Pooka is unsettling—and not in the way a horror movie should be.
Wilson is a struggling actor. Big break nowhere in sight, he tries his luck as a costumed children’s entertainer. Initially, he wouldn’t dream of donning this suit. Now, he literally cannot live without it.
This movie plays with the audience. This makes the timeline confusing, if not straight-up wrong. The end tries to reconcile this and other quirks, but it’s unsatisfying, and raises more questions than answers.
This Transformer ain’t no robot.
Kroc is determined, and always has been. It’s helped him become the high school football player, the Marine, the powerlifter best in his class. But Kroc has also always been in pain—because he wants to be a woman. Now 42 and father to three teenage sons, we watch him grapple with how to live his best life.
Watching this movie is a workout. Kroc and his family are deeply affected, and unsure of the way forward. But Transformer makes clear that sometimes, disagreeing parties can want what’s best for each other. So maybe, the pain is worth the gain.
Everybody Knows. Everybody is a suspect.
Laura is in town for her sister’s wedding. As the celebration begins, one thing is clear: This will be one of life’s carefree, blissful moments. Then, butterflies turn to nausea. Laura’s daughter Irene goes missing.
We watch Laura, her family, and close friends hopelessly try their best to play detective. A web of relationships and motivations slowly comes to light. Perhaps, too slowly.
This story will grip you. It explores not why the bad guys do what they do, but what happens to the rest of us once they do it.
Without a doubt, Stan and Ollie will make you smile.
Stanley Laurel and Oliver Hardy reached the height of fame in the 1930s. And for years afterward, this comedy duo continued creating and delighting—even as audiences dwindled. This movie follows the two on a tour meant to rekindle their popularity. We get to watch their (still) funny acts, as well as their creative method and off-stage relationship.
This may be the perfect family movie. It is light-hearted and pretty, even as it explores drama within the duo. The acting and chemistry between the leading men and their ladies is superb.
Jam the worst parts of a lot of movies together, and you get Polar.
The Black Kaiser looks forward to retiring soon. Assassins usually don’t survive to see their pension, but this killer is the best of the best. Unfortunately for him, some other assassins would rather end his life than his tenure.
This movie has some creative twists, but it is mostly worn-out gimmicks and violence porn. The story is unbelievable in several basic ways, and there is gratuitous use of (only) female private parts.
Meru is a story of adventure and resilience.
Three professional climbers decide to try their luck on an unconquered peak. This is a bad idea: Meru has never been summited because it’s both technically challenging and very dangerous. Suffice it to say, the climbers encounter several obstacles.
This movie captures well the life of a climber: the day-to-day; the internal dialogue; how some messages remain unspoken when life is on a razor’s edge.
Art meets horror in Velvet Buzzsaw.
Josephina is fed up with the shallowness of the art world. Then she stumbles upon a collection of masterworks, guaranteed to make her rich. She’s ready to play the game once again, and her perfectly pretentious colleagues all vie for a piece of the action.
The problem? This art was created by a man haunted, who didn’t want his pain shared with the world. If his creations are exhibited against his wishes, the price to pay will be high indeed.
This is a good concept for a horror movie, and it provides some fun, symbolic death scenes. Although character development is lacking, you’ll get the picture.
Cold War is a love story for the ages.
Viktor fosters Poland’s next generation of talent, and Zula is leading lady material. The two quickly fall for each other, and a fiery romance burns as bright as Zula’s star. When the government turns their school into a propaganda machine, more than music is compromised.
Set aside the extraordinary context. This relationship is beautiful precisely because it is everyday: It is passion and excitement, reality checks and disappointment. This realism, together with traditional music and pregnant imagery, leaves deep impressions again and again.
Though it’s a bit shifty, Vice has its virtues.
Perhaps best known as the former Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney has held senior positions in both government and business. This movie shows us how Cheney jockeyed for power, and more importantly, how he wielded it.
Vice hooks you in the beginning and never lets go—not because it’s great, but because it uses funky humor and editing to make sure you’re paying attention. The gimmicks aren’t necessary though. The man’s life is striking (and disturbing) enough to keep you watching.
The moon IO might be something special. The movie IO is not.
Life on Earth is over; the climate won’t allow it. So, humans have left to colonize IO. Sam remains, studying and experimenting, convinced that life will find a way. It’s a lonely existence. After several surprises, she must decide whether her research is worth her life.
This movie starts slow and never picks up. It tries to walk a balance beam between existential depression and human connection, but it falls smack onto one side of the floor.
Beautiful Boy is an upper and a downer.
David worries. It’s become clear that his son Nic suffers from addiction. We see, over the course of years and from each of their perspectives, what this affliction does: to thoughts, actions, willpower, family, and friends.
This is heavy stuff. And convincing acting can make it hard to watch. But take a lesson from this movie: Nothing worth doing comes easy.
(The) Damsel is saying something, loud and clear. Will you listen?
Samuel Alabaster’s fair lady has been kidnapped. With Parson Henry’s help, he journeys across the Western frontier to find his beauty. These simple men do not make the most dynamic duo, but their hearts seem in the right place.
This movie is delicious. It’s an absurd drama, or a serious comedy. You have no idea what you’re in fer, partner.
Destroyer is a murder mystery, and then some.
Detective Erin Bell has issues. She’s fixated and angry, and it’s not healthy. But she doesn’t seem to care: There’s another case to solve.
Be patient with this movie. Its alternating timeline adds minutes, but it also adds to the anticipation—and a brilliant payoff.
To keep the city safe, the Mayor has banished all dogs. Some citizens are skeptical of the Mayor’s motivations. Young Atari simply cares about losing his loyal hound, Spots. With some help, Atari races against time to find boy’s best friend.
Though the characters are downbeat, this is a heartfelt adventure. The puppet-work, framing, and detail are gorgeous.
Stanislaw Szukalski was something of a bad boy artist. If you disagreed with him, you paid the consequences.
He lived through tough times. This influenced his art heavily—and not always for the better. Though whether popular, hated, or simply forgotten, he never compromised his values.
This unique story was almost lost to history, but for a twist of fate. Lucky for us.
This movie is based on a true story.
Mary is many things: determined, young, beautiful, smart—the list goes on. And good thing it does; Mary has inherited the Scottish throne amidst strong opposition to her Catholic faith. Many people look to her Protestant cousin, Queen Elizabeth of England, to make a change. But it’s not that easy.
Though some violent scenes add nothing to it, this movie shines at showing just how formidable Mary is. The same can be said of the actress who plays her.
Daddy’s Home 2 is a funny, goofy movie.
Dusty is a cool dad. He’s also remarried. So he splits raising his kids with dorky, but lovable Brad. This big, complicated family is finally settling in—until the grandpas visit for Christmas, that is.
Nonstop dialogue and slapstick make this a lively watch. It ain’t serious, and it ain’t bad.
If Beale Street Could Talk, you would do well to listen.
Fonny and Tish are in love. It is true, and it is deep. Unfortunately, some people will not allow a black family to be happy and productive.
This is a story about (many, different) people trying their best in a rigged system. The love—in this story, and for this story—blazes through each frame, each line, each note.
Cleo has left her village to be a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy family. Though it is tight quarters in the home, some people manage to stay distant. Maybe it’s because they don’t care. Maybe, it’s because they don’t know how to show it.
This movie is about life, with all of its sepia-toned nostalgia. And the movie moves at the speed of life: sometimes slow and uneventful, other times too fast and too soon.
The American Meme is alive, but is it well?
Interviews with social media icons (Paris Hilton, The Fat Jewish, etc.) explore fame in the internet age. As expected, the interviewees put everything on the table. You may be surprised to hear what they think.