No matter how much we want it to, the past rarely stays behind. A song, a story, a face, anything which might elicit the slightly remembrance, and we’re right back in that moment like it’s yesterday. Of the many themes… Read More ›
In Theaters
“Luke & Jo” utilizes the right place/right time trope as a jumping off point to examine internal struggles.
Loneliness is a universal condition. It begins as a notion that tickles in the back of our minds before drilling deep into the bones, settling in our soul. The shame is that one does not need to be alone to… Read More ›
Dramatic thriller “Luce” plays your expectations against you at every turn.
Audiences cultivate a certain expectation depending on the film distributor. With Warner Bros. Pictures, odds are you’re getting something fairly mainstream; whereas A24 almost always releases genre-pushing indies. In the middle lies Neon, where it handles mainstream documentaries like Apollo… Read More ›
Don’t Romjin Calm! Join the “Satanic Panic”!
Horror is one of those genres that never goes out of style. It draws inspiration from the things which we fear collectively and gives it form. 1978’s Halloween was born out of the move from city centers to suburbia. 1954’s… Read More ›
Watch the birth of a modern superhero in 2019 Student Academy Award nominee short film “Balloon”.
Adolescence is difficult for a lot of reasons. It’s not just the physical or chemical changes that make things hard, but the social ones, too. Suddenly the things that didn’t seem to matter are all that matter in determining how… Read More ›
Expectations and perception collide in Mike Gan’s “Burn,” a provocative view into human nature and connection.
Looking at the catalogue of films writer/director Mike Gan has developed, each film appears to deal with the darker sides of humanity. This is not to say that there aren’t protagonists, but that they are muddied and never completely wholesome…. Read More ›
Generational conflicts play out as bloody mayhem in Richard Bates Jr.’s “Tone-Deaf”.
Probably for as long as there have been parents and children, there’s been a war waging between generations. Parents tend to think that the ones coming up have no regard for way things used to be and children think it’s… Read More ›
“Ready Or Not,” here comes the bride.
Every family has their traditions, the little things that they do in order to carry forward to the future the notions of the past. Where things tend to get tricky is when someone marries in. Suddenly it’s not about one… Read More ›
Manga adaptation “Kingdom” is not just for the fans, but for adventure-seekers everywhere.
For the uninitiated, watching the trailer for director Shinsuke Sato’s (Inuyashiki) Kingdom will be confusing and potentially befuddling. Frankly, it’s just a whirlwind of content as text lays out the plot amid rapid images from the film all while “Wasted… Read More ›
“The Bromley Boys” is a novel adaptation that will break through even the most cynical of hearts.
It’s hard to truly comprehend just how much of an institution soccer (or “football” literally anywhere else but here, to which I will be referring to it as) is beyond the American borders. Throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and… Read More ›
Director Alexandre Moratto crafts a personal portrait reflective of his experiences in “Socrates”.
From the opening shot of director Alexandre Moratto’s Brazilian coming-of-age drama, Socrates, audiences will recognize that they are in for a very personal, brutally honest, and unrelenting emotional journey following the life of a struggling young teen in São Paulo…. Read More ›
Mitch McLeod’s “Silhouette” packs big budget tension in a small budget film.
No matter the genre, the most compelling stories are the ones which tap into something primal in the audience. Fear, delight, rage, and joy are ingrained in us as a means of survival in an uncontrollable cosmos. A good writer… Read More ›
Sudeikis, Pace, and Greer make “Driven,” the somewhat true story of John DeLorean’s fall from grace, an emotional ride.
If you’re a child of the ‘80s, there’s one car that pops into your mind the moment you think about the era; a vehicle made famous by Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future series and infamous throughout automotive history. The… Read More ›
Documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas” wonderfully celebrates 50 years of Texas Rock n’ Blues.
Critically-acclaimed documentarian and International Emmy-winning filmmaker Sam Dunn takes the directorial reins in his latest project, ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s 1969 conception, this documentary tells the story of the… Read More ›
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is Quentin Tarantino’s Storybook Tribute to the Hollywood of Old.
It is quite a challenging task to touch on every element that makes a Quentin Tarantino film work. It would not even be a stretch to say that one could write an entire dissertation essay on over a dozen individual… Read More ›
“Ode to Joy” is a rom-com that reminds how good the genre really can be.
Ode to Joy, Jason Winer’s return to the cinema screen after 2008’s Arthur remake, takes the traditional romantic comedy story arc and adds a genetic disease into the mix. Unlike films that came before it, the mix of a humorous… Read More ›
“The Kitchen” lays bare all of the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with mob life in this DC Vertigo adaptation.
Ask virtually anyone and they’ll tell you that the only thing in the theaters these days are reboots, remakes, and superhero films. To a degree, that’s pretty spot on. Studios make more of what audiences pay to see and nostalgia… Read More ›
By shedding tropes, the genuine and heartfelt “The Peanut Butter Falcon” soars.
Often in cinema, acclaim comes to non-disabled performers telling the stories of members of the disabled community. Jon Voight in Coming Home, Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, and Sean Penn in I Am Sam are just a few which come… Read More ›
It may not yet offer justice for Han, but “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” brings all the popcorn-munching, adrenaline-fueled action you desire.
When it comes to the Fast & Furious films, the first thing you do is check your brain at the door. These aren’t films for intellectuals, but are pure popcorn-munching, adrenaline-fueled action spectaculars where the men and women are fierce… Read More ›
“Leo Da Vinci: Mission Mona Lisa” is fun for the whole family.
With the LEGO films, a Secret Life sequel, an upcoming Playmobil film — not a joke — and all the other big studio animated films, it’s easy to miss out on the smaller films from less well-known studios. One such… Read More ›