Sundance Review: Mind the age gap and narrative cohesion in ‘Palm Trees and Power Lines,’ stay for Lily McInerny’s bracing performance [Grade: C-]
Bored out of her mind, 17-year-old Lea (Lily McInerny) is doing what a normal teenager has to do to fill in the time before her... Read More
Ryan McQuade
Ryan McQuade is the AwardsWatch Executive Editor and a film-obsessed writer in San Antonio, Texas. Raised on musicals, westerns, and James Bond, his taste in cinema is extremely versatile. He’s extremely fond of independent releases and director’s passion projects. Engrossed with all things Oscars, he hosts the AwardsWatch Podcast. He also is co-host of the Director Watch podcast. When he’s not watching movies, he’s rooting on all his favorite sports teams, including his beloved Texas Longhorns. You can follow him on Twitter at @ryanmcquade77.
Sundance Review: Julian Higgins’ ‘God’s Country’ is a showcase for a powder keg performance from Thandiwe Newton [Grade: B]
Ashes in the snow. That is what we see in the beginning of Julian Higgins’ slow-burn thriller, God’s Country, as Sandra Guidry (a dynamic Thandiwe... Read More
Sundance Review: The cute and quirky ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ glides right into your heart with pitch perfect performances from Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson [Grade: A]
At a certain point in our lives, we’ve fallen in love. Could happen at a young age, as it does for Andrew (Javien Mercado), at... Read More
Sundance Review: Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown preach a committed yet familiar gospel in church satire ‘Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul’ [Grade: B-]
“You’ve got to be strong to be a First Lady.” That’s a line stated by Trinitie Childs (Regina Hall) early on in Adamma Ebo’s feature... Read More
Sundance Review: Mariama Diallo’s ‘Master’ balances horrors real and imagined in the world of institutionalized academic racism [Grade: B]
Mariama Diallo’s debut feature Master begins as most coming of age college films do, with orientation and getting to know the place our characters have... Read More
Sundance Review: A career-best performance from John Boyega and a farewell to Michael Kenneth Williams highlight true-life hostage thriller ‘892’ [Grade: B]
Every day, soldiers come home from across the world and face a common, harsh reality; that after years of dedicated service to their country, we... Read More
Sundance Review: Kogonada’s emotionally rich ‘After Yang’ is destined to be one of the year’s best films [Grade: A]
After Yang, director Kogonada’s highly anticipated follow up to his 2017 indie darling Columbus, starts with a Jake (Colin Farrell), Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith), and their... Read More
Sundance Review: Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut ‘When You Finish Saving the World’ meanders too much for its own good [Grade: C]
We all had to find a way to stay busy during the pandemic. For most of us, we ventured into hobbies we never had time... Read More
Interview: Nicolas Cage digs deep about ‘Pig,’ his favorite and most underrated of his own movies, and the role he’d love to play
For over forty years, Nicolas Cage has given us one of the most diverse filmographies of all time. While being one of cinemas greatest action... Read More
From ‘The Batman’ to ‘Women Talking’ to ‘Nope,’ the 10 most anticipated films of 2022
With 2021, we left a year that brought us back to the movies and excited us for the future of cinema. Whether it was on... Read More
2026 Tonys: Laurie Metcalf (‘Little Bear Ridge Road,’ ‘Death of a Salesman’) May Join Elite Group of Double-Nominated Performers 
2026 Tribeca Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary with World Premieres of ‘Hadestown: The Musical,’ ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ Doc 
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 149 – ‘Killer of Sheep’ (Charles Burnett, 1978) 
‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Review: Careful the Spell You Cast, Children Will Listen (and Sometimes Kill) [C]