The Gorge works better as a strange romance than an action film. The actual monsters are far less interesting than the concept of two people forming a friendship through signs and binoculars. Director: Scott Derrickson Summary: Two highly-trained operatives become close after being sent to protect opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. When an evil […]
Captain America: Brave New World seems to exist only to push forward the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is most apparent in the weird pacing and structure of the many rewrites and reshoots. Director: Julius Onah Summary: Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover […]
Babygirl is an imperfect but refreshing exploration of female sexuality from a woman's perspective. Director: Halina Reijn Summary: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. Babygirl is Female Sexuality From A Woman's Perspective You could say a lot about the […]
Nosferatu is a feast in every sense of the word, from the fantastic acting to the stunning cinematography to the final moments that might be some of the most horrific and haunting scenes of the last several years. Director: Robert Eggers Summary: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying […]
A Complete Unknown might have the added benefit of everyone in the cast singing and playing their own instruments, but weird pacing and structure decisions mean we come into a film about Bob Dylan learning almost nothing new about the man himself. Director: James Mangold Summary: In 1961, unknown 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York […]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn't going to convert any non-believers, but the fans will get everything they've ever wanted, and we love that for them. Director: Jeff Fowler Summary: Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched, […]
Mufasa: The Lion King is yet another return to VHS-era Disney with uninspiring songs, an animation style that hurts more than it helps, and a story that had potential but is unable to be compelling enough to have the audience forget that they know how this story ends. Director: Barry Jenkins Summary: Mufasa, a lost […]
Moana 2 is a movie that fails to even compare to the original in nearly every way that matters. None of the emotional beats land, the story meanders around as the TV patchwork becomes very apparent, and none of the songs are memorable. Directors: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller Summary: After […]
Gladiator II takes a long time to get going and isn't nearly as memorable as the first film, but Ridley Scott is a legend for a reason, and the spectacle and intrigue make for a much stronger second half of the film. Director: Ridley Scott Summary: After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who […]
Wicked is a solidly mediocre musical that fails to justify its runtime, which kneecaps the pacing and, at times, looks oddly fake despite the extensive use of practical effects. Director: Jon M. Chu Summary: Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in […]
Joker: Folie à Deux is empty, has absolutely nothing to say, does nothing with its premise, and wastes the time of every talented person who decided this was a project worth investing time into. Director: Todd Phillips Summary: Arthur Fleck is institutionalized at Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his […]
The Wild Robot hits every single emotional beat. It is beautifully animated, effortlessly funny, and breaks your heart. Director: Chris Sanders Summary: After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose. In […]
Transformers One is everything established fans want; it will easily court the next generation of kids and easily bridge the gap between people who only had the Michael Bay films and who never understood why anyone liked this stuff. Director: Josh Cooley Summary: The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn […]
The Killer's Game has all of the right pieces to be an excellent film, including a great concept and cast, but it fumbles everything in the end and is just boring and unfunny in the end. Director: J.J. Perry Summary: A veteran assassin is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and authorizes a kill on himself. […]
[THIS REVIEW OF DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE IS SPOILER-FREE. HOWEVER, IF IT'S IN A TRAILER, IT'S FAIR GAME. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.] Deadpool & Wolverine will be everything and more to its target audience, but for those that aren't terminally online, there is a good chance half of the movie's jokes and set pieces will be […]
Twisters wastes far too much of its runtime, establishing villains instead of focusing on the very obvious and more interesting struggle of man against Mother Nature. When Twister was released in 1996, it was unlike anything anyone had seen before. We had seen storms and weather in movies before, but this film was about getting up […]
Inside Out 2 isn't nearly as good as the first one and doesn't take advantage of its own big ideas, but it's another entry in the "that's pretty damn good" entries of Pixar films. Director: Kelsey Mann Summary: Follows Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions. Inside Out 2: The Pixar Film For The […]
The Imaginary very much feels like something that has come from the studio that will be the successor to Studio Ghibli's, and while the magic is there, it hasn't reached the very high expectations it is trying to meet. Director: Yoshiyuki Momose Summary: Rudger is a boy no one can see, imagined by Amanda to […]
IF might tug on your heartstrings, but it's a movie that seems confused about what audience it is trying to appeal to, and because of that, it appeals to almost no one. Director: John Krasinski Summary: A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left […]
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it becomes an immersive and thrilling new entry that feels like a natural extension of the franchise. Director: Wes Ball Summary: Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will […]
