Review: Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta Balances a Profound Spirit with an Entertaining Campiness
Is it possible for a film to be both deeply profound and startlingly campy at the same time? Paul Verhoeven appears to be on a quest to find out, as […]
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: In Adapting Tony-Winning Family Drama The Humans for the Screen, Stephen Karam’s Artistic Vision Feels Amateurish
When it premiered at Chicago’s American Theater Company in 2014, Stephen Karam’s one-act play The Humans was already something special. Positive reviews and a warm audience reception propelled the production on […]
Review: Writing With Fire Chronicles the Valiant, Courageous Work of Female Journalists in India
Editor’s Note: this is a reprint of a review originally published during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival Boasting a population of more than one billion people, India is a complex […]
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: Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time Celebrates the Life and Weirdness of the Slaughterhouse Five Author
You don’t expect to see the film director as a major character in his own documentary. But in the case of Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time, director Robert B. Weide […]