Author Archives
UNC Charlotte '18 graduate | Film Intern at CLTure | North Carolina Film Critics Association member | Lover of bad teen horror movies and 90s pop music
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Even by franchise standards, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is unceremoniously DOA.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has been pretty brutal as a whole, and I’m not talking about the films’ violent content. Ever since the 1974 original from Tobe Hooper, there has been a major struggle with creating sequels, remakes, and… Read More ›
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Tour the home release of “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” through the lens of a franchise fan.
Listen, I was there in the era between Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. We were truly out here in the trenches as fans. You think you can hurt me? I bought Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on… Read More ›
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The haunting quality of “Ghosts of the Ozarks” is undercut by its silly approach.
I love me a good period horror film, and I particularly love those set on the American frontier, and while Ghosts of the Ozarks isn’t *technically* frontier territory, there was a down-home charm the trailer gave off that made me… Read More ›
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Pedro Almodóvar’s always tender humanity enables “Parallel Mothers (Madres paralelas)” to examine complex matter.
There’s something to be said about “movie magic” or whatever word or phrase you use to describe those “Nicole Kidman sitting in the world’s cleanest, emptiest AMC” moments where you really just appreciate every aspect that not only went into… Read More ›
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Danish horror “Speak No Evil (Gæsterne)” is pure nightmare fuel, powered by interpersonal tension and full-fledged dread. [Sundance Film Festival]
“I don’t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I’m not enjoying myself” – Kim Cattrall I like to believe I’m a pretty friendly person. My mother raised me that way. I’m inclined to view the… Read More ›
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Altered Innocence’s 4K restoration of Spanish horror “Arrebato (Rapture)” highlights how its DNA is strewn across all genres, all nations, to a multitude of filmmakers.
Inspiration is found everywhere. Even the best filmmakers have inspirations that they imbue into their own work, using the work that made them into the filmmakers they are today in smart, reverential ways. Sure, occasionally things can get heavy-handed and… Read More ›
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Even if you let the pre-release hype get to you, the thrilling essence of “Scream” breaks through in full force.
NOTICE: I will obviously not be discussing spoilers or fun reveals for this film, however, I will be divulging the very basic plot setup, as well as spoilers for previous Scream films. You’ve had decades, don’t get mad at me… Read More ›
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Despite the stylishly atmospheric setting and solid performances, “Antlers” can’t rise above weak screenplay elements.
Scott Cooper’s Antlers was one of my most anticipated films of 2020, back when it was still going to be released under the Fox Searchlight Pictures banner. Its trailer spoke to me in a haunting, beautiful voice that let me… Read More ›
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Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta” weaves luridity in with heavy, impenetrable narratives to create something with a surprising amount of emotional heft.
This is absolutely a safe space to admit that Paul Verhoeven is one of the most well-rounded, self-aware filmmakers to ever live. We’re all thinking it, so someone might as well say it. His filmography can sometimes read like a… Read More ›
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Come for Italian drama, stay for Swamy Rotolo’s scene-stealing performance in “A Chiara.” [Film Fest 919]
Quickly think of a gangster movie…what’s the first thing that comes to your head? The Godfather? Goodfellas? Scarface? Maybe even Boyz n the Hood? It’s a widely diverse genre, but the missions are generally all pretty similar, focusing on the… Read More ›
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“Don’t Breathe 2” is a horrible follow-up to an outstanding horror film, but a surprisingly great home release.
One of the most underrated horror/thrillers of the past decade was easily Fede Álvarez’s Don’t Breathe. The tense, heart-pounding suspense and brutal, but surprisingly pared back (at least compared to the absolute bloodbath that was Álvarez’s first feature 2013’s Evil… Read More ›
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Using the natural world as a fantasy playground, “Petite Maman” is able to explore loss and grief with tenderness. [Film Fest 919]
Two years ago, even during the height of Parasite-mania, there was one film that stole the entirety of Film Fest 919 for me: that being Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire by a country mile. Presenting truly one… Read More ›
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Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” is not without his signature style or flourish, but it’s missing that emotional connection found in past works. [Film Fest 919]
Sean Baker does good white trash. I really don’t know how to put it in any less crude terms than that. Even when his films don’t necessarily focus on low-income white people, the air of that world lingers in the… Read More ›
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Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske)” is a beautifully nuanced love letter to those who have yet to get their shit together. [Film Fest 919]
My name is Hunter, I am 25 years old, and I don’t need a governess…I also am having a severe quarter life crisis right now and am struggling. I’ve been having trouble as of late deciding what I want my… Read More ›
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In a sea of manufactured biopics, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” takes the crown with its pure sincerity. [Film Fest 919]
To be completely honest with you, I thought Will Smith was doing a period piece where he would play King Richard I in what I thought was one of the more daring pieces of casting I had heard about in… Read More ›
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Mike Mills’s “C’mon C’mon” meticulously delves into the subtleties and complications of human life. [Film Fest 919]
I’m not really sure at what point Joaquin Phoenix became a “weird” actor. My best guess lies in his strange publicity stunt of retiring from acting and becoming a rapper for the Casey Affleck “documentary” I’m Still Here, or maybe… Read More ›
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The biopic to end all biopics, Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer” offers an understanding of its subject rather than a recreation. [Film Fest 919]
My mother is absolutely obsessed with the Royal Family. The intrigue, mystery, extravagance, drama, strange practices, rules, traditions, quirks, and even the general consensus that it’s an entirely obsolete and unnecessary thing to have in the 21st century are all… Read More ›
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“The French Dispatch” is Wes Anderson undiluted and bound to delight fans of the acclaimed creative. [Film Fest 919]
There’s been a whole hullabaloo on social media regarding The French Dispatch, with disgruntled Twitter account owners accusing Wes Anderson of relying on the laurels of being Wes Anderson, and like…yeah dude…what do you expect? There’s this expectation in the… Read More ›
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“Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” offers popcorn entertainment right at home.
Escape Room was a cute little Saw-esque surprise of January of 2019, and while there were certainly some struggles with the screenplay, as well as its PG-13 rating feeling as if it was holding itself back from its pure potential,… Read More ›
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The heaviness within “Mass” is neither constrictive nor oppressive, but it will leave you staring at the ceiling. [Film Fest 919]
There was a moment in Mass that felt so profoundly terrifying to me, not in the film itself, but from the implication of said film and its message. I began to think of 2019, when an armed student killed two… Read More ›