‘Drive-Away Dolls’ Is Bringing B-Movie Sexploitation Back

Drive-away Dolls Review

The Coen Brothers are one of Hollywood’s most prolific directing duos, bringing story after story to audiences for the past 40 years. But only recently have they embarked on solo efforts. The pair are known for bringing a subversive spin, so it’s no surprise that Joel Coen would try his

‘Poor Things’ Is for Flawed Women Who Yearn to Be Free of Shame

Poor Things Movie Review

In Poor Things, there’s a scene where the protagonist, Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), makes her way onto a dance floor, moving erratically with uncontrollable fervor. Her movements resemble that of a marionette without a puppeteer. With every step, it’s as though she is snapping away each invisible string. There’s a

We Need More Agatha Christie Adaptations Like ‘A Haunting in Venice’

A Haunting in Venice Review

Hercule Poirot and his perfectly waxed mustache are back in A Haunting in Venice. This third entry in actor-director Kenneth Branagh's revival of Agatha Christie adaptations feels very different from the previous films. Set in a haunted palazzo, it perfectly fits the bill as a spooky mystery – and it

Product Placement Turns Into Artistic Genius In ‘Barbie’

Barbie Movie Review

Womanhood and what it means in today’s world are explored often in media, but discussed alongside the doll that for many children represented womanhood makes Barbie a wholly unique exploration of that topic. Barbie the product creates unrealistic expectations for little girls, and Barbie the character learns exactly what those

Savage’s ‘The Boogeyman’ Rekindles Childhood Fears While Addressing Grief and Family Dynamics in the Aftermath of Loss

The Boogeyman Movie Review

What I find the most intriguing about the idea of the boogeyman is how universal it is. Even across the ocean, in my home country, I was told about him and feared him almost every night. Although they may have different name variations, the fear behind the so-called boogeyman is

The Little Mermaid is a Thoroughly Enjoyable Live-Action Film

The Little Mermaid Review

To make a fairytale work, the biggest element required is believability. Readers have to believe that the world they’re reading about is possible and the characters within it create a sense of connection, and in Rob Marshall’s directed Disney’s first live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid, believing in singer-turned-actress

‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ Is an Explosive Exploration of the Climate Crisis

How to Blow Up A Pipeline Review

In an incendiary display of environmental activism, a group of young people band together to fight the corporate greed and malpractice of oil companies that are not only destroying land and lives but threatening our future. Protest and legal battles are getting nowhere, so the characters in Daniel Goldhaber’s How

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Stays True to Game Simplicity and That’s Okay

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review

You can’t expect a lot out of a Mario movie, especially right out of the gate. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie stays true to the games in the narrative. Meaning, there really isn’t one. Simple amusement is what gamers go to Mario for and that’s exactly what the film is. But

‘Scream VI’ Is the Biggest, Stabbiest ‘Scream’ Yet

Scream VI Review

The sound of a phone ringing and an accompanied scream. Scream VI may open with a nod to old beginnings, but it marks a new one. It's the first in the franchise without Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), as a new generation stands alone against Ghostface. A movie under the Scream

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Offers Nothing New to the MCU

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA Review

To paraphrase Michelle Pfiffer’s Janet Van Dyne, ‘He seems like a lost soul, but he’s also terrifying.’ This is a description that appropriately defines the personality, mentality, and reality of Kang the Conqueror, Ant-Man, and the Wasp’s new nemesis who sees time as an ephemeral thing that can’t be fully

Review: “Tár” Is a Gratifying Depiction of A Fallen Maestro

Tar Movie Review

In one scene of Todd Field’s newest drama, Lydia Tár (the effervescent Cate Blanchett) is teaching a class in which a BIPOC non-binary student opposes the glorification of the most respected classical musicians, many of whom have been known for their racist, homophobic or sexist views. Tár humiliates him on

Sundance Review: ‘Eileen’ Is an Intoxicating Revamp of the Noir

Eileen Sundance Review

Imagine Carol but make it film noir. You'd get William Oldroyd’s Eileen. Based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel of the same name, it feels like a Patricia Highsmith novel directed by Douglas Sirk and Alfred Hitchcock. It has both that stunning Sirk cinematography, layered over Hitchcock suspense. One of the most

Sundance Review: ‘My Animal’ Is for Queer Horror Lovers

My Animal Sundance Review

Jacqueline Castel’s debut feature, My Animal, is for queer horror lovers. Inspired by classic monster movies and '80s horror, it’s another intricately woven tale of otherness and the battle towards self-acceptance. By exploring relevant adolescent struggles and complex family dynamics, as well as themes of inheritance, it navigates the most

Sundance Review: ‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ Is for the Depressed Introverts

Sometimes I Think About Dying Review

Rachel Lambert’s Sometimes I Think About Dying is for depressed introverts. It’s for those who like being alone but are also incredibly lonely. It’s a complicated dilemma that is difficult to put into words, but the film captures it for us. Once a short film, the script does feel like

Sundance Review: ‘Infinity Pool’ Cracks the Rich Wide Open in a Sick Satire

Infinity Pool Movie Review

In Infinity Pool’s opening frames, the camera flips upside down to prepare its audience for a disorienting experience. Brandon Cronenberg delivers just that. His latest is The White Lotus dialed up to eleven on the violence scale. A kaleidoscopic, suspenseful, and sick satire that blends the thriller, horror, and sci-fi

Review: “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is Magically Beautiful Tale About Fragility of Life, Friendship and Kindness

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Review

I recall the first time I experienced an anxiety attack. It feels like your throat is contracting as you try to take a breath and stop your heart from racing. In Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, an important scene deals with the matter of anxiety. Furthermore, the film continues to create great storylines

‘Babylon’ Is a Boisterous, Raw Take on Roaring ’20s Hollywood

Babylon Movie Review

Babylon, the ancient city and biblical image of societal iniquity and hedonism, is the perfect title and description for a film about Hollywood in the Roaring '20s. This decade brought economic prosperity, excess and joie de vivre for many. Men and women alike gave in to their sinful desires for

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ Will Get You Crying Over a Piece of Wood More Than Disney Ever Could

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Review

From Pinocchio’s very first frame, you’re hit by its stunning, intricate craftsmanship with almost tangible quality. The blend of practical and visual effects is so seamless that it’s hard to know what was handcrafted and what wasn’t. The first frame also carries symbolism. Guillermo del Toro and co-director Mark Gustafson chose

Strange World is Disney’s Most Inclusive and Diverse Animated Film Yet

Strange World Review

Creating films about family, finding one’s way back to that, and the identity crisis teens go through as they struggle to find the balance of growing into an individual, while still remaining connected to their family unit has long been the standard for the Walt Disney Animation Studio since its

‘The Fabelmans’ Is a Magical Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road of Spielberg’s Life

The Fablemans Review

In many ways, it feels like The Fabelmans is the culmination of Steven Spielberg’s career. It's the film that he waited his whole career to make, and if it was a career that ended tomorrow, it would be a fitting way to go out. It's a semi-autobiographical story loosely

Rian Johnson Is Coming for the Whodunnit Crown With ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’

Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery Review

Rian Johnson has done it again. Just like an Agatha Christie novel, Glass Onion feels fresh and even bigger than the previous Knives Out mystery. It scratches that same whodunnit itch as the first, but it also feels entirely different. There is a new mystery, a new location, and new