Andrew Parker
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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About My Father (2023) |
The biggest and most obvious problem with About My Father is that it’s a run-of-the-mill comedy that lacks any sort of conviction. - The Gate
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| Posted May 25, 2023
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Kandahar (2023) |
Smarter than expected, but lacking in the action one might be expecting. - The Gate
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| Posted May 25, 2023
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It Ain't Over (2022) |
It Ain’t Over does a fine job of reminding many viewers unfamiliar with Berra’s storied career what made him different beyond his status as an unlikely pop culture icon. - The Gate
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| Posted May 24, 2023
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The Little Mermaid (2023) |
Disney’s latest live action remake of one of their own animated classics, The Little Mermaid, is another bit of wading into the shallow end of the creativity pool. - The Gate
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| Posted May 24, 2023
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What's Love Got to Do with It? (2022) |
Slavishly devoted to the British Working Title rom-com factory formula that spawned it, What’s Love Got to Do With It? throws away the chance to deliver a good, meaningful film in favour of offering up something that’s barely adequate. - The Gate
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| Posted May 19, 2023
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Fast X (2023) |
Fast X is the cinematic equivalent of meat sweats. - The Gate
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| Posted May 18, 2023
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Master Gardener (2022) |
It’s a lesser work from Schrader, but far from his worst and bearing some fruit by the end. - The Gate
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| Posted May 18, 2023
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The Starling Girl (2023) |
Although a lot of the territory it covers is familiar, everything else about writer-director Laurel Parmet’s coming-of-age drama The Starling Girl is exceptional. - The Gate
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| Posted May 18, 2023
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White Men Can't Jump (2023) |
This version of White Men Can’t Jump goes a long way towards rectifying the faults of the original and finding new ways to surprise viewers that might be expecting just another by-the-numbers reboot. - The Gate
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| Posted May 18, 2023
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The Mother (2023) |
There’s a satisfying thriller at the core of The Mother, but the combination of a bargain basement script and an overly serious tone prove to be a lethal combination. - The Gate
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| Posted May 12, 2023
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Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023) |
If all you want from a film is that it be good enough to serve as background noise while drinking wine with friends, Book Club: The Next Chapter certainly fits that bill. - The Gate
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| Posted May 11, 2023
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BlackBerry (2023) |
A stylish, humorous, semi-fictionalized and sometimes disarmingly intense... BlackBerry follows a well established formula and propels it to new heights with tonal ingenuity and exceptional performances. - The Gate
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| Posted May 11, 2023
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The Artifice Girl (2022) |
Balancing difficult conversations about where technology is leading the human race with rapid fire dialogue and performance driven drama, The Artifice Girl is both a rarity and one of the biggest surprises of the year thus far. - The Gate
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| Posted May 11, 2023
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Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023) |
The still charismatic and gregarious Fox is able to captivate the viewer through the simple act of running back the clock and not having to worry about killing the image he once had as an actor. - The Gate
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| Posted May 10, 2023
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The Maiden (2022) |
Nothing about The Maiden is easy outside of its free-flowing appearance, but that’s also what makes it a lingering presence. - The Gate
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| Posted May 10, 2023
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Black Barbie: A Documentary (2023) |
There’s a lot to unpack in Black Barbie: A Documentary, and while the film can seem scattered, Davis deserves a lot of praise for balancing the personal, psychological, and historical in as comprehensive a way as possible. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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Confessions of a Good Samaritan (2023) |
It might not convince everyone who sees it to go under the knife themselves, but Confessions of a Good Samaritan is a deceptively rich work that will change the way people see the world. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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The Stroll (2023) |
The Stroll is an astute, wide ranging, and comprehensive oral history of a place and time in New York City that suffered great stigmatization and hardship, but also one that fostered a strong sense of community among those who lived through it. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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Food and Country (2023) |
Messy, but well intentioned, the documentary Food and Country makes some great points about the continued devaluation of farmers, restaurants, and overall nutrition, but the package as a whole leaves plenty to be desired. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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A Still Small Voice (2023) |
Lorentzen deserves a lot of praise for never forcing his subjects to open up in the moment. When they feel like talking, they will. He’s simply there to observe and empathize. And we are simply there to bear witness and share in their experiences. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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Praying for Armageddon (2023) |
It’s the sort of film that makes its points loudly, clearly, and thoughtfully in a short amount of time before falling into the same trap as the subject it’s trying to criticize. After awhile, all that doomsaying becomes numbing instead of galvanizing. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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I Lost My Mom (2022) |
I Lost My Mom speaks frankly about a broken system of elder care in Canada that forces “easy” solutions onto families instead of more humane considerations and discussions. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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The Lebanese Burger Mafia (2023) |
It’s a story built on struggle, success, overcoming prejudice, and boasts a healthy side of family drama. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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Love Again (2023) |
A lazy, misguided, and uninspired romance, Love Again proves that streaming services and Hallmark haven’t entirely cornered the market on poorly made, low aiming lovey-dovey content just yet. - The Gate
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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Carmen (2022) |
Benjamin Millepied’s take on Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen is a visual and audio feast, but a narrative misfire. - The Gate
