The Iron Claw
Let’s get ready to rumble for a compelling biography that dives headfirst into the grueling wrestling world. The focus is on the von Erich family, a legendary dynasty that gained fame in the professional realm. Although the smackdowns of that sport may be as carefully choreographed as a synchronized dance routine, the heartbreaking developments of […]
Poor Things
In Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos presents a retro-futuristic atmosphere inspired by the work of Terry Gillam and Tim Burton. His alternate vision of Victorian London sets the stage to explore a world where the boundaries between life and death, as well as science and ethics, might be blurred and challenged. I was looking forward […]
Wonka
Cruella and Maleficent got an origin story. So did Mike & Sulley with Monsters University. Buzz Lightyear, too. Disney’s penchant for taking an iconic character and fashioning a prequel has rubbed off on Warner Bros Pictures. Wonka is a musical fantasy that recounts the early history of a young Willy Wonka before he became a […]
Leave the World Behind
Netflix is fond of putting big-name actors in disaster flicks: Bird Box, Extinction, Don’t Look Up, White Noise. Now from director Sam Esmail comes the apocalyptic Leave the World Behind. He is best known as the creator, writer, and director of the USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019). I wish he had left this […]
May December
From the experimental short Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story to Far From Heaven to Carol, director Todd Haynes has demonstrated a penchant for helming complex films involving provocative subjects. That’s a perfect introduction to May December. His latest is loosely based on an actual mid-1990s crime of an American teacher who had a sexual relationship […]
Godzilla Minus One
Traditional, nostalgic, and uncomplicated, that’s Godzilla Minus One in three words. Those qualities elevate this saga of the kaiju that debuted in an eponymous 1954 picture. There have been 33 Japanese films produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. What separates the good from the great in these phantasmic monster movies is the characters. Sure, […]
Napoleon
Sometimes lightning doesn’t strike twice when reuniting the talents behind a cinematic work. Director Ridley Scott helmed the classic Gladiator, and actor Joaquin Phoenix appeared as the villain Commodus in the same movie. The production earned $452 million worldwide in 2000. ($811 million when adjusted for inflation). It garnered 12 Oscar nominations and won 5, […]
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
The cultural phenomenon surrounding the simultaneous theatrical release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day was famously nicknamed “Barbenheimer.” Since then, the box office of the second half of 2023 has been notably blessed with two separate documentaries starring the biggest names in music. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was a massive success when […]
The Killer
A new production from David Fincher is an event. Seven, The Social Network, and Gone Girl are among his many triumphs. He’s one of the most accomplished directors working today. So, I must admit that my expectations for The Killer were quite high. Michael Fassbender portrays a discreet professional assassin. The man is in every […]
Saltburn
Saltburn is one of those movies where the style is so impressive the film earns my appreciation despite its serious flaws. This is the saga of Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), a young university student obsessed with a wealthy schoolmate at Oxford named Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). They hit it off, and Felix invites him to […]