Joel Edgerton
The Stranger has many surprises and very clever narrative journeys, managing to build an atmosphere of suspense with very few and wisely used resources.
The Green Knight is an immersive, beautifully photographed if sometimes frustratingly structured fantasy adaptation.
The headstrong nephew of King Arthur embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight.
The Underground Railroad is so much different than anything Jenkins has ever worked on before; it’s grander and more ambitious, it plays with magical realism to a brilliant result
David Lowery’s The Green Knight is a fantasy re-telling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
While it does contain so interesting moments to keep you attention, The King is not worthy starting in the first place.
Boy Erased is a sturdy drama with some touching moments and strong performances, enhanced by much-needed glimpses of dramatic sensitivity within the confines of a tough story.
Our latest reviews from Toronto International Film Festival, including Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased, Ben Is Back, Jean-Luc Godard’s latest, and more.
Red Sparrow is solidly engaging, a blistering and intense film with Jennifer Lawrence’s skill and Francis Lawrence’s well-crafted atmosphere.
Bright is a film trying too hard, with an execution that leaves something to be desired. What is good gets smothered under the excess, and while it might keep some entertained it doesn’t stick with you.
It Comes at Night is a disturbingly effective horror film, delving into themes of paranoia, fear, and distrust in an eerily relevant way.
In Loving, Jeff Nichols’ historical drama about an interracial couple who helped change marriage laws in The United States, the characters are reflections of Nichols own lineage and it’s quite the different kind of biography.
Within the last couple of years, the Western seems to have made a semi-comeback. Recent notable titles include John Maclean’s directorial debut Slow West, the horror-thriller Bone Tomahawk, and Quentin Tarantino’s claustrophobic and violent The Hateful Eight. And, in just a few months, a remake of The Magnificent Seven will be released, a film adaptation which has attracted the likes of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio and more (which is hopefully an indication that it is at least halfway decent).
With only four movies to his name so far, and with features ranging in genre from coming-of-age dramas (Mud) to quasi-science fiction (Take Shelter), Jeff Nichols’ films have at least one thing in common (other than that they all star Michael Shannon): they are all intimate productions, both in style and in their focus on the tight-knit relationships around us. Often set in the American South where Nichols himself grew up, his films deal with familial struggles and upsets in usually uneventful communities.
The time has come to continue the series on the best knockout films of all-time. The goal is to share my ten favorite movies of this genre, which may include boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling, to name a few. If you are just joining the discussion, the series started with a review of the 2004 Best Picture winner Million Dollar Baby, and a review of the 2014 Best Picture nominee Foxcatcher.
