Review: A Podcast Host Solves Mysteries and Gets More Than She Bargained For in Susie Searches
Actor-turned-first-time-filmmaker Sophie Kargman’s Susie Searches had its premiere almost a year ago at the Toronto Film Festival, and it seemed to disappear until recently. The title comes from the name […]
Review: Christopher Nolan Gets Personal, Emotional and Political in a Sprawling, Engrossing Oppenheimer
Although it sometimes feels like we’re watching a history textbook or a lengthy biography, writer/director Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a sprawling, visually engrossing cinematic lesson in technology, innovation, American hubris, […]
Review: A Bizarre Mix of Tones and Styles, Old May Frustrate But Stays Intriguing, Watchable
Based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre-Oscar Lévy and Frederick Peeters, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s Old is a bizarre mix of a thriller, family drama, science fiction, and psychological […]
Review: A Vulnerable, Insightful Nicolas Cage Elevates Pig Into a Meditation on Life, Work and Companionship
The last Nicolas Cage movie I reviewed, the early 2020 release Color Out of Space, was a treat if only because the uneven sci-fi horror film lets Cage go literally […]
Review: Castle in the Ground Explores Lives Intertwined in the Early Days of the Opioid Crisis
One of the many films slated for this year’s cancelled SXSW Film Festival (although the film had its official premiere at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival) was writer/director Joey Klein’s […]
Review: A Familiar Cast—And a Few New Faces—Play the Same Game in Jumanji: The Next Level
I went into the last Jumanji film, Welcome to the Jungle, with such neutral expectations that I was pleasantly surprised to discover a funny, energetic adventure comedy featuring an array […]
Review: Despite Strong Cast, The House Of Tomorrow Stands on Shaky Foundation
Sometimes it’s just fun to watch a bevy of worthy actors take on a simple, so-so screenplay just to see what they can do with it. Based on a novel […]