drama

THE IRISHMAN: An Exercise In Master Filmmaking
THE IRISHMAN: An Exercise In Master Filmmaking

There are shades of the director’s previous work, but The Irishman is like an amalgamation after decades behind the lens.

Queerly Ever After #14: BREAKFAST WITH SCOT (2007)
Queerly Ever After #14: BREAKFAST WITH SCOT (2007)

Queerly Ever After is a bi-monthly column where I take a look at LGBT+ films…

1917: War Epic Blends Seamless Technical Work & Painful Emotion
1917: War Epic Blends Seamless Technical Work & Painful Emotion

1917 is a vision of uninterrupted chaos, equipped with a unique blend of personal pathos and visual bravado.

SO LONG, MY SON: At Three Hours, it Really is
SO LONG, MY SON: At Three Hours, It Really Is

There are plenty of reasons to recommend Wang Xiaoshuai’s So Long, My Son, but the greatness is infuriatingly just out of grasp.

HIS DARK MATERIALS (S1E4) "Armour": Buy One Bear, Get One Cowboy Free
HIS DARK MATERIALS (S1E4) “Armour”: Buy One Bear, Get One Cowboy Free

This episode of His Dark Materials expands the show’s reach and vision just beyond one character, so that we can speculate on things to come.

ANYA: An Ambitious Yet Low-Key Indie Sci-Fi
ANYA: An Ambitious Yet Low-Key Indie Sci-Fi

Anya does its best to provoke you into forming an opinion about the importance of conserving insular cultures through complex, nuanced filmmaking.

THE PLAGIARISTS: An Enticing, Hard-Edged Meditation On Art
THE PLAGIARISTS: An Enticing, Hard-Edged Meditation On Art

The Plagiarists is peculiar, fairly self-reflexive, and laced with grueling yet equally as rewarding ambiguity that comes from the artists’ seat.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: A Movie For All of Humanity
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: A Movie For All Of Humanity

In a world that seems more divisive and hopeless everyday, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is a beautiful film that anyone and everyone could and should see.

ATYPICAL Season 3: Slow Start Proves Worthwhile In The End
ATYPICAL Season 3: Slow Start Proves Worthwhile In The End

Though plot-wise Atypical is somewhat formulaic and uses many tropes from the drama/comedy genre, its utilization and handling of these make it a step up from many shows of the same variety.

BETTER DAYS: A Brutally Candid Chinese Drama About Bullying
BETTER DAYS: A Brutally Candid Chinese Drama About Bullying

Better Days is a mostly earnest drama that plods through bullying, academic stress, murder and tragedy, retaining a fittingly bleak and dolorous tone.

LOOKING FOR ALASKA: An Almost Perfect Adaptation of a Fan Favorite
LOOKING FOR ALASKA Season 1: An Almost Perfect Adaptation Of A Fan Favorite

While it does suffer from a few hiccups along the way, it finds its strength in its source material and its characters, cast and crew.

KNIVES OUT: Rian Johnson's Suspenseful Lampoon of the 1%
KNIVES OUT: Rian Johnson’s Suspenseful Lampoon Of The 1%

For all its faults, Knives Out is a brisk and often engaging film that will provide audiences a moderately enjoyable ride.

THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD SEASON 2: A F***ing Solemn But Inessential Addition
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD SEASON 2: A F***ing Solemn But Inessential Addition

Not as impactful or satisfying as its daring predecessor, The End of the F***ing World is not the end of the world, but it’s not a crucial send-off either.

EARTHQUAKE BIRD: Psychological Thriller Starts Off Strong But Veers Off Balance

Earthquake Bird is likely to be but a blip in the filmography of both its stars and director.

AHS 1984 (S9 E 8,9) "Rest in Pieces" & "Final Girl": The Final Episodes
AHS 1984 (S9E8,9) “Rest in Pieces” & “Final Girl”: The Final Episodes

In a compassionate ending, the season wraps up with a happy ending for all, a rarity for American Horror Story.