Mission Majnu (2023): The “Romeo” Spy
“Romeo” is out on a mission! This time not for his Juliet, but for the sake of his motherland; India! Bollywood brings you an epic fictional spy story that is supposed to have occurred during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Titled…
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A Pebble in the Pond
As the world is tearing itself apart, there are those few fantastic human beings who still believe there is good in people. They know that by somehow finding a charitable spirit, our cold hearts will melt. Such is Paul Howard’s…
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Screenlife Sequel To The Thriller ‘Searching’ With Storm Reid Never Quite Connects
Like “Searching” back in 2018, the standalone sequel “Missing” has again embattled another only child with one dead parent. Only this time, it’s the alive parent who finds themselves at the center of a viral, true crime mystery. Killed by…
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Jason Momoa Shines In Dull Family-Friendly Fantasy Adventure
Jason Momoa gallivanting through one's dreams sounds like a – wait for it – dream come true. Fortunately for kids everywhere, the actor's latest film, Slumberland, is a family-friendly fantasy adventure featuring Momoa as a sharp-toothed wily, horned creature. His…
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Scott McNairy, Emilia Jones Show Life as Work in Progress
Fairyland, the directorial debut of Andrew Durham, starts with Alysia (Nessa Doughterty) learning that her mother has died in a car crash. She overhears her father Steve (Scoot McNairy) on the phone, getting the details of the accident that will…
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Drama Never Gives Its Central Character Enough Depth
Day in the life stories are a well-worn genre in filmmaking, but they work for a reason. Getting a small portrait of a person as they go about navigating one approximately twenty-four-hour period strikes a balance between revealing and withholding…
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The Scares In This TikTok-Viral Indie Horror Are All In Your Head
In 2008, psychologists Jennifer Whitson and Adam Galinsky scared people into seeing things that weren’t there. In a study, they simulated loss of control in one group of participants, then showed their subjects a series of distorted black-and-white images. Some…
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Speed Dating | Film Threat
Jean-Paul Ly’s short film Speed Dating (an apt title) is about a speed dating evening that goes wrong with deadly consequences. Emma (Eloise Lovell Anderson) is a beautiful businesswoman too immersed in her work. She suffers through an evening of speed dating…
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A Raucous Foray Into Superpowers — or Lack Thereof
In a world where everyone has a superpower, what makes someone truly stand out? The new Hulu series Extraordinary asks this question, with some quite funny results. Jen (Máiréad Tyers) is a 25-year-old who's trying to find her place in…
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Scaled-Back Indie Is A Great Film-As-Art Primer
For those used to approaching movies as entertainment and wanting to branch out into engaging with them as works of art, Andrew Bujalski's There There is not a bad place to start. The film is as stripped back as it…
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A Strong Ensemble Cast Can’t Stop This Cringe Comedy From Fumbling Its Bold Premise
Nothing puts a relationship to the test like going on vacation together. Or, in the case of “The Drop,” a destination wedding. Director and co-writer Sarah Adina Smith (“Birds of Paradise,” “Buster’s Mal Heart”) cranks up the cringe comedy dial…
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Davis Guggenheim Explores Life of Fox
Back in the 80s and 90s, Michael J. Fox was always on the run. It's something you don't really think about until director Davis Guggenheim shows a montage of Fox on the move throughout his movie and television career. Early…
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