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
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
‘Anatomy Of A Fall’ Is A Work Of Psychological Mastery
We Need More Agatha Christie Adaptations Like ‘A Haunting in Venice’
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’
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
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse Offers a Deep Dive Into Family and Identity
Savage’s ‘The Boogeyman’ Rekindles Childhood Fears While Addressing Grief and Family Dynamics in the Aftermath of Loss
The Little Mermaid is a Thoroughly Enjoyable Live-Action Film
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
‘Renfield’ Serves up a Wacky Yet Effective Monster Story About Codependency
‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ Is an Explosive Exploration of the Climate Crisis
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
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
Sundance Review: ‘Run Rabbit Run’ Delivers a Layered Horror Story About Guilt, Family Dynamics, and Resentment
Sundance Review: ‘The Starling Girl’ is a Moving Coming-Of-Age Film with Eliza Scanlen
Eliza Scanlen's Jem Starling, in Laurel Parmet's The Starling Girl, doesn't have an easy life growing up in rural Kentucky. The seventeen-year-old girl wholeheartedly believes she's disappointing God, her family, and everybody involved as she doesn't want to marry the boy they'd like. The actress's coming-of-age role is often heartbreaking,
Sundance Review: ‘Cat Person’ Is an Unevenly Paced Thriller Drama with Noteworthy Performances by Jones and Braun
In Susanna Kogel's adaptation of Kristen Roupenian's The New Yorker viral short story, Cat Person, Margot (Emilia Jones) and her friend Taylor (Geraldine Viswanathan) are mortified as they examine Margot's phone, which keeps receiving nasty, disrespectful texts from Robert (Nicholas Braun), her would-be boyfriend. This specific scene is quite chilling
‘Scream VI’ Is the Biggest, Stabbiest ‘Scream’ Yet
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Cast Talk About the Ant-Man Legacy and Bringing the Quantum Realm to Life
Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Offers Nothing New to the MCU
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
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
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
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
Sundance Review: ‘Infinity Pool’ Cracks the Rich Wide Open in a Sick Satire
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
