Genevieve Koski
Tomatometer-approved critic
| Biography: |
The Onion A.V. Club film critic.
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| Publications: | New York Magazine/Vulture, AV Club, The Dissolve, Vox |
Movie Reviews Only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | 100% | Flight of the Conchords: Live in London (2018) |
Offers an uncomplicated, comforting sort of joy that feels even more special today than it did a decade ago.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Oct 8, 2018
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| 4/5 | 91% | Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018) |
Meta comedy is the fuel that makes these Teen Titans go. In this respect, the film often plays more like an all-ages version of the recent Deadpool movies.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Jul 26, 2018
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| 3/5 | 87% | The Incredible Jessica James (2017) |
In Williams's hands, Jessica James becomes a diamond-sharp protagonist, and the only defining feature of an otherwise formless movie.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Jul 28, 2017
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| 4.5/5 | 93% | Baby Driver (2017) |
Baby Driver finds Wright directly in his wheelhouse -- reverently and knowingly deploying genre tropes with visual style and musical panache -- and his enthusiasm is apparent in each and every frame.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Jun 27, 2017
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| 3.5/5 | 45% | Rough Night (2017) |
Rough Night manages to surprise again and again, in its go-for-broke comedic approach.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Jun 15, 2017
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| 3.5/5 | 66% | The Fate of the Furious (2017) |
The Fate of the Furious is more of a plateau, albeit a reasonably high one.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Apr 13, 2017
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| 4.5/5 | 94% | The Red Turtle (La tortue rouge) (2017) |
It's a beautiful example of what animation as a medium is capable of, of what it can achieve that live-action storytelling cannot.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Jan 27, 2017
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| 78% | Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) |
Bridget may have gotten older and wiser, but her movies have stayed the same.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Sep 19, 2016
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| 1/5 | 20% | Jem and the Holograms (2015) |
Jon M. Chu's weaksauce adaptation of the 1980s Hasbro toy turned cartoon not only fails resoundingly as a film, it also fails as a nostalgia piece -- which, honestly, might be the greater sin in today's pop cultureverse.‐ Vox
Read More | Posted Oct 29, 2015
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| 1.5/5 | 46% | Ted 2 (2015) |
Ted 2 is a repetitive, self-congratulatory slog, dragged down by a haphazard plot and the same third-act problems that ultimately sunk the first film. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jul 1, 2015
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| 4/5 | 94% | Spy (2015) |
The comedic chemistry between Feig and McCarthy is old news, but here, they show they still have something new, and maybe even important, to offer between the laugh-lines.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jun 4, 2015
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| 2.5/5 | 63% | The True Cost (2015) |
Heavy on talking heads and Morgan's stilted narration, The True Cost is methodical to a fault, plodding purposefully from one damning insight to the next.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted May 26, 2015
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| 2.5/5 | 65% | Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) |
Pitch Perfect 2 is a "heated mess," in spite of a handful of transcendent moments and a lot more just-okay ones. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted May 14, 2015
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| 3.5/5 | 56% | The Age of Adaline (2015) |
Age Of Adaline rewards viewers who buy into its ludicrous premise with a frequently beautiful, occasionally stirring cinematic trinket.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Apr 23, 2015
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| 3.5/5 | 92% | Disneynature Monkey Kingdom (2015) |
Everything Monkey Kingdom lacks in scientific rigor, it makes up for in pure entertainment value-and then some.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Apr 16, 2015
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| 4/5 | 83% | Dior and I (2015) |
For all its grand statements about artistry and identity, it's most effective as a study of the hard work, both physical and emotional, that goes into creating something new. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Apr 8, 2015
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| 4/5 | 80% | Furious 7 (2015) |
James Wan embraces the series' visual hallmarks with what translates to unencumbered glee onscreen.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Apr 2, 2015
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| 3/5 | 50% | Home (2015) |
Home's incongruously humble vibe works well for what's at heart a buddy road movie.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2015
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| 1/5 | 29% | Insurgent (2015) |
It delves even deeper into the poorly considered mythology, building action beats and moments of tension around a conceit that puts easy allegory ahead of logic or coherence.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Mar 19, 2015
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| 2.5/5 | 83% | Cinderella (2015) |
This new Cinderella tells more or less the same tale with little variation in terms of story (fair enough), tone (problematic), or characterization (very problematic). ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Mar 11, 2015
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| 3/5 | 71% | The DUFF (2015) |
For all its potential pitfalls, The DUFF manages to keep its head above water, thanks to Whitman, Amell, and a willingness to engage with teen-movie clichés in a relatively thoughtful way.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Feb 19, 2015
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| 4/5 | No Score Yet | Vessel (2015) |
Vessel is much more than a documentary about abortion rights; it's about the conviction, creativity, and sacrifice that goes into creating a movement.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jan 9, 2015
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| 3/5 | 71% | Into the Woods (2014) |
Outside of some delightful performances from bona fide movie stars, there's little in Marshall's Into The Woods to justify the leap to the big screen. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jan 5, 2015
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| 3/5 | 29% | Annie (2014) |
The transition from the familiar 1930s Annie to 2014's Annie isn't always graceful, but it is often fun, in a flashy, chaotic sort of way.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Dec 19, 2014
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| 4/5 | 67% | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) |
It's a well-executed, occasionally daring exploration of war, propaganda, and guilt that's easy to watch, but occasionally difficult to stomach.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Nov 20, 2014
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| 4/5 | 82% | Beyond the Lights (2014) |
