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

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… Read More

December 20, 2024

‘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… Read More

December 9, 2024

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… Read More

December 5, 2024

‘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… Read More

November 26, 2024

‘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… Read More

November 8, 2024

‘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… Read More

October 31, 2024

‘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… Read More

October 26, 2024

‘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,… Read More

October 18, 2024

‘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,… Read More

October 17, 2024

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