‘Dunkirk’ is Christopher Nolan at his best | review
Dunkirk is a thrilling and emotional war movie that is singular in its form and a high-point in Christopher Nolan's already impressive career Quick cut: Though it is infused with the cinematic innovation that's synonymous with Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk also finds him at his most human. The action, visuals, and disorienting story make it a cinematic…
‘Circus of Books’ and the family-run gay bookstore | movie review
Rachel Mason documents the story of the gay adult bookstore run by her elderly Jewish parents in Circus of Books Quick review: Where the Circus of Books lacks focus, it makes up for in pure heart and a touching personal story that gives hope to a community. It will be available on Netflix on April…
‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ and its punk rock Ned Kelly | movie review
True History of the Kelly Gang is a fictional punk rock western about the Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang of outlaws Quick review: True History of the Kelly Gang is a punky auteurist vision of adrenaline that makes the already chaotic story disorienting, and, most importantly, unrelenting. ★★★★ “Nothing you’re about to see…
‘Beautiful Boy’ review — Timothée Chalamet shines in this faulty addiction drama
Beautiful Boy has a story worth telling, but the way it's told doesn't do justice to its subjects as it avoids the real pain of addiction. 30-second review: Beautiful Boy has an incredible true story worth telling at its center, but the way director Felix Van Groeningen presents that story zaps any impact that it could…
‘Set it Up’ review — Netflix rekindles the flame of romantic comedy
Set it Up follows two overworked and underpaid assistants as they "parent trap" their horrible bosses. 30-second review: I think anyone that grew up in the 2000s has a soft spot for that perfect romantic comedy. The kind that has perfect one-liners that you can work into everyday life and characters who live lives that you…
‘The Invisible Man’ and the horrors of abuse — movie review
The Invisible Man modernizes the classic 1933 Universal Monsters movie with a take on abusive relationships, gaslighting, and toxic masculinity Quick review: The Invisible Man is a terrifyingly suspenseful and emotional modern update to the 1933 original film. ★★★★★ It would have been so easy for director Leigh Whannell to go for easy scares with…
John Wick Movie Review — The action movie and hero that saves a genre
Told with utter efficiency and blessed with incredible fight sequences, this darkly funny action flick will have you saying the name John Wick for years to come. ★★★★ John McClane, Jason Bourne, and now, John Wick. Once and a while an action movie comes along and breathes new life into the genre. John Wick couldn't come at a…
‘Columbus’ review — Romantic and charming, John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson are stellar
Columbus is a charming and romantic movie in the vein of Before Sunrise that features stellar performances by Haley Lu Richardson and John Cho ★★★★★ Quick review: Anchored by two Oscar-worthy performances, Columbus is perhaps one of the great romances of the decade. Columbus, a small city located in southeastern Indiana, is a juxtaposition. Even though it's located…
The Conjuring vs. Insidious: The Art of Tension In Horror Movies
How Insidious and The Conjuring use the classic horror tension formula to create some of the best scenes of suspense in recent decades The argument could be made that we are in a horror renaissance. Original horror movies, in particular, have been taking the limelight and propelling the genre past traps that it has fallen into in recent years.…
‘From Here to Eternity’ (1953) — Best Picture marathon
We're marathoning every single Best Picture winner starting with Fred Zinneman's 1953 war film From Here to Eternity Quick review: From Here to Eternity is the kind of old-school Hollywood melodrama that you can't help but fall for. And while it only occasionally hits greatness, the performances by Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, Deborah…