It might be easy to wave off this film as little more than cinematic candy, but if all candy were this nutritious and filling, the much-maligned genre of the big-screen romance might be in a healthier state.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Nov 14, 2014
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| 4/5 | 89% | Big Hero 6 (2014) |
The thrill of Big Hero 6 doesn't lie in guessing what comes next, it comes from being in the moment with great characters in a cool setting full of surprising details.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Nov 10, 2014
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| 3/5 | 63% | Rudderless (2014) |
It's easy to get swept up in Rudderless' heady ascent while waiting for the inevitable fall. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Oct 15, 2014
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| 4.5/5 | 87% | Gone Girl (2014) |
It's a wild ride, made no less thrilling by the knowledge that it ends in a horrific crash, from which no one walks away unscathed.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Oct 1, 2014
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| 2.5/5.0 | 43% | Life After Beth (2014) |
The misused cast is just one of many examples of the unrealized potential of Life After Beth, a film that has good bones, but not enough meat, guts, or...brains.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Aug 14, 2014
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| 4.5/5 | 97% | Life Itself (2014) |
Ebert was an advocate of context in criticism, and it would probably please him as both a critic and a fan of irony to know that his death is what enlivens Life Itself.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jul 3, 2014
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| 3/5 | 70% | They Came Together (2014) |
It's reliably silly fun worthy of the people involved, but it never reaches the level of "inspired."‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jun 26, 2014
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| 4/5 | 90% | Obvious Child (2014) |
A well-realized, straight-ahead rom-com, one with the potential to reinvigorate a genre that's been flagging for decades.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jun 5, 2014
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| 4/5 | 92% | The Case Against 8 (2014) |
The Case Against 8 effectively, memorably connects the dots between national and personal history, and between individual action and large-scale change‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jun 5, 2014
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| 3.5/5 | 72% | Neighbors (2014) |
Neighbors does its duty in out-debauching its predecessors, but does so through a framework that undercuts the nobility of youthful hedonism. It's one of the most adult college comedies ever[...]‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted May 6, 2014
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| 3.0/5 | 89% | Disneynature Bears (2014) |
True to its Disney lineage, Bears is a theme-park version of reality, but one built on sincere understanding of and affection for the natural world and all its creatures-especially the really cute ones.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Apr 17, 2014
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| 2.5/5 | 42% | Divergent (2014) |
Unfortunately, [the story's] source material proves to be the film's undoing, as Divergent is built on a shaky premise that collapses when blown up to big-screen proportions. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Mar 20, 2014
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| 3.5/5 | 22% | Need For Speed (2014) |
Given [Aaron] Paul's established knack for comedy, it's a little odd that he's consigned to the role of humorless brooder [...] but given Need For Speed's oft-shaky grasp of comedy, he's probably better off in grip-it-and-rip-it mode. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Mar 14, 2014
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| 2.0/5 | 13% | Winter's Tale (2014) |
[Winter's Tale] looks nice and goes down easy-and with a few hearty laughs for more cynical viewers-but has little narrative substance or emotional sustenance.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Feb 20, 2014
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| 1.5/5 | 22% | That Awkward Moment (2014) |
Like its main character, That Awkward Moment can't commit to anything, and thinks it's much smarter than it is‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Jan 30, 2014
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| 3/5 | 79% | Saving Mr. Banks (2013) |
It would all seem horribly manipulative and distasteful if Saving Mr. Banks weren't buoyed by a strong sense of nostalgia and, yes, a good bit of Disney Magic(TM).‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Dec 11, 2013
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| 2/5 | 39% | Delivery Man (2013) |
Delivery Man has sentiment and affability embedded in its DNA, but Scott and Vaughn don't do enough to nurture the film to its full potential.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Nov 21, 2013
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| 4/5 | 89% | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) |
It's a quintessential middle film, lacking both substantive setup and a satisfying conclusion-and it's all the better for it, thriving in the tumultuous, incendiary stages of a brewing revolution.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Nov 19, 2013
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| 3.5/5 | 68% | About Time (2013) |
Those willing-or eager-to indulge About Time's schmaltziest moments are rewarded with hits of pure, uncut joy and sorrow. ‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Oct 30, 2013
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| 2/5 | 50% | A.C.O.D. (2013) |
It's neither consistently funny nor poignant enough to make the most of its impressive cast.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Oct 2, 2013
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| 3.5/5 | 80% | Don Jon (2013) |
[Although] Gordon-Levitt says a little bit about a lot of things,...Don Jon is a continuously entertaining and fitfully provocative first-time effort.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Sep 26, 2013
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| 2/5 | 50% | Mademoiselle C (2013) |
Mademoiselle C succeeds in showcasing the rarified entity that is Carine Roitfeld...but it's ultimately more of a fawning love letter than a nuanced profile of a woman who surely must be more fascinating than she comes off here.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2013
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| 2/5 | 64% | One Direction: This Is Us (2013) |
This Is Us lays the One Direction guys out as slabs of meat on the altar of teen-pop fandom, giving them little more dimension than the cardboard cutouts and posters that decorate the bedrooms of their adoring fans.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Aug 29, 2013
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| 2/5 | 13% | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) |
There's a germ of something interesting and different within the film's narrative tangle, but it's unfortunately been subsumed by Hollywood's dedication to replicating previous successes.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Aug 21, 2013
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| 2.5/5 | 48% | We're The Millers (2013) |
The film's humor ... tends toward the mean-spirited and cynical throughout-which ultimately makes [the] inevitable happy ending ring all the more false.‐ The Dissolve
Read More | Posted Aug 6, 2013
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