Shane Slater

Shane Slater
Tomatometer-approved critic
Publications: AwardsCircuit.com, That Shelf, The Spool, Film Actually, Awards Radar

Movie Reviews Only

T-Meter Title | Year
3/4 100% Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (2021) Firestarter assembles a treasure trove of archival footage that showcases the raw talent. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 1, 2021
88% President (2021) Nielsson's unflinching camera keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way. - That Shelf EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 17, 2021
3/4 97% In the Same Breath (2021) Wang blows the whistle once more with a typically probing examination of the COVID-19 pandemic. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 5, 2021
96% Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Judas and the Black Messiah is a vital character study that reminds us what it truly means to be a Black Panther and a revolutionary. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 4, 2021
3/4 95% CODA (2021) CODA moves to the familiar rhythms of typical coming of age narratives, but it finds precious grace notes in the perspective of the deaf experience. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Jan 30, 2021
3.5/5 88% News of the World (2020) Heroic westerns may be going out of style, but a good Tom Hanks performance is timeless. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 23, 2020
4/5 90% Promising Young Woman (2020) The #MeToo movement gets one of its most provocative cinematic statements, mixing scathing social critique with irreverent, cheeky wit. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 23, 2020
4.5/5 94% Nomadland (2021) One of the most beautifully empathetic films about the working class struggle. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 28, 2020
4/5 98% Minari (2020) At once a classic and undeniably contemporary immigrant drama, this special film is a touchingly empathetic piece of storytelling. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 24, 2020
2.5/4 90% Belushi (2020) Belushi feels like little more than a well-edited showreel with a few stylistic flourishes. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 22, 2020
3/4 95% Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (2020) Ríos captures a plethora of indelible images. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 22, 2020
4/4 99% Collective (Colectiv) (2020) Nanau lays out this trail of corruption in remarkable, engaging detail. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 22, 2020
4/5 98% Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) The late Chadwick Boseman's astonishingly dynamic and charismatic performance reminds us of a promising future that can no longer come to pass. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 20, 2020
3/4 91% Minyan (2020) Though Minyan's slow pacing may test your patience, there's much to admire in the elegance of the filmmaking. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 25, 2020
3/4 91% White Lie (2019) White Lie would be hard to watch if it weren't for Rohl ... she fully delivers on a challenging role with one of the most accomplished performances you'll see all year. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 25, 2020
3/4 100% No Hard Feelings (Futur Drei) (2020) There's an undeniable sense of poetry to its visual and verbal expressions of youth. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 25, 2020
3/4 95% Cicada (2020) Through his heartrending filmmaking and his incredibly tender performance (and a worthy screen partner in Brown), Fifer reveals the bittersweet reality of love. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 25, 2020
3/4 98% Shiva Baby (2021) Seligman's sharp screenplay entertains audiences with a droll sense of humor. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 20, 2020
4.5/5 90% The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) A must-see film for its captivating ensemble, engaging pacing and rousing story. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 19, 2020
4.5/5 100% Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020) What begins as an irreverent, humorous endeavor, thus evolves into a deeply moving testament to the pain and beauty of being human. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 19, 2020
3/4 84% The Way I See It (2020) The film stands as a testament to the power of the still image. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 23, 2020
3/4 99% Night of the Kings (La Nuit des Rois) (2020) When there's so much stunning creativity and imagination on display, it's almost impossible to avert your eyes from this visionary work of African art. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 23, 2020
3/4 100% 76 Days (2020) For a documentary about one of the most unsettling public health crises of our lifetime, 76 Days is a surprisingly comforting portrait of humanity. - Awards Radar EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 23, 2020
92% Another Round (Druk) (2020) At once sobering and liberating, Another Round is a sincere reflection on aging, friendship, and life itself. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 18, 2020
77% Concrete Cowboy (2020) Though it may not possess the most inspired screenplay, Concrete Cowboy serves as a promising directorial debut. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 18, 2020
76% Pieces of a Woman (2020) It admittedly succeeds as a showcase for Kirby's harrowing lead turn. But its fascinating story begs for a more ensemble-driven approach. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 18, 2020
79% Summer of 85 (Été 85) (2020) Every element of Summer's craft feels tailor-made to make you swoon, and each scene is more touching than the next. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 14, 2020
80% I Care a Lot (2021) Rosamund Pike is best suited to playing devils in disguise. When she's in her wheelhouse as she is here, the results are glorious to watch. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 13, 2020
98% One Night in Miami (2020) While their reputation precedes them, it humanizes these larger-than-life figures and brings Miami's questions surrounding black empowerment into sharp focus. - The Spool EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2020
4/5 73% Mulan (2020) Featuring colorful production and costume design to enhance the glorious setpieces, Mulan delivers a grand sense of adventure. - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 3, 2020
4/5 93% Epicentro (2020) There's an alluringly observant, searching quality to Sauper's direction. He takes audiences on an enlightening journey - Film Actually EDIT
Read More | Posted Aug 28, 2020
3/4 100% A Thousand Cuts (2020) In doing so, "A Thousand Cuts" is a fascinating - and at times, horrifying - demonstration of the power of social media. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Aug 9, 2020
2.5/4 100% Shine Your Eyes (Cidade Pássaro) (2020) While it succeeds in its macro-level ethnography and a palpable sense of place, Shine Your Eyes falters in telling its central story. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Jul 28, 2020
3/4 88% Les Misérables (2020) The tensions are always simmering under the surface, aided by an intimate filmmaking style that feels as immediate as real time and as authentic as documentary. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 8, 2019
3/4 92% Monos (2019) Monos delivers a rich sensory experience. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 15, 2019
3/4 63% The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch (Wolkenbruchs wunderliche reise in die arme einer schickse) (2018) Concluding on an unexpectedly ambiguous note, the clichés of the film are thus salvaged by a thoughtfully unorthodox outlook on Orthodox Judaism. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 11, 2019
2.5/4 96% Ága (2019) Despite the film's laborious pacing, its humanistic themes come together powerfully. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 22, 2019
3/4 97% The Cave (2019) The Cave is one of the most accomplished pieces of non-fiction filmmaking of the year. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 26, 2019
3/4 89% Adam (2021) Adam takes a simple premise and builds a rich exploration of its characters and their society. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 26, 2019
1.5/4 73% Harriet (2019) This underwhelming drama fails to truly capture the awe-inspiring efforts of its extraordinary heroine - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2019
3/4 88% Hala (2019) Hala is ultimately an insightful, touching character study that forces us to reconsider what it means to be female, Muslim and American. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2019
2.5/4 69% Disco (2019) The script ultimately falls short of its visual power. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2019
3/4 63% Blackbird (2020) The tender performances from its gifted cast elevate it to something worth seeing. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2019
3/4 80% Instinct (2019) A film that is at once challenging, frustrating, perplexing, and thoroughly fascinating. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2019
3/4 85% Just Mercy (2020) Cretton delivers a genuine crowd-pleaser. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2019
2/4 79% Synchronic (2020) Synchronic is an uneasy mix of film genres. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2019
3/4 95% A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Eschews traditional biopic expectations for an endearing tribute to Mister Rogers' legacy of kindness and empathy. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2019
3.5/4 80% Jojo Rabbit (2019) Waititi keeps his distinctive voice in tact with Jojo Rabbit, a poignant anti-war satire that is also his funniest film to date. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2019
3/4 87% What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire? (2019) A very specific slice of Americana. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Aug 14, 2019
2.5/4 78% Jirga (2019) Expressed through raw performances ... the film's philosophical underpinnings ultimately strike a chord. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Aug 1, 2019