Alan Zilberman
Alan Zilberman's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer when
published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Washington Post,
Washington City Paper,
Brightest Young Things
| Publications: | Washington Post, Washington City Paper, Brightest Young Things |
Movie Reviews Only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/5 | 73% | The Happy Prince (2018) |
It is a poignant reminder of how intellect and desire do not simply disappear once we get older.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Oct 19, 2018
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| 80% | Halloween (2018) |
His constant silence reasserts him as a great existential villain, so this Halloween follows the original 1978 fright-fest into the horror cannon.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Oct 18, 2018
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| 4/5 | 88% | First Man (2018) |
Neil Armstrong left his family behind and traveled over 200,000 miles for work, and First Man understands what that says about him.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Oct 12, 2018
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| No Score Yet | The Panama Papers (2016) |
The film is at its most alarming when it convincingly makes the case that systemic corruption and income inequality are fundamentally responsible for every global calamity out there.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Oct 11, 2018
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| 100% | Watergate (2018) |
Here is a film that does not insult your intelligence, but also requires constant attention.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Oct 11, 2018
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| 67% | Field Guide to Evil (2018) |
While each film is from a separate country, the similarities highlight what folklore shares across cultures.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Oct 10, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 90% | The Old Man & the Gun (2018) |
The trouble is that writer/director David Lowery drains the story of any tension, suspense, or conflict. ‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Oct 5, 2018
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| 4/5 | 98% | Free Solo (2018) |
This is the rare documentary that is more terrifying than a horror movie.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Oct 5, 2018
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| 79/100 | 98% | Science Fair (2018) |
When so much of our mental energy is spent in politics, it is refreshing to see a (largely) apolitical film celebrate humanity at its finest.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Sep 28, 2018
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| 92% | Hal (2018) |
Such a purpose would be downright maudlin in the hands of the lesser filmmaker, and in its own bittersweet way, Hal suggests there will never be another one like him.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Sep 27, 2018
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| 4/5 | 99% | Blaze (2018) |
As the film reaches its tragic final minutes, it is clear Foley is given the treatment he would want and deserve.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Sep 21, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 64% | Lizzie (2018) |
This vision of Lizzie Borden is ultimately too timid and dispassionate to be transgressive.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Sep 21, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 59% | White Boy Rick (2018) |
Longtime fans of gangster movies may be surprised or even unnerved by what they see, but they won't soon forget it.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Sep 14, 2018
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| 93% | Mandy (2018) |
Mandy embodies the spirit of heavy metal more than any other movie in recent memory. ‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Sep 13, 2018
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| 0.5/4 | 65% | American Chaos (2018) |
Throughout "Chaos," Stern presents himself as the voice of reason, one that deserves to be listened to with respect, although he never really examines his own assumptions.‐ Washington Post
Read More | Posted Sep 12, 2018
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| 4/5 | 87% | Madeline's Madeline (2018) |
Sound bonkers, right? I guess you'll just have to see it for yourself.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Sep 7, 2018
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| 68% | The Apparition (L'apparition) (2018) |
This grappling with faith-conducted quietly by people who share nothing but mutual respect-is where the The Apparition finds its heart...‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Sep 6, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 90% | We the Animals (2018) |
Zagar's stubborn desire to keep things subjective are what make this a memorable film, although that same decision is also what undermines its ultimate impact.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Aug 31, 2018
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| 4/4 | 65% | The Little Stranger (2018) |
A character-driven psychological thriller, one whose larger implications will trouble your mind, like a ghost.‐ Washington Post
Read More | Posted Aug 30, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 92% | Support the Girls (2018) |
It continuously upends expectations of where it will go, until it becomes a comedy of specific, deep empathy.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Aug 24, 2018
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| 82% | Juliet, Naked (2018) |
Meant to serve as counter-programming, the cinematic equivalent of a beach read. It is successful on those terms..if the story does not linger, at least the three lead performances have more nuance and humanity required. ‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Aug 23, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 69% | A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018) |
They break some cardinal rules here, all in service of the show. It is the sort of creative latitude Shakespeare would admire.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Aug 17, 2018
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| 92% | Crazy Rich Asians (2018) |
By burrowing into what makes this world so extraordinary-and finding what is universal along way-Chu and his terrific cast have made a romantic comedy for everyone.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Aug 16, 2018
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| 4/5 | 84% | The Captain (Der Hauptmann) (2018) |
This dark drama might be too much for audiences, so Schwentke adds two crucial elements to keep his film tolerable: elegant black and white photography, and gallows humor.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Aug 10, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 95% | BlacKkKlansman (2018) |
The cumulative effect is like a bracing cold shower, a reminder that the fight is far from over.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Aug 10, 2018
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| 4/5 | 95% | Custody (Jusqu'à la garde) (2018) |
