Shoplifters is heartbreaking but often funny and hopeful look at a family of thieves relying on each other to make it day to day. Shoplifters is one of those rare movies that you cherish what you don't know about the characters. Not because what's beneath the surface will change your opinion of them. It's because you know when…
High Flying Bird is a masterfully constructed drama that tackles the professional sports business with as much intrigue as a heist movie. 30-second review: High Flying Bird doesn't clue you into its real intentions until the very end, that doesn't make the journey to get there any less compelling. Steven Soderbergh is a master of storytelling…
Unicorn Store marks the directorial debut of Oscar-winner Brie Larson, who also stars in the Netflix Original. 30-second review: Unicorn Store has so much going for it — an original premise, terrific cast, directorial debut of one of the best actors working today — but the magic falls flat. That's no fault of Brie Larson, whose endearing…
Little Woods, Nia DaCosta's directorial debut, finds two sisters going up against a system that doesn't want them to succeed in One sentence review: Little Woods is a quiet, well-directed character-driven drama that features a powerhouse emotional performance by Tessa Thompson. One paragraph review: Though it may be on the nose at times, Little Woods is a tense and emotional look at…
The Shallows follows a young med student as she becomes harpooned on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean surrounded by a Great White Shark One sentence review: The Shallows makes the most of its familiar premise to deliver a thrilling and tense tale of survival grounded by a great lead performance by Blake Lively. One…
Captain Marvel features Brie Larson as the first lead female superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as she a young Nick Fury solve the mystery of her identity. One sentence review: Captain Marvel is a fun, corny, and empowering origin story that feels like a bridge between the past and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.…
Our Time Machine is a funny and moving documentary about an artist's attempt to cope with his father's illness by literally and metaphorically creating a time machine. Directed by Yang Sun & S. Leo Chiang Written by S. Leo Chiang & Bob Lee Synopsis When artist Maleonn realizes that his father suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, he creates “Papa’s…
The Changeover is a well-made fantasy YA movie that features a terrifying villainous turn by Timothy Spall. The Changeover — based on Margaret Mahy’s 1984 novel of the same — is refreshingly a young adult adaptation that doesn’t have aspirations for a franchise. In the vein of Twilight, the movie tells the story of Laura (Erana James),…
The Kid Who Would Be King delivers as a family-friendly fantasy-adventure based on the King Arthur legend and an allegory for Brexit. The Kid Who Would Be King tells the classic story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table via Brexit era Britain. As Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson truly chewing the scenery) — the…
Velvet Buzzsaw has trouble balancing its satirical and horror elements, which results in an interesting, but unsatisfying Netflix original. Velvet Buzzsaw doesn’t become the movie we want it to be until the last 30 minutes. That’s when it starts working effectively as an art-world satire and horror-thriller. The rest, though, has a hard time striking a…
