2024 in Review: Best Narrative Films of the Year
2024 is finally over, so it’s time to reveal my Best Narrative Films of the Year list. As always, I was able to squeeze in about a dozen additional films […]
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.
2024 in Review: Best Documentary Films of the Year
As I do every year, I separate documentaries into their own Best of the Year list, not because I feel they should be judged any differently than narrative films, but […]
Interview: Actor Ryan Destiny on Preparation and Expectations for The Fire Inside, Portraying Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields
The new docudrama The Fire Inside tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (Ryan Destiny), one of the greatest female boxers in history and the first female boxer to win […]
Review: Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu Is a Dark, Tension-Filled Journey into Violent Obsession
For those keeping score, Dracula was basically the entire reason I got into horror movies specifically and then into film in general. But that Dracula (the 1931 Universal version, starring […]
Review: Cinematographer Rachel Morrison Takes the Helm for The Fire Inside, From a Superb Script by Barry Jenkins
Celebrated cinematographer turned first-time director Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Dope, and an Oscar nomination for her work on Mudbound) brings us the inspirational true story of female boxer Claressa Shields […]
Review: Timothée Chalamet Is Exceptional in A Complete Unknown About Bob Dylan’s Early Years
The title of the skillfully made Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, is appropriate, because it traces the short road Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) took from traditional folk singer (performing mostly […]
Review: Denmark’s Oscar Contender, The Girl with the Needle Is a Moody, Gothic Post-War Chamber Piece
Denmark’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards (and recently shortlisted in that category), The Girl with the Needle is the latest work from director […]
Review: In its Third Installment, Sonic the Hedgehog Finds a Worthy New Villain Voiced by Keanu Reeves
I was dreading this third installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game adaptation franchise, so imagine my utter shock and bewilderment when I made it to the end of […]
Interview: Documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer on His Jump to Narratives with Apocalyptic Musical The End, Lyrics versus Poetry and Casting for Vulnerability
The End marks the narrative film directing debut from Oscar-nominated documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer, whose one-two punch was 2012’s The Act of Killing and 2014’s The Look of Silence. The former […]
Review: At 78, Filmmaker Paul Schrader Confronts the Past, the Truth and More in Compelling and Complicated Oh, Canada
At the age of 78, writer/director Paul Schrader is on a bit of a run with films like First Reformed, The Card Counter, Master Gardener, and now Oh, Canada (based […]
Review: Lord of the Rings Gets the Anime Treatment in The War of Rohirrim, with Plenty for Die-Hards to Appreciate
Beyond having read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I don’t know much about the stories of what came before or after J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous works. […]
Review: The Spider-Verse Slogs On with Another Villain Story in the Mostly Backstory Actioner Kraven the Hunter
If the rumors are true (and maybe they aren’t even rumors at this point) and Sony is truly done making these nonsense, periphery Spider-Man-universe films (minus actual appearances from Spider-Man), […]