Film Reviews
CategoryA “Captain Marvel” Review Written By Someone Who’s Completely Lost Track of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers as a cool teacher in a “Captain Marvel” movie that’s long overdue. It’s perfectly fine, especially if you’re a No Doubt fan.
Movie Review: It’s Hard Out Here for “The Favourite”
The trailer makes The Favourite look like a darkly funny romp about two cousins competing for the affection of Britain’s Queen Anne. That ..
“Halloween” Sequel and “The Fog” Restoration Give John Carpenter a Buzzworthy Year
In exploiting the serial-killer genre, as horror historian Grady Hendrix has put it, shockmeisters took advantage of the fact that “the sc..
Movie Review: “The Hate U Give” is an American Tragedy with an Empowering Message
After seeing The Hate U Give, I tried to think back on what movies I saw as a (white, middle-class, Midwestern) teenager that might have t..
Movie Review: Neil Armstrong Biopic “First Man” Is a Stunning and Strange Apollo Epic
Before the Twin Cities preview screening of First Man, a University of Minnesota professor was invited to speak for a few minutes. NASA, h..
Movie Review: “Lizzie” Reimagines the Borden Story as a Parable of Patriarchy
If Lizzie feels particularly poignant in the wake of the 2016 election, it’s not because it’s newly relevant: it’s because it feels freshl..
Movie Review: “The Predator”: This Dog Don’t Hunt
Thought experiment: what if Shane Black had directed Annihilation, and 20th Century Fox tapped Alex Garland to direct The Predator? The la..
“Eighth Grade” Celebrates the Small Victories That Add Up
The deeper we fall into the moral abyss of the Trump era, the more audiences are drawn to celebrations of simple kindness and unassuming e..
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” Needs Way, Way, Way, Way, Way More Jeff Goldblum
Everyone loves the part in Jurassic Park where the Tyrannosaurus roars while the WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH banner flaps down to the g..
“Ocean’s 8” is Good Old-Fashioned Fun with Larceny
This caper is a breeze.
By way of contrast, a cosmic hellgate opened for the transfer of power between the genders in Ghostbusters. The..
Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” Needs a Hard Reset
It’s easy to understand what attracted Steven Spielberg to Ready Player One: it’s a story about a media mogul who captivates billions with..
“Flower” Takes the Bloom Off Zoey Deutch
I was less than shocked, when the credits rolled for Flower, to see a bunch of men’s names flash by.
Why? Well, let’s talk about this m..