Movie Reviews

Viggo Mortensen directs and stars in brooding ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Grim and slow-burning, Viggo Mortensen’s ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ puts an excellent Vicky Krieps at the heart of a standard Western tale of vengeance.Viggo Mortensen’s second film as a director, writer, producer, and composer...

Dev Patel makes ambitious directing debut with the violent ‘Monkey Man’. The movie showcases a confident and energized Dev Patel both behind and in front of the camera in a ferocious, culturally-charged tale of revenge.While we may know Dev Patel best from his 2008 film debut in ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’...

‘Mean Girls’ brings music to the comedy but doesn’t always make the grade. Opening in theaters on January 12th, ‘Mean Girls’ is just the latest example of a movie that represents the latest evolution for a story that started as a novel, became a movie, transitioned to the Broadway stage for...

The Marvels rockets between the best and worst qualities of the MCU. The sequel to ‘Captain Marvel’ unites three of Marvel’s female superheroes in a film that both shines and struggles.Long-delayed and awaited with trepidation by MCU fans, ‘The Marvels’ is far from the strongest entry in the...

‘Insidious: The Red Door’ manages to find some new life in an aging horror franchise. Directed for the first time by star Patrick Wilson, this serves as something of a legacy sequel, digging into the movies’ history.‘The Red Door’ marks Wilson’s directorial debut, and it’s a solid start...

'The Tragedy of Macbeth' Movie Review

Acclaimed filmmaker Joel Coen’s solo directorial debut is a brilliant adaption of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with stunning cinematography and Oscar-worthy performances from its two leads. Opening in theaters on December 25th is the latest adaption of William Shakespeare’s classic stage play...

Despite an Intriguing Premise, 'Trap' Doesn't Quite Stick the Landing. Director M. Night Shyamalan's new thriller is enjoyable but feels hollow by the end despite an excellent debut performance from Saleka Shyamalan.Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan stages an intriguing and entertaining thriller...

Miles Morales comes face to face with his own anxiety in new short film. In partnership with the Kevin Love Fund, ‘A Spider Within’ explores the pressure and anxiety Miles Morales faces as a teenager, friend, and Spider-man.A Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’ originally premiered at the Annecy...

Bradley Cooper becomes Leonard Bernstein in the lush biopic. ‘Maestro,’ Bradley Cooper’s second effort as a director, is an expansive if perplexing look at an iconic musical figure and his turbulent private life.In theaters on November 22nd and premiering on Netflix on December 20th is ‘Maestro,’...

'C'mon C'mon' Movie Review

Currently playing in theaters is the new comedy-drama ‘C’mon C’mon’ from writer and director Mike Mills (‘Beginners’). Shot in black-and-white, the film stars Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix (‘Joker’) as a documentary journalist who agrees to take care of his estranged sister’s...

'Black Widow' Movie Review

It's a shame we didn't get this 'Black Widow' movie a few years ago, because it's hard to imagine that Marvel Studios wouldn't have found a different path for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanov in 'Avengers: Endgame.' This is a satisfying spy movie set in the larger MCU, and although the baton is definitely...

'Venom' Movie Review

If, for some reason, you miss the superhero adaptations of the 1990s and early 2000s, “Venom” might be right for you.It feels like a movie that is largely unaware of the progress that has been made to tell stories that are both authentic to their source material and sophisticated enough for audiences...

'Aquaman' Movie Review

For all those superhero fans who miss Chris Hemsworth's earliest iteration of Thor, DC has delivered unto them "Aquaman," the story of a hard-drinking, roguish hero unprepared and reluctant to assume the mantle of leadership bestowed upon him by birthright.James Wan, inheriting the character after his...

Marvel claws its way back to fun with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is a warm, hilarious, violent, inappropriate and occasionally exasperating love letter to, of all things, the Fox Marvel universe.As we all know, it’s been a rough time in recent years for the Marvel Cinematic...

‘Poor Things’ features a weird, winning turn from Emma Stone but is sure to be divisive. This new movie from ‘The Favourite’ director Yorgos Lanthimos is typically peculiar and could be off-putting to some.In theaters December 8th, ‘Poor Things’ is the latest slab of eccentricity from Greek...

'The Mother' Movie Review

‘The Mother’ finds Jennifer Lopez as a female assassin driven to protect her daughter from villains. Despite direction from ‘Whale Rider’ and ‘North Country’s Niki Caro, this is an utterly generic action thriller with only its distaff take on the topic to recommend it.On Netflix beginning...

'She Said' Movie Review

One of the toughest genres of movie to get right is the based-on-truth investigative dig into a big story. It’s not just that reporters hunched over keyboards or waiting for phones to ring can be singularly uncinematic, more that the heaviest hitters in the field – ‘All the President’s Men’,...

'Hocus Pocus 2' Movie Review

The Sanderson Sisters are Back In Belated Comedy Sequel ‘Hocus Pocus 2’. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker reprise their iconic witchy roles for the fun follow-up to the 1993 movie.Releasing on Disney+ September 30th, ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is aiming to work on several fronts: as a...

'Clerks III' Movie Review

‘Clerks III’ finds Kevin Smith And Co. back behind the counter. A more reflective, somber Smith returns to his filmmaking routes – but he still finds time for pop culture gags and rude humor.Much as he did with his last visit to the world kicked off with ‘Clerks’ in 1994 – that would be 2019’s...

'Crimes of the Future' Movie Review

A combination of 'eXistenZ and 'Crash,' Cronenberg's latest film has fascinating characters and an interesting story but gets buried by its own deliberate weirdness.Opening in theaters on June 3rd is the new film from legendary director David Cronenberg ('The Fly') entitled 'Crimes of the Future.' The...

