‘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
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
‘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
The Film We Don’t Speak Of – Revisiting M. Night Shyamalan’s Masterpiece ‘The Village’ 20 Years Later [Retrospective]
The trailer for the upcoming film Trap proudly declares it to be “a new experience in the world of M. Night Shyamalan.” This represents a... Read More
Interview: Chris Perfetti on Pairing Up with Lisa Ann Walter, Shakespeare and What Inspires Jacob on ‘Abbott Elementary’
Chris Perfetti was a familiar face to TV fans long before landing his biggest role yet in 2021 with Abbott Elementary. Throughout the past decade,... Read More
‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ Review: Vicky Krieps Rides High in Viggo Mortensen’s Slow, Sparse Western
The Western is a tricky genre to fully define. Whereas horror movies have to have scares and musicals have to have songs, it’s not always... Read More
‘Ghostlight’ Review: Two Households Both Aim for Dignity in Cathartic Shakespearean Dramedy | Chicago Critics Film Festival
One of the best moments of Ghostlight actually occurs during the end credits. Looking at the cast list, one thing immediately jumps out – the... Read More
Producers Guild Awards Nominations for Sports, Children’s and Short-Form Programs 
Wim Wenders to Lead 76th Berlin International Film Festival Jury 
2026 Oscar Predictions: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY and ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (December) 
San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ Lead