‘The Running Man’ Review: Edgar Wright Calls Out America’s Wrongs in the Latest and Largely Pointless Stephen King Adaptation [C+]
In a cinema landscape dominated by remakes and adaptations, Edgar Wright’s The Running Man brings to the table a frustratingly rare premise: the movies that... Read More
Jay Ledbetter
Jay Ledbetter is a finance manager by day, film critic by night living in Atlanta, Georgia. He began writing about film in 2013 and is not afraid to confront people of all ages if they are too loud in the theater.
In addition to his work at Awards Watch, Jay has written and hosted podcasts for Film Inquiry and InSession Film. He is an auteur obsessive, regularly diving deep into the filmographies of celebrated filmmakers.
Jay is a proud member of the Atlanta Film Critics Circle and the Georgia Film Critics Association. You can follow him on Twitter @MrJayLedbetter.
‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2025) Review: Nostalgia Can Only Carry So Far But Stitch Remains a Lovable Rascal [C+]
To call the flood of Disney’s live-action remakes of their animated classics cynical would be far, far too generous. Words like “scourge,” “artistically bankrupt,” and... Read More
‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Review: Clumsy Superhero Clunker Has Two Left Feet
If it’s possible for a billion-dollar franchise to accrue a “cult following,” the Venom films have done so. The original film, a massive domestic hit... Read More
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Review: Movies, Now Less Than Ever!
If ever there was a movie “for the fans,” it’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which requires an elevated level of Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom and/or business... Read More
‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Review: Guy Ritchie’s Crowd-Pleasing Pic is a Perfect Match for Henry Cavill’s Charms and Alan Ritchson’s Arms
Rarely has the phrase “based on a true story” been stretched quite as thin as it has in Guy Ritchie’s bloody, bombastic, and wholly entertaining... Read More
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Review: Bustin’ Feels Terrible in this Joyless, Charmless Non-Corporeal Wasteland
“Yes, it’s true. This man has no dick,” Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman sarcastically says to the Mayor of New York in 1984’s Ghostbusters. It is,... Read More
‘The Beekeeper’ Review: David Ayer’s Latest is Not Buzz-Worthy
The roller coaster career of David Ayer, from hot screenwriter to exciting stylist to perceived Hollywood hack after his latest trifecta of Suicide Squad, Bright,... Read More
‘The Iron Claw’ Review: Zac Efron Shines Center Ring in Sean Durkin’s Devastating Portrait of Wrestling Royalty
The world of wrestling is one of artifice and performance. It is also one of physical sacrifice and passion. In many ways, Sean Durkin encapsulates... Read More
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Review – A New Generation of Pizza-Loving Testudines Rides Its Own Verse
For nearly 40 years, mutant ninja turtles have been carving out a very specific space in pop culture, but the “teenage” part of the Teenage... Read More
‘Extraction 2’ review: Chris Chris Bang Bang
Somewhere in between the balletic symphony of violence that is the John Wick franchise and the grounded brute force of Paul Greengrass’ work on the... Read More
‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards 
Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award 
National Board of Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops in Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor; Netflix Lands Four in Top 10 
41st Spirit Awards Nominations: ‘Peter Hujar’s Day,’ ‘Lurker,’ ‘Train Dreams’ Lead