‘Julie Keeps Quiet’ Review: Tennis Drama Muffles its Lead Instead of Challenges Her | London Film Festival
We don’t need to meet the elusive Jeremy to conclude that he is the Lydia Tár of tennis. A youth coach preparing the next generation... Read More
Film Reviews
‘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
‘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
‘Flow’ Review: Earnest Feline Spin on Climate Change Era Noah’s Ark Story Lacks Boldness | London Film Festival
I don’t play video games, as to quote the great modern philosopher Adrian Chiles, they’re not good for your mental health if “you play like... Read More
2024 Middleburg Film Festival Diary Days 3 and 4: Isabella Rossellini Talks ‘Conclave;’ Coffee and Contenders, plus ‘Nightbitch,’ ‘The Room Next Door’
I kicked off day three of the Middleburg Film Festival at one of this year’s most compelling venues: the Conversation with Colman Domingo and Clarence... Read More
2024 Middleburg Film Festival Diary Days 1 and 2: ‘Blitz,’ ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘Memoir of a Snail,’ ‘Better Man’
The Middleburg Film Festival is set against the picturesque backdrop of historic Virginia. The 12th edition of this wonderful event is taking place this weekend... 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
‘Joy’ Review: The Clash Between Religion and Science Over the Early Stages of IVF Feels All Too Prescient | London Film Festival
In Vitro Fertilization, IVF, is a modern miracle, with 12 million babies born out of this process since it was first pioneered in the 1970s.... 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
‘Smile 2’ Review: Light Up Your Face with Gladness; Parker Finn’s Horror Franchise Sequel is Overly Familiar but Boasts an Impressive Sense of Style
Smile 2, the sequel to 2022’s horror franchise breakout, opens with one of the boldest sequences you’ll find in mainstream cinema this year. We’re re-introduced... Read More
Frontrunner Friday: First Take on 2026 Oscar Winner Predictions 
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 136 – ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ (Warren Beatty, 2016) 
2026 Oscar Nomination Reactions from Timothée Chalamet, Rose Byrne, Wagner Moura and More 
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 329 – 98th Oscar Nominations Reactions: For Good