Movie Review Archives - Chicago Reader

a Black girl at school, looking past the camera

Film

Let the Little Light Shine

by Dmitry Samarov August 12, 2022August 12, 2022

It’s a small story whose roots and branches radiate in all directions.

a battered Brad Pitt about to drink water on the train

Film

Bullet Train

by Adam Mullins-Khatib August 12, 2022August 16, 2022

Bullet Train’s biggest feat is its own understanding of merging its chaotically Looney Tunes-level of violence with some genuinely interesting storytelling turns, and its use of Brad Pitt’s comedic sensibilities to their utmost.

one person leaning on another's shoulder in low light

Film

Girl Picture

by Kathleen Sachs August 12, 2022August 12, 2022

A few scenes evince a unique aesthetic for this type of film, and the lead actresses give stand-out performances.

four young people in the dark, with flashlights and glow sticks

Film

Bodies Bodies Bodies

by Noah Berlatsky August 12, 2022August 12, 2022

I’m sure Bodies Bodies Bodies will have many enthusiastic fans. I’m just at the stage in life where I don’t take much pleasure in watching the kids hurt themselves.

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

Film

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

Film

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

Film

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

Film

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

Film

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.