Review: Aiming for a Timely Satire, Comet Comedy Don’t Look Up Misses the Mark
Writer/director Adam McKay is a lot of things, but subtle isn’t one of them. Most of the time, he’s found ways to turn that to his advantage, with broader comedies […]
Steve Prokopy is chief film critic for the Chicago-based arts outlet Third Coast Review. For nearly 20 years, he was the Chicago editor for Ain’t It Cool News, where he contributed film reviews and filmmaker/actor interviews under the name “Capone.” Currently, he’s a frequent contributor at /Film (SlashFilm.com) and Backstory Magazine. He is also the public relations director for Chicago's independently owned Music Box Theatre, and holds the position of Vice President for the Chicago Film Critics Association. In addition, he is a programmer for the Chicago Critics Film Festival, which has been one of the city's most anticipated festivals since 2013.
Review: As Christmas Movies Go, Apocalyptic Silent Night Is Both Unexpected and Uninspiring
File this under: Unexpected Christmas Movies. Writer /director Camille Grifin’s first feature, Silent Night, begins as many holiday movies do—a group of old friends gathering at someone’s home to celebrate […]
Review: Riz Ahmed Is an Unstable Father in Encounter, a Tense and Tough Family Drama
Taking a break from playing musicians with health issues, in Encounter actor Riz Ahmed plays Malik Khan, a decorated Marine who embarks on a road trip with his two young […]
Review: Wolf Defies Categorization, But Delivers Impressive Performances
This is a tough one to classify and an even tougher one to analyze, but ultimately a fulfilling one to view. The latest from Nocturnal director Nathalie Biancheri, Wolf tells […]
Interview: Mayor Pete Filmmaker Jesse Moss on Following Buttigieg’s Campaign, the Importance of Transparency, and Where the Candidate Goes Next
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Mayor Pete is director Jesse Moss’s follow-up to his exceptional, award-winning documentary Boys State. In the tradition of campaign trail films like The War Room […]
Review: Oscar Winner Halle Berry Assumes the Director’s Chair for Resonant, Brutal Bruised
This one surprised me, I’ll fully admit. Marking the directing debut of Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry, Bruised is set in the world of mixed martial arts, centering on a former […]
Review: An Epic yet Shallow Production, House of Gucci Handily Captures the Era—and the Family Dysfunction
It’s either a crime drama, a comedic commentary about the filthy rich, or an anarchic takedown of the ruling classes by the working class. Or a bloated combination of the […]
Review: C’Mon, C’Mon Is a Winning, Contemplative Work on Familial Bonds and Boundaries
Writer/director Mike Mills is a solid filmmaker who always seems to think he needs a bit of a gimmick in his storytelling to make it interesting. I suppose if you […]
Review: Disney Animation Delivers a Warm and Worthy Family Story in Encanto
Full of life, color and soaring music courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Disney’s latest animation celebration, Encanto, tells the story of the Madrigal family. They live in a magical house in […]
Review: King Richard Explores the Driving, Fatherly Force Behind a Tennis Dynasty
Richard Williams was a man with a plan—an actual written-down plan, dozens of pages long—for each of his many children, mapping out their lives as a path toward guaranteed success. […]
Review: Ghostbusters: Afterlife Channels as Much Nostalgia as Science in a New Take on a Classic Franchise
The use of nostalgia in movies is a curious thing, if for no other reason than there are two camps of thought in how (or even if) it should be […]
Review: Mayor Pete Chronicles Candidate Pete Buttigieg’s Unlikely, Historic Run for President
What I’d expected to be a fairly lightweight behind-the-scenes look at the relatively short-lived presidential campaign of South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg turns out to be something far more […]