Interview: Vivian Kerr and Anthony Rapp Unwrap How ‘Scrap’ Went from a Short to a Feature
Vivian Kerr is no slacker. For her feature directorial debut Scrap, she’s not only in charge behind the camera, she also wrote it and stars... Read More
Cody Dericks
Cody Dericks has been obsessed with movies and awards ever since he first grabbed a giant coffee table book about the Oscars at the Scholastic Book Fair. He’s been consuming every type of film ever since. In addition, he’s an avid theatre lover and always has thoughts and opinions on all things to do with Broadway and the Tony Awards.
He currently resides in Chicago and is a proud member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. He also writes and podcasts for Next Best Picture and co-hosts his own podcast “Halloweeners: A Horror Movie Podcast.” You can follow him on Twitter, Letterboxd, and Bluesky @codymonster91
‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ Review: Bland and Dull, it Put the “Mid” in “Middle-earth” [C+]
Like a Nazgûl flying overhead, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy has cast a shadow over the new film The Lord of the... Read More
Interview: Jon M. Chu on the Challenges of Singing Live on Set, What to Defy and to Keep, and How ‘Wicked’ is an Expression of the World at This Moment in Time
Everything’s been leading to this moment for Jon M. Chu. The director of Wicked first made a name for himself with music-based films like Step... Read More
‘Moana 2’ Review: Rough Seas and a Waterlogged Narrative Sink Choppy Sequel
The 2016 release of Moana was one of the highlights of Disney’s animated film output of the 2010s. It features tuneful, emotive songs by Lin-Manuel... Read More
‘A Real Pain’ Review: Kieran Culkin Shines in Jesse Eisenberg’s Triumphant and Thoughtful Dramedy
It can sometimes be worrying when a film is directed by one of its stars, and even doubly concerning when that person is also the... Read More
‘Separated’ Review: Errol Morris Hasn’t Forgotten Trump’s Immigration Policy Cruelty and Neither Should We | Chicago International Film Festival
It’s tough for feature-length documentaries to always be on the cutting edge of topicality. The very nature of film production means that most documentaries will... Read More
‘Small Things Like These’ Review: Cillian Murphy is a Quiet Powerhouse in Aloof Drama from ‘Peaky Blinders’ Helmer Tim Mielants | Chicago International Film Festival
Cillian Murphy is the kind of actor that most directors would kill to have leading their film. His face alone makes for a compelling screen... Read More
‘Baby’ Review: Marcelo Caetano’s Underdeveloped Queer Coming of Age Story Never Fully Blooms | Chicago International Film Festival
The queer coming-of-age story has seemingly taken over the LGBT film landscape. Nearly every film festival presents a small handful of movies that focus on... Read More
‘Memoir of a Snail’ Review: Adam Elliot’s Quirky and Beautiful Animated Tale is Profoundly Human | Chicago International Film Festival
There’s something magical about stop motion animation. Hollywood’s era of ever-escalating CGI tricks is over, replaced by substandard digital slop, or worse, AI-generated horrors. But... Read More
‘Eephus’ Review: A Deceptively Simple, Nearly Pitch Perfect Non-Sports Sports Story | Chicago International Film Festival
Sports movies have a well-earned reputation for being inspiring. The thrill of victory, the exhilarating triumph of an underdog team, the joy of watching a... Read More
2024 Black Reel Awards Nominations: ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘The Piano Lesson’ Lead 
2024 Online Association of Female Film Critics (OAFFC) Nominations 
Interview: ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham on Bringing Back Two of Animation’s Most Beloved Characters [VIDEO] 
2024 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners: ‘The Beast’ Named Best Picture, Director; Kieran Culkin is Best Actor for ‘A Real Pain’