Becca James
Becca James's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Chicago Reader
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Sound of Silence (2023) |
Sound of Silence plays like a radio. Sometimes it’s smooth, and sometimes there’s static; regardless, you’ll want to tune in. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Mar 11, 2023
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Women Talking (2022) |
Women Talking asks if you’ll listen. There is, of course, an argument to be made that Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Miriam Toews’s critically acclaimed novel is meant to be more seen than heard. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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"Sr." (2022) |
Sr. is capable of softening even the hardest of hearts. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 03, 2022
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Aftersun (2022) |
Thanks to Wells’s evident confidence, this story, constructed slowly and focused on small moments, is more mesmerizing than most... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Funny Pages (2022) |
... More authentic and more absurd than anything to come before it. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Sep 02, 2022
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Anaïs in Love (2021) |
Anaïs in Love is as magnetic as its protagonist. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted May 14, 2022
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You Won't Be Alone (2022) |
The scary story uses succinct dialogue, a serene setting, and a striking score to create a poetic take on life, death, and the in-between. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Apr 09, 2022
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Below the Fold (2021) |
Twists and turns abound, and while they're as expected as the rest of the beats in Below the Fold, they're also engaging enough to entertain. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Jan 28, 2022
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The Scary of Sixty-First (2021) |
All of this takes place in what Nekrasova has likened to Eyes Wide Shut New York, and it is, in fact, as alluring as its influences, pulling viewers into a film that teeters between absurdly funny and absurdly frightening. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Jan 22, 2022
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The 355 (2022) |
This simplistic approach, which forces an evil/ethical binary, paired with a ham-fisted dialogue, flattens the film and makes the lulls between fight scenes feel more like retribution than respite. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Jan 15, 2022
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Don't Look Up (2021) |
The Adam McKay film stays true to the writer-director's signature style. It's star-studded, and the edits often wink at the audience, but it's not so fun being in on the joke this time around. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 23, 2021
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The Novice (2021) |
Lauren Hadaway's The Novice is a powerful look at compulsion. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 18, 2021
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Death of a Telemarketer (2020) |
It feels like a phone call that could have been a text. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 04, 2021
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Clerk (2021) |
It proves time and again that Smith's career is one worth considering, celebrating, and continuing to follow. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 04, 2021
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House of Gucci (2021) |
The rest, however, is left struggling to find its footing as it oscillates between soap opera and prestige drama. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 04, 2021
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Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021) |
A cutting critique of the moral panic surrounding sex that asks why more pressing political issues don't receive the same attention, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn shares a strong point of view capable of captivating viewers. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Nov 24, 2021
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Spencer (2021) |
Spencer allows viewers to become the support system Diana so sorely lacked at the time... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Nov 06, 2021
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Halloween Kills (2021) |
Halloween Kills fails to resurrect the franchise. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Oct 30, 2021
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Last Night in Soho (2021) |
It's all glamour and giggles until it isn't. About halfway through the movie, its music-video vibes are traded in for a tangled thriller, and Eloise's envy evolves into empathy when Sandy's true suffering is revealed. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Oct 29, 2021
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Karen Dalton: In My Own Time (2020) |
It's as much a meditation on class and gender politics as it is a trip down memory lane. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Oct 29, 2021
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Lamb (2021) |
Lamb captures grief by oscillating between the beautiful and the horrific. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Oct 15, 2021
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Dementia 13 (1963) |
...while it's by no means perfect, it does hint at Coppola's capabilities... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Oct 08, 2021
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Lady of the Manor (2021) |
Lady of the Manor sees a great cast struggle under the weight of a sloppy script. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Oct 08, 2021
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Malignant (2021) |
Malignant is the type of movie that requires viewers to strap in and shut up from the onset. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Sep 17, 2021
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No Man of God (2021) |
While No Man of God isn't the one Ted Bundy movie to watch, it is one worth watching. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Aug 28, 2021
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The Night House (2020) |
The Night House is a compelling meditation on the horror of one's own mind. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Aug 24, 2021
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CODA (2021) |
A coming-of-age story meant to move. And while the beats of the film may be predictable, it's no less affecting. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Aug 24, 2021
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The Kissing Booth 3 (2021) |
The Kissing Booth franchise had a trilogy up its sleeve, and for those invested, it's a must-watch. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Aug 24, 2021
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I Am Lisa (2020) |
Fresh and fun, the compelling storytelling is sure to pull viewers in as it seamlessly weaves werewolf lore into a tried and true revenge narrative complete with working thrills and chills. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Jul 01, 2021
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Monday (2020) |
That's the beauty of Argyris Papadimitropoulos's follow-up to Suntan; it's a movie that accurately reflects the highs and lows of relationships once the dust of a fling starts to settle and the work begins. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Apr 20, 2021
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The Courier (2020) |
The heightened level of emotion [Rachel Brosnahan and Jessie Buckley] provide propels the story and Cumberbatch forward, keeping viewers engaged as they approach a climactic ending. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Mar 25, 2021
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Pixie (2020) |
Olivia Cooke is reason enough to watch Pixie. If you've yet to be mesmerized by her acting chops, here's your chance... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Mar 09, 2021
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The Dark and the Wicked (2020) |
The Dark and the Wicked is a relentless ride through the stages of grief and guilt. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Feb 17, 2021
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Some Kind of Heaven (2020) |
Whether about the local grifter or a recent widow, each story is beautifully shot and allowed to unfold organically, enabling an authentic rumination on life and the relationships that sustain it. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Jan 19, 2021
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Crazy, Not Insane (2020) |
A forensic psychiatrist known for her controversial views on serial killers and the death penalty, Lewis is an absorbing subject. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Sound of Metal (2019) |
A purposefully-quiet film... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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The Lodge (2019) |
Perfectly paced, each film places viewers in purgatory along with the protagonists. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Blow the Man Down (2019) |
[A] murder movie with momentum... - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Come to Daddy (2019) |
Brutal violence abounds in these coastal mysteries, but they're not all show. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Buffaloed (2019) |
Proof that Zoey Deutch can carry a film... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Vivarium (2020) |
Vivarium's purgatory is more clear-cut, though that somehow doesn't make it any less mysterious... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Castle in the Ground (2019) |
Castle in the Ground is a somber, if not sober, look at the bleak reality of the opioid epidemic... - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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The Assistant (2019) |
...a meditation on the passing of time, the many faces of staying in place, and the pursuit of happier and healthier endeavors in the new year. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Gretel & Hansel (2020) |
[A] visually gruesome and beautiful bildungsroman that gives the classic story new life. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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I'm Your Woman (2020) |
Revitalizing the genre by expanding on a recognizable format to include a new perspective... - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Spree (2020) |
Spree is a joyride through the sinister side effects of social media. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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Shirley (2020) |
A look at the very morose Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss), presented in a way that mimics the famed fiction author's horror writing... - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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The Half of It (2020) |
The Half of It might feel tame in comparison, but it is just as genuine. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Dec 30, 2020
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The Pale Door (2020) |
The Pale Door is a raucous ride through a different type of wild west. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Sep 16, 2020
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Vinyl Nation (2020) |
During our America's current discord, Vinyl Nation is a friendly reminder of this community. - Chicago Reader
Read More
| Posted Sep 15, 2020
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