‘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
Film Reviews
‘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
‘Three Kilometers to the End of the World’ Review: Emanuel Pârvu’s LGBTQ Story is Missing a Queer Path to Authenticity | London Film Festival
It’s no secret that not all countries are keeping pace with the most populous Western nations when it comes to progress in LGBTQ rights, which... Read More
‘The Summer Book’ Review: Charlie McDowell’s Delicate Finnish Tale Gives Way to a Compelling Performance from Glenn Close | London Film Festival
An island out at the Gulf of Finland was a haven for Tove Jansson, author of the famous Moomin books. It’s a place she would... Read More
‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Review: Amanda Seyfried is Mother (Ann) in Mona Fastvold’s Miraculous Musical Drama [A] 
With ‘Song Sung Blue,’ Craig Brewer Pays Tribute to Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman, Joy Amongst Sadness, and the Creation of Art [VIDEO INTERVIEW] 
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 131 – ‘High Life’ (Claire Denis, 2019) 
Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ): ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Hamnet’ Lead