What defines “personhood”? This is a complex question that gets debated quite a bit, specifically in regard to pre-birth healthcare. Is it from the moment of cell division, the presence of a heartbeat, or the moment a life reaches prime… Read More ›
In Theaters
“Free (your) Guy” and the rest will follow.
After being scheduled, pushed, rescheduled, pushed, and rescheduled *again* (this became a gag within the marketing), the Shawn Levy-directed (Stranger Things/This Is Where I Leave You) action comedy Free Guy is finally hitting theaters. (Or is it?) Frankly, and there’re… Read More ›
Director Nick Gillespie’s second feature, “Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break,” utilizes conventions, only to usurp them, crafting a scruples comedy tipped in horror. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
In this life there are few things worse than being misunderstood, to possess the feeling that those around you can’t see about you what you see in yourself. This schism between social reflection and personal identity has been the source… Read More ›
To be as Blunt as a river Rock, “Jungle Cruise” is a fun-filled family ride.
When it comes to selling movies, there’s nothing better than a well-known IP. Audiences already possess a connection with it and it makes selling it even easier for the filmmakers. There’s less risk here as most of the work is… Read More ›
M. Night Shyamalan’s graphic novel adaptation explores evocatively dark themes, yet falls prey to the same pitfalls of “Old.”
According to the myth, before Oedipus could enter the city of Thebes, he had to answer a question from the mythical creature known as the Sphinx. Answer properly and he could continue on his journey. Answer wrong and he would… Read More ›
Documentary “No Ordinary Man” explores the life of musician Billy Tipton, simultaneously shedding light on the past and offering a beacon for the future.
American jazz musician Billy Tipton started his career playing as part of a big band setup that played radio stations and in clubs. He worked his way up, touring the country, playing as part of an ensemble, as the bandleader,… Read More ›
Pop culture propagation and Looney Tunes nuttiness are just the tip-off for “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”
The last year or so has seen sequels to long-ago films released — Bad Boys for Life (2020), Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) — and we’ve still got Top Gun: Maverick (2021) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) still to… Read More ›
“Peace by Chocolate” isn’t tempered to satiate an instant craving, but to preserve a legacy. [Tribeca Festival]
Immigrant stories are treated as all-to-common and extraordinary in the same breath, especially in the United States and Canada. The majority of people who live in both countries did not originate there and each possess a legacy of doing terrible… Read More ›
Before she saved every one of us, “Black Widow” addresses Natasha’s unfinished business.
Introduced in Iron Man 2 (2010), Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, has been a key component in nearly every Avengers story since. If not for her, Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) and Rhodey (Don Cheadle) would’ve been toast well… Read More ›
Forget jumping the shark. Justin Lin’s “F9” injects it with enough NOS to ride it to the moon.
When the Fast & Furious series began in 2001, the OG film was a crime drama about an undercover cop, Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), getting too close to his target, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel). 20 years later the Fast films,… Read More ›
Tragically haunting, “My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To” forces the audience to consider difficult questions.
Quiet horror is not a particularly marketable asset to a major studio, and it’s because of that that we just don’t see much of it in the immediate landscape of the genre today. Audiences demand bigger thrills, louder jump-scares, and… Read More ›
Everyone’s a little suss when there are “Werewolves Within.”
When it comes to adapting games, especially video games, for cinema, the track record is low for success. While there’s some fun to be had in Doom (2005) or Mortal Kombat (1995), it’s best not to mention any appreciation for… Read More ›
More ≠ better for “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.”
When I left the Patrick Hughes-directed The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017), the first thought I had was “Looney Tunes.” The way in which the narrative exploits the chemistry between its leads, Ryan Reynolds (Waiting…) and Samuel L. Jackson (Formula 51), the… Read More ›
“Cruella” is brilliant and mad in all the right places, but is mostly frustrating.
In the spirit of past Walt Disney live action remakes or reimaginations such as Maleficent or Dumbo, comes Cruella, directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and starring the talented Emma Stone (The Favourite), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Mark Strong (Sherlock… Read More ›
Simon Barrett’s feature directorial debut “Séance” is a first class experience.
As someone who, like many, spent the entirety of their education in public schools, I’ve always had a sick fascination with the mystique of the private school experience, particularly that of the private boarding school experience. There’s something so strangely… Read More ›
Bodies will hit the floor and rise again when the “Army of the Dead” mobilizes.
Zack Snyder’s latest film, zombie/heist flick Army of the Dead, represents the best and worst of the auteur. It’s bombastic with copious amounts of gore while also containing heartrending philosophical notions regarding survival amidst nihilistic horror; however, it’s also a… Read More ›
Get to know D.C. Hardcore punk scene in doc “Punk the Capital: Building a Sound Movement.”
As a Jewish kid from Roanoke, Virginia, my music influences were around what was played on the radio; what played on music channels VH1, MTV, and BET; or what was played by my family across their eclectic tastes ranging from… Read More ›
“Spiral: From The Book of Saw” is not a game you want to play.
As a child, I truly believed the pinnacle of horror was the Saw series. As someone who feared horror films up until age 13-ish, it was difficult for me to distinguish between something that was actually scary, and something that… Read More ›
Anders Thomas Jensen’s dark comedy “Riders of Justice” offers shocking profundity amid violence.
A young girl and her mother are riding a subway train when an accident occurs, killing the mother and leaving the daughter injured but alive. Her father, a military man, comes home from active duty to care for his daughter… Read More ›
Guy Ritchie’s “Wrath of Man” is mean, gritty, and surprising in its restraint.
Writer/director Guy Ritchie last dazzled audiences (or, at least this reviewer) with the fairly up-tempo 2019 Matthew McConaughey crime-thriller-comedy The Gentlemen. A film which, despite a few faults, reminded audiences how much of a good time they can have exploring… Read More ›