Film Reviews
Upon first viewing, Phantom Thread is utterly irresistible, but the dense themes and examinations of inter-character relationships means that it is the rare Anderson effort that will only be upgraded to masterpiece status once it has fully been processed after multiple viewings.
The Insidious franchise has quietly grown to be one of the most impressive and contemporary horror- and Insidious: The Last Key is another solid entry, despite the January release date.
A sequel to an earlier short, Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow 2 has just as much ambition as its predecessor, with astounding animation, voice acting, and an overall worldview of existential pessimism.
Though occasionally unsurprising, Better Watch out is a strong alternative to the regular holiday viewing because of the nasty genre thrills it delivers whilst being wickedly funny.
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.
Mom and Dad maintains its absurdity, while not completely abandoning its eerie core, sensitively playing off a very personal, instinctual source of parents defending their young – until they become prey.
Despite some wonderfully imaginative special effects, Downsizing falls short due to its unfocused nature, an underdeveloped love story, and some feeble attempts at social satire.
In finding the perfect lead in Jackman as Barnum, providing moving and invigorating musical numbers executed by a stellar secondary cast, impressive visuals, and covering timely topics, The Greatest Showman overcomes its narrative shortcomings.
Though containing some elegant set design and impressive cinematography, Murder on the Orient Express can’t quite intrigue you to the potential that it could’ve, due to underdeveloped characters and an anticlimactic final reveal.
Using archival footage and a present-day interview, Jim & Andy fills in the backstory related to Jim’s spot-on performance of Andy Kaufman in 1999’s Man on the Moon, at the same time providing an explanation for some of his modern bizarre behavior.
From France, Nocturama is an unusual film about disillusioned teenagers that commit an act of terrorism; unsurprisingly, it provides no easy answers.
Perfect Bid doesn’t overstay its welcome, it’s warmly presented, and offers up some interesting behind-the-scenes insights into one of the world’s most famous game shows.
Should future encores of Pitch Perfect take the stage, we can only hope they have a little more verve and imagination than this one.
Diane Kruger carries In the Fade on her leather-clad shoulders and ensures that you’ll walk away from the film feeling absolutely rattled.
Edward Scissorhands is one of those rare films where everything, every single aspect came together perfectly to create “movie magic”.