Review: A Newsman Gets His Due in Mike Wallace Is Here
The generation obsessed with social media and information that’s instantly available may not even know who Mike Wallace was (and they’re the worse off for it). Though 60 Minutes, the show […]
Lisa Trifone is Managing Editor and a Film Critic at Third Coast Review. A Rotten Tomatoes approved critic, she is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Find more of Lisa's work at SomebodysMiracle.com
Review: Debut Thriller Luz Channels Demons, Chaos and Impressive Performances
One of the first things you’ll notice about Luz, the debut feature film from writer/director Tilman Singer, is its grit, both literally and figuratively. Shot on 16mm film, there’s the […]
Review: West Coast’s Teatro ZinZanni Pitches Its Circus Tent in the Loop
The dinner theater revue known as Teatro ZinZanni got its start more than 20 years ago in Seattle, where it launched as a self-described “Moulin Rouge meets Cirque du Soleil,” and […]
Go Behind the Scenes of Chicago’s Diverse Theater Scene in Setting the Stage Exhibit
As any avid theater-goer in Chicago knows, on any given night there are dozens of options for live productions, from obscure storefront theaters to world-class presentations. The thriving theater sector […]
Screens Monthly: Movies, Film Festivals and More in August
In the dead of a Chicago winter, all any of us can think about is the sun and warmth of summer, all the long days and warm breezes made for […]
Review: Strong Performances Support Skin‘s Story of Redemption
Every year, the Oscars dole out top honors for three short films: one documentary, one animated and one narrative live-action. There’s a complicated qualifying process, a very large selection pool […]
Review: A Confederate Comedy of Errors in Sword of Trust
For more than a decade, filmmaker Lynn Shelton has been making relationship-driven dramedies with some of the independent film scene’s most talented actors from Mark Duplass to Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen […]
Review: A Family Affair, The Farewell Feels the Love
Awkwafina (née Nora Lum) made a splash last year as the boisterous, straight-talking sidekick to Constance Wu’s Rachel, visiting Singapore to meet her fiancé’s family. Her performance as a say-anything, […]
Review: Absurd, Intense The Art of Self-Defense Skewers Toxic Masculinity
Jesse Eisenberg has made a name for himself playing tightly wound, neurotic types, from future media moguls (as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network) to unsuspecting zombie fighters (as Columbus in Zombieland […]
Review: Windy City Playhouse Forces the Experience at The Recommendation
Last year, Windy City Playhouse launched a bona-fide hit with Southern Gothic, the immersive theater experience set in the early 1960s where audiences were “invited” to a birthday party among friends, […]
Review: Cooked Explores the Inequality of Natural Disaster Response
As a Chicago native, I have a vague memory of the heatwave of 1995, a days-long invisible natural disaster that ultimately took the lives of hundreds of Chicagoans who didn’t […]
Review: Maiden‘s Journey Inspires One of the Best Documentaries of the Year
It’s surely a good sign if, when a film ends, your first thought as the credits roll is that you wish there were more. Such is the case with what […]