‘Nope’ review: Jordan Peele’s third film is a good miracle

Is it impossible to watch a film and completely miss the point? Nope. Let’s talk about the word “miracle” for a second. What comes to mind is usually an event that can’t really be explained by the laws of nature…

‘The Gray Man’ review: Netflix’s blockbuster thriller banks on names and goes bust

Being behind two of the highest-grossing movies of all time must bring a lot of pressure with every new project you do. Those two movies will always be tied to your name, popping up in every trailer for your next…

‘The Sea Beast’ review: Another terrific animated Netflix film sets sail

There’s something to be said about animated films revisiting classical themes. It gives writers and filmmakers the opportunities to explore, subvert, or maybe add a little bit of nuance to story elements we’ve grown familiar with. That’s what makes Netflix’s…

‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ review: Big screen book adaptations must do what they can to survive

It feels odd to see a movie like Where the Crawdads Sing in the theater in 2022. Not necessarily in a bad way — this is just the kind of film that has “adapted from the best-selling novel” written all…

Fantasia 2022 : ‘The Girl From the Other Side’ shows off stunning, fantasy animation

Simultaneously emulating a sense of wonder and dread in classic, gothic forms, The Girl From the Other Side is a masterful expression of loneliness and the compassion of being seen.  Based on their 2019 short of the same name and adapted from…

Fantasia 2022 : ‘Goodbye, Don Glees!’ is a visually grand depiction of the trials and triumphs of growing up

With the obvious comparison being the Rob Reiner Stephen King adaptation Stand By Me, it should come as little surprise that Goodbye, Don Glees!, from director Atsuko Ishizuka (A Place Further than the Universe), is as visually grandiose as it is narratively…

‘Don’t Make Me Go’ review : Sure it made me cry, but so does cutting onions

In Hannah Marks’s emotional Don’t Make Me Go, John Cho and Mia Isaac make for a believable duo as father and daughter, in two tremendous, lived-in performances that elevate the film. At least for the first three quarters. Spoilers for the…