventional for Comic Book Movie That Weaponizes Polka Dots

August 4, 2021 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, DC, DCEU, Idris Elba, Jai Courtney, James Gunn, Joel Kinnaman, John Cena, Margot Robbie, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Pete Davidson, Peter Capaldi, Reviews, Sean Gunn, Storm Reid, Sylvester Stallone, The Suicide Squad, Viola Davis 1 Comment

Look no further than James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad for proof that superhero media has truly become too big to fail. As legions of old and new, traditional and bizarre, familiar and not-so-familiar heroes position themselves to win out at the box office, as well as, increasingly, on our premium streaming services, comic lore has become the last remaining monocultural tentpole of our current age. Read More

Out in Theaters: ANT-MAN

July 16, 2015 by Chris Bunker Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Adam McKay, Ant-Man, Corey Stoll, David Dastmalchian, Edgar Wright, Evangeline Lilly, Joe Cornish, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Out in Theaters, Paul Rudd, Peyton Reed, Review, Reviews, T.I. 1 Comment

I’ve always wondered where our preoccupation with size came from. Maybe cause I’ve never been the biggest, or because I’ve always been more taken by the diminutive: as a self-entitled critic, attention to detail is my craft. Fortunately for movie-goers, so it goes for the folks at Marvel and Ant-Man director Peyton Reed. This edition’s got a new musk, and underneath that an exoskeletal husk of comedic explosion and graphic excitement that rivals its full-sized super-compatriots. With Ant-Man, the folks at Marvel forgot how to make a superhero movie as usual, and pumped out one of the best Marvel adaptations yet. Read More