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Home » Film » Movie Review

Category: Movie Review

a Black woman and white man talk in front of a busy whiteboard
Posted inFilm

Vengeance

by Catey Sullivan August 5, 2022August 5, 2022

It’s a story about a storyteller who is creating a story about how mythology (stories) are created. It is also an acute reminder of how easy it can be to hide secrets in plain sight.

Courtney Barnett leaned over a table, writing in a notebook
Posted inFilm

Anonymous Club

by Dmitry Samarov August 5, 2022August 5, 2022

Filmmaker Danny Cohen gave Barnett a Dictaphone and asked her to talk into it as she traversed the world on tours over three years, in support of her celebrated second album in 2018, and onward.

Bruce Willis in camo pointing a gun at the camera
Posted inFilm

Wrong Place

by Maxwell Rabb July 28, 2022July 28, 2022

Wrong Place is a convoluted mess that struggles to connect disjunctive plot points as they dawdle their way to the movie’s inevitable conclusion.

Daniel Kaluuya in an orange hoodie on horseback
Posted inFilm

Nope

by Gregory Wakeman July 28, 2022July 29, 2022

Nope is still too fun and has too many effective sequences to be considered a disappointment. It’s just not as resoundingly impressive as we’ve come to expect from Peele.

a person in a tin astronaut-style suit walks in front of a wall of lava
Posted inFilm

Fire of Love

by Kathleen Sachs July 28, 2022July 28, 2022

It succeeds in highlighting this tenet of their work, making it a valuable introduction not just to their unique lives and groundbreaking studies, but also to their own singular artistry.

an animated turtle, pig, squirrel, and two dogs
Posted inFilm

DC League of Super-Pets

by Noah Berlatsky July 28, 2022July 28, 2022

The smaller humans who saw the preview were delighted, and their parents didn’t seem to be suffering.

A Black woman holds the hands of a pale young girl
Posted inFilm

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Noëlle D. Lilley July 19, 2022July 19, 2022

Jones does her best with what she has to work with, and the movie may still strike an emotional chord with viewers if they don’t look too closely.

a black and white Leonard with a guitar, singing
Posted inFilm

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

by Bridgette M. Redman July 19, 2022July 19, 2022

By focusing on the song rather than the man, the filmmakers create an arc that keeps viewers engaged.

a girl in a light blue swimsuit stands with a fishing spear, next to an older man in swim trunks looking at his phone
Posted inFilm

Murina

by Dmitry Samarov July 19, 2022July 19, 2022

Despite all the beautiful water, sun, and half-naked bodies, what I was left with as the credits rolled was a mere trace memory of stylish vacuity.

two animated cats look up in shock
Posted inFilm

Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank

by Marah Eakin July 19, 2022July 19, 2022

It’s clear that the makers had an aim to make the movie stand out from typical kiddie fare, and they succeed, generally. 

a young girl with dark skin and dark curly hair holds up a cute blue sea creature with big black eyes
Posted inFilm

The Sea Beast

by Catey Sullivan July 19, 2022July 19, 2022

If you’re going to title your movie The Sea Beast, you need to commit to a beast that earns its billing.

three scary white masks
Posted inFilm

The Black Phone

by Noah Berlatsky July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

The effort is appreciated as far as it goes. But it doesn’t matter how enthusiastically you dial if you end up with a bore on the other end of the line.

a gymnast on a high bar
Posted inFilm

Olga

by Dmitry Samarov July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

This is a skillful but flawed portrait of amateur sports on the global stage that doesn’t quite stick the landing.

three minions, one small with giant pleading eyes
Posted inFilm

Minions: The Rise of Gru

by Kathleen Sachs July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

Is this in any way, shape, or form defensible as meaningful art? Certainly not. Is it really cute? Yup.

a man in a 19th century orange coat leans back to get a drink poured over his head
Posted inFilm

Lost Illusions

by Noëlle D. Lilley July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

Xavier Giannoli’s film is hilarious and always moving with vivid colors and rapid-fire narration that in another movie might feel heavy-handed but here is a guiding force that gives a fascinating quasi-history lesson.

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