‘The Guilty’ review — A kidnapping unfolds in real time in Demark’s Oscar entry
The Guilty is a somewhat predictable, but taut single-location thriller of a kidnapping case unfolding in real time. The Guilty, Denmark's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, is a taut thriller that plays out like an episode of Law & Order: SVU. Told in real time, the film follows Asger (Jakob Cedergren), a police officer…
Moonlight Movie Review — An instant classic and landmark in film history
Moonlight is gorgeously crafted, masterfully acted, surprisingly timely, and demands to be watched and respected It wasn’t until I got into my twenties that I became aware of what identity is. Identity is as much how you view yourself as what the world views you as. You may be a minority or gay or poor, but that…
‘Get Out’ review — Social issues meet horror with Jordan Peele’s debut
Get Out is easily one of the most original horror movies — or just movie for that matter — in years by one of the most exciting filmmakers of our generation. Take the setup Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the world of Stepford Wives, and the exploration of the black experience in I Am Not Your Negro and you have…
‘A Star is Born’ review — A rousing musical romance
A Star is Born is an electrifying directorial debut by Bradley Cooper even if it's somewhat flawed in its execution. A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, is the third remake of the 1937 film of the same name—versions were made in 1954 and 1976 with Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand, respectively. And it's easy to see…
‘Thoroughbreds’ review — Coming-of-age has never been so diabolical
Thoroughbreds is a twisted and darkly funny coming-of-age debut film about what it means to be evil Thoroughbreds is about evil. What makes someone evil? However, it begs that question in two ways. What makes someone evil—meaning what action or actions that a person takes that makes them considered evil—and what makes someone evil—in that what…
‘BlacKkKlansman’ review — Spike Lee’s response to Trump and hate
BlacKkKlansman is an astonishing and often ridiculous true story that is terrifyingly relevant today
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ review — A step forward for represenation and rom-coms
Crazy Rich Asians is a big step forward for representation, but also a refreshing take on a genre that has needed a mainstream hit. Crazy Rich Asians is the first Hollywood studio movie to feature an all-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club nearly 25 years ago. However, that's not the only thing that it is doing after nearly…
‘Calibre’ review — Netflix’s suspenseful Scottish Highlands thriller
Calibre is a lean and oppressively dark thriller set in the Scottish Highlands that announces Matt Palmer as an exciting new filmmaker and Jack Lowden as a star Calibre at the beginning is interspersed with sweeping, silent shots of the Scottish Highlands. The shots are beautiful but foreboding and isolating. Slowly the film closes in. The shots…
‘The Nun’ review — Commits one too many sins
The Nun feels like too much of a blockbuster with a lack of plot and focus on jump scares to be an effective entry in this horror franchise. The Conjuring series has turned into an unlikely cinematic universe following the model that has made Marvel so successful. However, with The Nun, the fifth entry in the franchise, we're…
‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’ review — A bizarre and scary family movie
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is too deeply weird to not at least admire the effort. Director Eli Roth is best known for his violent and gory action and horror movies like Cabin Fever, Death Wish, and the Hostel series. So it was surprising to see him tackle the a family-friendly PG movie based on the…