Steve Prokopy
Review: Two-Time Oscar Winner Hilary Swank Carries The Good Mother, a Dark Family Drama Best Served by Its Performances
I sometimes have to remind myself that Hilary Swank has two Academy Awards, and I in no way mean that as a slight to her acting abilities. She’s one of […]
Review: The Dive Puts Two Sisters in a Heart-Stopping Race Against Time—and Oxygen
This little two-hander took me very much by surprise. From German-born director Maximilian Erlenwein (Stereo) and his co-writer Joachim Hedén comes The Dive, a story about two estranged sisters—Sophie Lowe […]
Review: Adam Sandler and Family Star in Watchable Teen Comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
For the most part, I’ve fallen off the Adam Sandler train. Since moving most of his newest films to Netflix, I’ve stopping feeling the need to check them out (with […]
Review: Helen Mirren Stars as a Prime Minister at a Crossroads in Thrilling Wartime Drama Golda
Rather than attempt a full-scale biopic of one-time Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, writer Nicholas Martin and director Guy Nattiv (Skin, Magic Men) zero in on the incredibly tense 19 […]
Review: Liam Neeson’s Latest Actioner, Retribution, Is Ultimately Stifled by Its Setting, Casting
I’m in no position to get all ageist on any actor, but casting 71-year-old (okay, maybe he was 70 when he actually filmed this movie) Liam Neeson as the father […]
Review: Bottoms Is a Raunchy Teen Comedy That’s Both Unflinching and Eager to Be Liked, Much Like Its Stars
Three years ago, writer/director Emma Seligman and actor Rachel Sennott made quite a splash with Shiva Baby, their honest and frank look at the life of a Jewish college student. […]
Review: A Driving Simulator Comes to the Big Screen in Gran Turismo, Featuring a True Story and Thrilling Racing Scenes
As I’ve commented about most films based on video games, I knew absolutely nothing about Gran Turismo going into this work. Unlike other video game movies, Gran Turismo isn’t actually […]
Review: Brightwood Forces a Couple Falling Apart to Keep it Together Long Enough to Escape What’s Haunting Them
As exciting as the promise of a first-time filmmaker’s visual prowess can be, I tend to respond to newcomers who have actual ideas behind their technical achievements. Case in point: […]
Review: Bad Things Turns an Abandoned Hotel, and Family Drama, Into Something Tense and Unnerving
In something of a queer-friendly, feminist take on The Shining, writer/director Stewart Thorndike (Lyle) sets her latest tale of twisted motherhood, Bad Things, in an abandoned boutique hotel. The property […]
Review: Landscape With Invisible Hand Is a Quirky, Original Indie with a Believable, Intriguing Premise
I’ve seen a lot of variations on the alien invasion/occupation theme in movies over the decades, but I can’t recall one quite as bizarre and singular as writer/director Cory Finley’s […]
Review: A Chinese Legend Gets a Frenetic, Star-Studded Netflix Animation Adaptation in The Monkey King
Perhaps a bit thin on plot and presumably aimed at hyperactive children around the world, the latest animated opus from director Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls) is the action-packed comedy The […]
Review: Buddy Comedy Strays Puts Crude Humor and a Surprising Bit of Heart into a Dog’s Tale
Sometimes you can just feel that dogs want to be your best friend in the world, and other times, you can simply look them in the eyes and know they […]