Viola Davis Anchors an Uneven Thriller
In this G20 movie review we’re discussing an action-thriller with the makings of a geopolitical Die Hard, director Patricia Riggen places Oscar-winner Viola Davis front and center as a U.S. president forced to return to her military roots when terrorists…
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I Was Captivated By Deliberately-Paced Drama About Grief In NYC’s Chinese Community
My favorite thought-provoking dramas offer a rich story and characters to analyze, using their methodical pacing to deliver a memorable experience. While Blue Sun Palace does this to an extent, the movie's story and characters feel more like vehicles for…
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Rami Malek Anchors a Slick but Uneven Spy Thriller
In James Hawes’ The Amateur, a cerebral cryptographer transforms into a grief-stricken vigilante, setting off a bloody chain of retribution within the covert corridors of the CIA. Based on Robert Littell’s 1981 novel—previously adapted the same year into a Canadian…
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No, It’s Not ‘Bunheads’ 2.0 — but You’re Still Going to Love It
Ballet is a fascinating sport. Sitting at the intersection of athleticism and art, it’s one of the most difficult and demanding disciplines — made even more complicated by the fact that the whole point is to make it look effortless.…
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Sinners Review – Music, Monsters, and Finger Licking Cultural Flavor
Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, is a bold and genre-blending Southern Gothic horror film that follows twin brothers returning home from World War I. As they attempt to rebuild their lives in the Jim Crow South, the past—both personal and…
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Everyone Crashes Out, but At Least the Music Slaps
Editor's note: The recap below contains spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episode 3. Andor Season 2 is breaking with convention in a lot of ways. Not only are we getting three-episode drops each week, but those episodes span a single…
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The Worst Star Wars Couple You Know Just Made It Official
Editor's Note: The recap below contains spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episode 2. It may be daunting to watch three nearly hour-long episodes of Andor at once, but the three-episode rollout means audiences don’t have to wait an entire week…
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The Empire’s Propaganda Machine Works Hard, but Cassian Works Harder
Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episode 1. Andor Season 2 opens in the year 4 BBY — starting the countdown to the devastating and inescapable events of Rogue One. While only a single year…
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David Arquette Leads a Mafia Movie That Makes an Offer You Can Refuse
Police corruption is a major social danger, and some of the best films in history have featured dirty cops as key antagonists. Chinatown portrays the entire justice system as under the thumb of the rich and powerful. Training Day features…
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Max’s Engrossing Medical Drama Is ‘ER’ Meets ‘24’ With A Little ‘Industry’
A belated catch-up on MAX’s “The Pitt” that took viewers by surprise and storm this late winter and spring. Take a moment, if possible, to imagine the worst scenario that could potentially unfold within the confines of any hospital’s emergency…
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On Swift Horses Review | Flickreel
Set in the 1950s, On Swift Horses opens with Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) trying to connect intimately with her future husband Lee (Will Poulter). In the next scene, Muriel looks out the window to find Lee’s shirtless brother Julius (Jacob Elordi),…
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A Blunt, Breezy, Big-Screen Reunion of Comedy Greats
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are stoner comedy legends, with a successful stage act, comedy albums, and films like Up in Smoke and Cheech and Chong's Next Movie essentially codifying tropes for the subgenre before going their separate ways for…
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