'Morbius' Movie Review

Opening in theaters on April 1st is the new superhero movie 'Morbius,' which is based on the classic vampire character from Marvel Comics. It's the third film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe following 'Venom,' and 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage.' Directed by Daniel Espinosa ('Safe House'), the movie stars...

‘Flamin’ Hot’ tells an inspiring, entertaining and (mostly) true story of grit and chips. Eva Longoria makes her narrative feature directing debut with the tale of Frito-Lay worker Richard Montañez.The movie tells the story of Montañez (Jessie Garcia), who was born in an East Los Angeles barrio...

'The Boogeyman' Movie Review

‘The Boogeyman’ is unlikely to keep anyone up at night with faltering horror. The movie, adapted from a Stephen King short story, suffers from a combination of cheap scares, ridiculous plotting and a well-worn concept.‘The Boogeyman’, in theaters June 2nd, is just the latest adaptation of the...

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is a well-shot but ultimately soulless musical courtroom drama. Todd Phillips’ follow-up to his 2018 effort smacks of self-indulgence, and largely wastes the talents of Lady Gaga with a role that lets her sing but little else.Opening in theaters on October 4th, ‘Joker:...

Gru and the Minions return for more chaos in ‘Despicable Me 4’. This latest sequel keeps very much to the ‘Despicable’ playbook while also feeling more disjointed and, in one or two places, repetitive than usual.Opening in theaters on July 3rd, ‘Despicable Me 4’s is Illumination Entertainment...

‘Abigail’ sees the ‘Scream’ directors tackling a vampire tale with bite. The new movie from the Radio Silence duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Tyler Gillett is a kidnapping story with a fanged twist that delivers on scares and laughs.In theaters on Friday, April 19th, ‘Abigail’ finds Matt Bettinelli-Olpin...

‘One True Loves’ movie adaptation explores a complicated love triangle. NY Times best-selling author Taylor Jenkins Reid’s popular romance novel comes to the big screen with Phillipa Soo and Simu Liu as the romantic leads.The rom-com is based on NY Times Best Selling author Taylor Jenkins Reid’s...

'Deep Water' Movie Review

Premiering on Hulu beginning March 18th is 'Fatal Attraction' director Adrian Lyne's first new film in twenty years, the erotic thriller 'Deep Water.' The movie stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as a married couple whose infidelities lead to several murders.The result is a strange and uneven movie that...

'Umma' Movie Review

A well-made supernatural thriller masquerading as horror film with strong performances from its lead actresses but gets lost in its own exposition towards the movie's climax.Amanda (Oh) lives off-the-grid on a rural farm with her daughter Chris (Stewart), where they work as bee keepers. Amanda is “allergic”...

'Being the Ricardos' Movie Review

Aaron Sorkin’s third directorial effort is truly his best, with remarkable Oscar-worthy performances from previous Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and J.K. Simmons. Currently, in theaters, before streaming on Amazon Prime December 21st, is the biopic ‘Being the Ricardos,’ which...

'First Man' Movie Review

There have been many movies about the space race, from “The Right Stuff” to “Apollo 13,” but none have felt as visceral, and intimate, as “First Man.”Director Damien Chazelle puts audiences inside each capsule, and eventually (spoiler alert) on the face of the moon like no one has done before,...

'Glass' Movie Review

There is a good film to be made about superheroes existing in the "real" world, and the phenomenon, or perhaps disorder, where ordinary people believe they possess extraordinary abilities. "Glass" is not that film, despite how seriously writer-director M. Night Shyamalan takes both of those ideas, and...

Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard find an unexpected bond in ‘Memory’. What we remember, what we forget, and whether we can choose those or not are at the heart of ‘Memory,’ a poignant character study of two damaged people.‘Memory’ is a small and resolutely independent feature from writer-director...

'Fast X' Movie Review

‘Fast X’ finds the fun in the franchise again thanks to higher stakes and Jason Momoa. A winning, funny turn from Momoa as the big villain proves the highlight in a ‘Fast’ entry that feels reinvigorated after the maudlin last movie.‘Fast X’ opening in theaters on May 19th, is the latest entry...

‘The Substance’ Takes Body Horror to a Whole New Level and Meaning. Demi Moore gives the performance of her career in ‘The Substance,’ a gruesome horror epic that wickedly skewers our standards of female youth and beauty. Opening in theaters September 20 is ‘The Substance,’ directed by Coralie...

'Road House' Remake is Missing the Mystery and Magic of the Original. Despite a strong performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, 'Road House' features ridiculously dumb action and lacks the magic that made the first movie a classic.

‘The Boys in the Boat’ finds George Clooney rowing in a very safe lane. George Clooney’s latest directorial effort is such a strait-laced historical biopic that you wonder whether he truly felt inspired to make the movie.In theaters on December 25th, ‘The Boys in the Boat’ is George Clooney’s...

'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' Movie Review

‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is an Action-Packed Thrill Ride! Director Christopher McQuarrie's ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ is a thrilling 'Mission: Impossible' movie that features some of Tom Cruise's most death-defying stunts.‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part...

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' Movie Review

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is a fun, knowing fantasy. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis and Hugh Grant star in the new movie. Releasing in theaters on March 31st, ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ blends the knowing humor that writer/directors...

Actors Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy excel in rambling ‘The Bikeriders’. Jeff Nichols’ ‘The Bikeriders’ struggles to find its story but is bolstered by its excellent leads, colorful supporting cast, and rich period details.Motorcycle club culture remains an enigma to most people; to some, it represents...