Film Review A Quiet Place: Day One is a decent exercise in an exhausting, exhausted genre Nyong’o shines in an otherwise unremarkable prequel about an alien invasion, a cat, and the search for transcendent pizza.
Film Review Hail any cab but Daddio's Why I probably won't revisit Daddio, a movie about a Manhattan cab driver and his fare.
Film Review Not so fast, but oh so furious: Thelma is a blast. June Squibb is 2024's funniest and most endearing action hero in this delightful play on Mission: Impossible clichés.
Film Review Ghostlight celebrates the healing power of community theater Kelly O'Sullivan's film about grief, reconciliation, and community theater deserves major acting awards.
Film Review Inside Out 2 gives us all some strong anti-anxiety treatment While it doesn't quite reach the heights of Pixar's golden-age masterpieces, we can be grateful for the wisdom and whimsy of this surprising sequel.
Film Review Hit Man hits and hits... but misses when it matters most Linklater's smart, good-humored comedy looks ready to launch a fantastic franchise starring Glen Powell... and then fumbles the ball and loses the game just when it seemed like a sure win.
Film Review Civil War — It's not about picking a side Some of my favorite critics have serious issues with Alex Garland's speculative fiction about a near-future collapse of democracy in the U.S. And I just don't get it.
Film Review Still recovering from an evening with Hundreds of Beavers The most original movie I've seen in years is also the most outrageous comedy I've seen in years. It's an endurance test for your brain, body, and sense of humor. Brace yourselves. And dress warmly.
Film Review Unworthy of Gosling or Blunt, Fall Guy's screenplay falls short of my summer movie standards If this is your idea of a satisfying summertime movie, well... knock yourself out. Me? Life's too short, and there are just so many better ways for me to spend my summer.
Film Review Love triangle aside — what is Challengers really about? Despite its tangled web (net?) of bad behavior, Luca Guadagnino's smash hit gets a lot right about the transcendence artists pursue and sometimes reach.
Film Review Low-budget, high imagination: Riddle of Fire may someday be an all-ages cult classic This retro adventure—which sends kids questing for an egg that'll help them bake a pie and save a sleeping beauty—will puzzle many moviegoers and win the hearts of a special few. I'm one of the few.
Film Review Playful, nightmarish, fantastical, political: Problemista is all over the place Julio Torres's leap from television's Los Espookys to the big screen has some remarkable highlights... and some complicated challenges.
Film Review Cabrini celebrates a true Christian vision of embracing immigrants and opposing cruelty Angel Studios' new film celebrates a woman who helped America practice what it preaches about welcoming immigrants and serving the poor. And this time, the studio gets it mostly right.
Film Review Love Lies Bleeding "hulks out" with surreal surprises This wild, weird, violent, genre-dodging thriller from Rose Glass suggests we're seeing a B-movie auteur on the rise.
Film Review The spirit of '80s Tim Burton is alive in Lisa Frankenstein This Halloween-y rom-com is an '80s cosplay party that should scratch itches for Tim Burton fans and those who thrilled to the audacity of Heathers.
Film Review Adam Driver plays a driver — again! — in Michael Mann's Ferrari Michael Mann's passion project has finally arrived. Is it a victory lap for the master? Or does it crash and burn?
Film Review Teyana Taylor deserved an Oscar nomination for A Thousand and One When I reviewed this film, I predicted that Teyana Taylor would be unjustly overlooked for an Oscar nomination. I was right. But we still have the movie and her outstanding performance.
Film Review Kore-eda's Monster keeps us guessing The prolific director Hirozaku Kore-eda's latest is a complex braid of stories about secrets that seem too scary to reveal.
Film Review It's allergy season, and I'm allergic to Godzilla You'll think about Japanese wartime and post-war history. You'll find a focus on redemption and grace. You'll cheer for great special effects. And if you're luckier than me, it might become your favorite Godzilla movie.
Film Review Haynes hits a tense, hilarious high with May December Just as Todd Haynes's new film keeps us guessing about Julianne Moore's deceptive ex-con and Natalie Portman's scheming method actor, it keeps us guessing what kind of movie it really means to be.
Film Review The great Nicolas Cage shows up for Dream Scenario, but is the movie worthy of him? No, Nicolas Cage is not "funnier than he's ever been." But he's really funny. And while everyone complains about the lackluster ending, let me praise what it does so well.
Film Review The Holdovers lives up to its name Alexander Payne's latest has its highlights, even if it holds us a little too long, and strains a little too hard for a crowd-pleasing conclusion.
Film Review Beauty and the rock'n'roll beast: Sofia Coppola's Priscilla A double-feature of Priscilla and Spencer might be a fascinating study. Or it might seem merely redundant.
Film Review Misgivings about "a masterpiece": Killers of the Flower Moon Scorsese's new epic features some of the strongest and most conscientious work of his career. But the fact I'm opening with words about him here hints at what gives me mixed feelings about the film.
Journal Three Colors: Blue at 30 My 10,000-word deep-dive on Kieslowski's masterpiece is published in a new anthology.
