The Outrun Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Dillane, Paapa Essiedu, Saskia Reeves Director: Nora Fingscheidt Running Time 118 minutes Rated R Grade B Films about addiction, specifically alcohol, are not in short supply. Particularly popular during awards season, addiction films provide an actor a platform to flex performance skills previously untapped and hopefully a window of […]
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is an audacious vision, a film that unapologetically revels in its ambition, leaving little room for middle ground. It is either a triumph of cinematic exploration or an indulgent misstep, depending on how deeply you’re willing to engage with its dense layers. One thing is clear—this movie is not for the
September 27, 2024 —As the fall creeps in, so do the early award-season contenders. The end of September offers to change tea leaves for studios and award campaigners as major film festivals come to a close. Which films got great early reviews, had the most buzz, or won audience awards? The downside to those questions
Three Early Films That Could Shine… or Fade This Awards Season Read More »
SPEAK NO EVIL (2024) (R) Dir. James Watkins This very Americanized remake of the Danish thriller takes new but disappointing narrative paths, steered by a feral but charming McAvoy as a middle-class monster. Grade (3.0/5.0) Speak No Evil – the original from 2022 – sent a shiver down the spines of European filmgoers upon
THE SUBSTANCE (R) Dir. Coralie Fargeat Horror becomes her, as Demi Moore endures toxic beauty standards – and feminism – in what is easily one of the giddiest and goriest thrillers of the year. Grade (4.25 / 5.0) Societal expectations are a weird and terrible thing, and that seems to be something that there
Starring: Emilia Jones, Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, Danny Ramirez, Kathryn Newton Director: Susanna Fogel Rated PG-13 Running Time 103 minutes Grade B- This story takes place in Kingsville, Texas—South of San Antonio, East of Corpus Christi. Relatable is the theme director Susanna Fogel and writer Kerry Howley maintain with a story about the young woman
THE FRONT ROOM (R) Dir. Max and Sam Eggers Kathryn Hunter’s scenery-devouring performance highlights the cruel perceptions of the horror of aging amidst a confused script with a progressive slant…and Brandy Grade (1.5/5.0) Aging. There are so many idioms about the gracious value of getting older that it would seem that there should be
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Director: Tim Burton Rated PG-13 Running Time 104 Minutes Grade B- For better or (usually) for worse, sequels have always been a byproduct of the Hollywood ecosystem. “The Fall of a Nation” became the first film called a sequel in 1916, following the success
City of Dreams Starring: Ari Lopez, Jason Patric, Diego Calva, Renata Vaca, Alfredo Castro Director: Mohit Ramchandani Running Time 96 min Rated R Grade B An imperfect film with a powerful message, “City of Dreams” opens with a staggering statistic that 12 million children are or have been involved in modern slavery. Told through the
“Caligula: The Ultimate Cut” is a film that arrives with the weight of both controversy and anticipation. Initially directed by Tinto Brass, who had his name removed after producer Bob Guccione of Penthouse fame took the original cut and inserted graphic scenes of unsimulated sex and gratuitous violence. Despite this, the 1979 version was one