This is not a film to be taken lightly. In fact, it could be triggering for children of divorce and anyone who has experienced domestic abuse. ‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Aug 6, 2018
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| 97% | Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) |
In an age where the facsimile of spectacle can be produced via green screen, Cruise realizes there is no replacement for stunning vistas and genuine danger.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Jul 27, 2018
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| 2/5 | 76% | Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) |
The disjointed narrative an aimless sense of the addiction/recovery cycle, so few scenes have any sense of drama or emotion to them.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jul 20, 2018
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| 2/5 | 77% | The King (2018) |
Indulging Jarecki's lazy metaphor is the sole reason this film exists.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jul 13, 2018
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| 82% | Under the Tree (Undir trénu) (2018) |
At every possibly turn, Under the Tree goes after, er, low-hanging fruit, and treats its facile revelations as if they are profound. ‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Jul 12, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 94% | Sorry to Bother You (2018) |
It is hilarious, borderline unhinged, and one of the year's best films.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jul 6, 2018
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| 100% | Leave No Trace (2018) |
With its Pacific Northwest setting, Granik evokes the same feeling and aesthetic as Kelly Reichardt...While Leave No Trace does not specifically take place in the present, it has added resonance for this particular cultural moment. ‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Jul 5, 2018
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| 3.5/4 | 53% | The First Purge (2018) |
An unabashedly violent B-movie throwback, the sort director John Carpenter used to make, with moments that resonate with real life.‐ Washington Post
Read More | Posted Jul 5, 2018
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| 1.5/5 | 63% | Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) |
Del Toro is a good sport for agreeing to this film, especially since no actor alive could make his final lines sound convincing.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jun 29, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 79% | Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist (2018) |
It is daring to include footage where Westwood questions the documentary on an existential level. By the time the film is over, the audience should not feel the same way.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jun 22, 2018
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| 48% | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) |
It halfheartedly attempts something that engages our minds, only to abandon it in favor of a creature feature that borderline insults our intelligence.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Jun 20, 2018
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| 55% | Tag (2018) |
Like most winning comedies, Tag finds unique, plausibly human quirks for its major characters, and puts them in situations where they cannot help but act on them. ‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted Jun 15, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 94% | Incredibles 2 (2018) |
This sequel continues the story as nothing has changed in the past fourteen years. That is to the film's credit, and also its detriment.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jun 15, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 89% | Hereditary (2018) |
It is indeed an intense film, more creepy than scary, and just may make your skin crawl.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jun 8, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 68% | Ocean's 8 (2018) |
Anne Hathaway completely steals the show. Her performance is pure screwball: she is sexy, ditzy, cunning, and funny all at once. ‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jun 8, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 96% | Zama (2018) |
This is the sort of comedy that's not exactly funny. Its points are too angry - and dispassionately argued - to be a laugh riot.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted Jun 8, 2018
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| 96% | Filmworker (2018) |
We should thank Vitali the next time we see 2001: A Space Odyssey, even if Filmworker does not bring us any closer to understanding the man most responsible for it.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted May 31, 2018
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| 5/5 | 93% | First Reformed (2018) |
The best praise I can give First Reformed is that it makes powerful people feel uncomfortable.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted May 25, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 70% | Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) |
This is a film that prefers the version of Han Solo where Greedo shoots first.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted May 23, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 86% | Let the Sunshine In (Un beau soleil intérieur) (2018) |
It is the rare drama that treats crippling everyday anxiety with the respect it deserves.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted May 18, 2018
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| 90% | Bye Bye Germany (Es war einmal in Deutschland...) (2018) |
It meanders sometimes, and some of its jokes are almost certainly funnier in the original language. But it is rare to see comedy entertainment this ambitious, or keenly aware of history. That Garbarski pulls it off is an achievement unto itself.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted May 17, 2018
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| 4/5 | 87% | Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2018) |
It is frustrating at times, even meandering, yet it captures Jones' appeal with terrific performances and shrewd editing.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted May 11, 2018
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| 1.5/5 | 48% | Measure of a Man (2018) |
It introduces serious topics, including the Holocaust and sexual repression, only to disregard them in favor of story that hardly goes anywhere.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted May 11, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 94% | RBG (2018) |
Ruth Bader Ginsburg certainly deserves more than to be a meme. Then again, in an ironic sense there is no better evidence of her lasting impression on American history.‐ Brightest Young Things
Read More | Posted May 4, 2018
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| 86% | Tully (2018) |
This is a film about mothers and motherhood, but through its stubborn empathy, even people who will never be parents have some idea of just how exhausting and unfair it can be.‐ Washington City Paper
Read More | Posted May 3, 2018
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