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| Posted May 04, 2023
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20 Days in Mariupol (2023) |
It’s be the best and most devastating look at the ongoing war in Ukraine yet, and one of the finest films to ever capture the unfiltered horror of living in a battle zone of all time. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 29, 2023
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You Can Go Now! (2022) |
The historical outline in You Can Go Now is rich and highly educational; the sort of teachings that should reach far beyond the country in which they originated. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 28, 2023
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The End of Sex (2022) |
The by-the-numbers and obvious Canadian comedy The End of Sex will appeal mostly to audiences who want to see something purporting to be edgy, but they don’t want to risk being offended or grossed out. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 28, 2023
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Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) |
Disney’s latest live action updating of one of their animated classics, Peter Pan & Wendy, is, like a lot of their other efforts in a similar vein, good looking, underwhelming, and unnecessary. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 28, 2023
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Another Body (2023) |
A bone chilling look into the world of deepfakes, Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn’s Another Body is a cautionary call to action and true crime thriller all rolled into one. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 27, 2023
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Periodical (2023) |
The real joy comes form watching the on-the-ground fight to demystify this “particular time of the month” framed by patriarchal history that traditionally values fertility and reviles the period itself. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 27, 2023
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Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2023) |
It’s a fitting, heartfelt, and pleasantly personal tribute to someone whose impact on the music industry can still be felt today. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 27, 2023
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023) |
It’s a small miracle that a big screen adaptation of Judy Blume’s seminal young adult bestseller... even exists. It’s an even more remarkable feat that writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig’s adaptation is one of the best films of the year so far. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 26, 2023
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Sisu (2022) |
And for the record, yes, I had fun, although your mileage may vary. I love great art, but sometimes you just want to watch someone mow down dozens of Nazis in less time than it takes some of us to get dressed in the morning. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 26, 2023
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Polite Society (2023) |
Polite Society is like a procrastinating student who mainlines a pot of coffee the night before a big paper is due and still manages to turn in a B+ assignment because they’re that good at what they do. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 26, 2023
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Satan Wants You (2023) |
Though the argument could be made that this sort of thing was around long before Michelle Remembers [Adams and Horlor are] doing an exceptional job of tying this entire regrettable chapter in pop culture history to our current present. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 25, 2023
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You Were My First Boyfriend (2023) |
Is it all a bit silly and indulgent? Perhaps, but by putting herself out there and allowing herself to be endearingly silly and vulnerable, Aldarondo [and Hagey] broach bigger questions about the baggage we carry with us from childhood into adulthood. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 25, 2023
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Joan Baez I Am a Noise (2023) |
A biographical film that should appeal nicely to fans and casual observers alike. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 25, 2023
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Twice Colonized (2023) |
Like Angry Inuk before it (another collaboration with this film’s producer Althea Arnaaquq-Baril), Twice Colonized does an exceptional job of breaking down colonizer mindsets and diving deeply into trauma informed behaviours across generations. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 25, 2023
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To Catch a Killer (2023) |
Clunky dialogue, unrealistic leaps of logic, and an unnecessarily stuffy tone ultimately sink To Catch a Killer... - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 21, 2023
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Ghosted (2023) |
Although it boasts two of the hottest stars in Hollywood today and a ton of talent behind the camera, Ghosted is little more than some of the most expensive background noise ever created. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 21, 2023
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Beau Is Afraid (2023) |
Do I like it? No, not at all. Is it art? Unquestionably, yes. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 20, 2023
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Evil Dead Rise (2023) |
Although produced in part by series stalwarts Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, writer-director Lee Cronin’s reimagining of Evil Dead lore benefits greatly from a shift in focus and location. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 20, 2023
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Quasi (2023) |
Endearingly gross, goofy, and silly, the Medieval themed comedy Quasi isn’t always fall down hilarious, but it does elicit a lot of chuckles and grins. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 19, 2023
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Chevalier (2022) |
The disappointing period piece biopic Chevalier is a great example of a film that would tell one heck of a story if it wasn’t in such a hurry to get through everything. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 18, 2023
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Judy Blume Forever (2023) |
If you’re already familiar with the works of Judy Blume, Pardo and Wolchok will only reinforce their significance. If not, you’ll be drawn into the orbit of a warm, fascinating, courageous, and highly articulate woman worth following. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 18, 2023
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Mafia Mamma (2023) |
Both better than expected and not as clever as it ought to be, the sitcom level comedy Mafia Mamma is a throwback to a bygone era. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 13, 2023
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Liquor Store Dreams (2022) |
It’s great viewing for anyone interested in cultural and racial relations in any major North American city, not just Um’s California hometown. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 12, 2023
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Scrapper (2023) |
Campbell is perfectly cast as an old soul in a child’s body, and her chemistry with Dickson’s dopey, yet resourceful slacker helps to build a realistic bond in an otherwise standard feel good romp. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 12, 2023
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Showing Up (2022) |
It fits nicely into Reichardt’s deep filmography of relaxed and resounding efforts, and possibly her lightest and most widely accessible story yet. - The Gate
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| Posted Apr 12, 2023
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