‘Hereditary’ review — An unsettling and unforgettable horror debut
Hereditary may be slow-burn, but it burns bright and intense. With some of the most unsettling horror images and setpieces, it is one of the best horror movies in recent memory. When horror is done right, terrifying, heart-stopping horror, it grabs every one of your senses and makes you hyper-aware of all of them. It…
‘Train to Busan’ review — A surprisingly unique and entertaining zombie flick
Train to Busan is a heart-pounding, armrest-gripping, teeth clenching zombie flick that breathes new life into the genre. Just when the zombie genre seemed on its way out, then along rolls in Train to Busan. This South Korean production breathes a new life into the genre without straying too far out of its confines. The rules set in…
Lady Bird review — A quintessential coming-of-age dramedy
Hilarious and poignant, Lady Bird announces Greta Gerwig as one of the most exciting new filmmakers and solidifies Soarsie Ronan as a major star The vast number of themes Greta Gerwig tackles in her directorial debut Lady Bird would lead you to believe that it's an overstuffed, melodramatic dramedy that tries to say something without making a point. However, it's…
Logan Lucky review — A southern wannabe Ocean’s Eleven
Logan Lucky makes an attempt at recreating the charm of Soderbergh's earlier heist movies, but ultimately misses the mark. Logan Lucky is being touted as a red state Ocean’s Eleven, which is a lofty comparison considering the latter movie is considered THE heist movie of the 21st century. However, if any director is going to pull…
The Blackcoat’s Daughter Movie Review — A dark and gloomy psychological thriller
The Blackcoat's Daughter, Oz Perkins' debut film, is a tense and twisting psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Director Oz Perkins, son of actor Anthony Perkins (yes, Norman Bates), seems to have really been inspired by his father’s most famous role. What makes Psycho such an enduring horror classic is the pervasive slow…
Mother! review — Chaos reigns and comes for Jennifer Lawrence
mother! is a cinematic experience like no other and features Jennifer Lawrence's best role to date and a story that's as crazy as they can get. There's a point about halfway through Darren Aronofsky's mother! where you're still in the dark on what the film is about, a bit confused, and ultimately weirded out by the film. But…
Stronger review — Jake Gyllenhaal shines in this bold and uplifting drama
Subverting genre tropes, Stronger is a humanist story about triumph over adversity with stellar performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany. Jeff Bauman's story feels like one that Hollywood would consume into its "based on a true story" formula and spit out an emotionally manipulative story of triumph over adversity. Stronger is not one of those movies. That's because…
Wind River review — Taylor Sheridan steps into the director’s chair
Wind River finds screenwriter Taylor Sheridan taking the director's chair with thrilling results and stellar performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner. Wind River opens with a terrifying shot of a woman running barefoot through the snowy and isolated landscape of Wyoming. She falls to her knees. We never see who or what is chasing her.…
Blade Runner 2049 review — An instant classic worthy of the original
Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 is a visually stunning and emotionally rich sequel that stands equally with the 1982 original Blade Runner 2049 is an all-out assault on your senses. Famed cinematographer Roger Deakins does some of his best work to date in the film — a statement that could be applied to each one of his films.…
The Florida Project review — A heart filled look at childhood
The Florida Project is a warm, sun-drenched look at the magic and darkness of childhood in America's poverty stricken areas At the end of The Florida Project, Sean Baker's follow-up to his acclaimed 2015 film Tangerine, I just sat in the dark theater watching the silent end credits roll by. So did most of the people in the theater. It's…