Douglas Davidson
Tomatometer-approved critic
Douglas is a Matthews, NC-based writer who enjoys using his geekdom in the pursuit of understanding and analyzing film. He is the founder of film review site Elements of Madness, member of three critics groups, and co-host of podcast The Cine-Men.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Furies (2023) |
It’s more raw, unpolished, and brutal than the former, resulting in an exploration of the darkness that consumes those without the strength or support to move toward the light. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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Inside (2023) |
... there’s an opportunity to consider what we give our time to, where we focus our attention, and, perhaps most importantly, why would we surround ourselves with things that separate us from our humanity in order to keep them safe. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 17, 2023
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Air Force One (1997) |
It’s tense and exciting in direction, the scripting is solid so that everything just flows with natural tension-breakers, and the performances are engaging whether as leads or supporting. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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The Mask of Zorro (1998) |
... "Mask" [is] a tale of generations, of what myths and legends mean when they are gone, and of the price invaders pay when they underestimate the populace. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 15, 2023
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Peak Season (2023) |
For a sophomore feature outing, "Peak Season" demonstrates that the filmmaking duo have more to say about life and love, taking the things that they’ve learned and utilizing them well. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 12, 2023
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Plan C (2023) |
... in concert with the various facts provided by the interviewees, Halpern’s music, and the occasional visual representation of dates rolling by, "Plan C" generates an aura of concentrated urgency that is, at times, difficult to process and absorb. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 12, 2023
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Who I Am Not (2023) |
This is only a small piece of first-time feature director Tünde Skovrán’s moving documentary "Who I Am Not," an exploration of self-perception, self-love, and the battle between who we think society wants us to be versus who we are. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 12, 2023
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The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023) |
When dialed in, "Angry Black Girl" is meaty, lingering on one’s mind well after it concludes. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 12, 2023
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Molli and Max in the Future (2023) |
Don’t mistake the fantastique setting as merely set dressing (practical and imaginative as it is), “Molli and Max” demonstrates that some love stories transcend time and place, everything else is just a foothold for the reality in which they live. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 11, 2023
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Confessions of a Good Samaritan (2023) |
Entertaining and cheeky, while also heartfelt and raw, Lane does more than open herself up literally, she welcomes the audience inside metaphorically and, through the process, may find some healing for herself while inspiring others to donate, too. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 11, 2023
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The Magician's Elephant (2023) |
In a world which seems constantly stripped of its magic through cynicism and fear, "The Magician’s Elephant" reminds that things are only impossible until they’re possible. Or, put another way, it prompts us to consider the power of two words: What if. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 06, 2023
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) |
Riding the line between the silliness of the "Shrek" Universe from which it came and something far more Grimm, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" explores the value of appreciating where you are and what you have ... - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 05, 2023
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26.2 to Life (2022) |
Though not specifically political in nature, Yoo’s film may just change a few minds regarding the purpose of prison as a rehabilitative tool rather than a punitive one. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Mar 04, 2023
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Millionaires Express (1986) |
Hung’s "Millionaire’s Express" may have a misstep or two, but it otherwise holds up, offering a lot of bang for your buck. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 27, 2023
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The Baby Daddy (2022) |
Comical as it is, this is a serious subject with intense implications and the cumulative stimulation brought about by "The Baby Daddy" ends with less of an exhaustive climax and more of a frustrated one since there’s more to learn. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 26, 2023
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A Man (2022) |
... "A Man" is structured in such a way that audiences can’t help but lean in as soon as the mystery begins, attached first by the development of the characters and then properly hooked by the time the shoe drops. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 24, 2023
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Creed III (2023) |
Smartly, rather than give audiences what they expect out of a third "Creed" film (Clubber Lang redux), "Creed III" goes smaller and more intimate without pulling a single punch. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 24, 2023
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The Sixth Child (2022) |
... Jaspard’s story asks the audience to consider at what point we stop beating ourselves for other’s perceptions. More so, what does it mean when the law conflicts with desire and a sense of a higher purpose. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 23, 2023
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Hollywood Shuffle (1987) |
This is where the film is the meatiest, not the rehearsal, but in how it sets up the way in which entertainment by Black actors is manipulated or manufactured by the white establishment to project the same type of Black characters over and again. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 22, 2023
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Magnificent Warriors (1987) |
"Magnificent Warriors" is a damn good time and, for those who grew up on American action cinema in the ‘80s/’90s, a reminder of exactly what we were missing with all the machismo that dominated our film and television. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
... "Quantumania" is a stellar time. ... some truly trippy sequences, some genuine excitement, and the characteristic laughs the "Ant-Man" films offer, and "Quantumania" is a strong start to Phase 5. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 15, 2023
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A Woman Kills (1968) |
Even if elements of the film don’t jive with today’s cultural ideas, being able to look back on stories made decades ago allows audiences to see how concepts of sex, murder, social responsibility, & authoritarianism are identical to and dissimilar to now. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 07, 2023
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Sweetheart Deal (2022) |
What they ended up chronicling is the stuff of nightmares, confirming that anyone — regardless of social status — is just one bad day away from making life-altering choices and that wolves so often look like sheep. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Feb 01, 2023
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The Grandmaster of Kung Fu (2019) |
This quick 75-minute martial arts drama takes inspiration from several moments in Huo’s life to tell a narrow story, but, in doing so, comes off like it’s borrowing from better stories that are far more exciting in their deliveries. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 31, 2023
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American Murderer (2022) |
... is almost entirely cast in shadow, living in that space where no one, not even the audience, can truly trust what we see, hear, or think about Brown and the circumstances he found himself in. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 30, 2023
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Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out (2023) |
... a family tale whose romantic elements dovetail neatly into the larger tale of love and personal acceptance through interstellar wonder. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 27, 2023
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Violent Night (2022) |
"Violent Night" is as-advertised. It’s more vicious than one might expect from this action comedy, but it starts at a high-level of foulness when Santa upchucks on someone and just continues on from there. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 26, 2023
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Fantastic Machine (2023) |
One can always take a photo, but they can’t control anymore how it will be used or the story that is created with it. It’s truly a fantastic machine, but in the hands of the nefarious, it can be devastating, too. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 24, 2023
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Men at Work (1990) |
It may not be as funny as it once was, but it reminds fans of Estevez, Sheen, and David that these actors were some of the best at the time. Thankfully, there is current evidence of at least Estevez and David that this remains to be true. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 24, 2023
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My Animal (2023) |
... a gut-wrenching horror tale led by a riveting performance from Bobbi Salvör Menuez ("Under the Silver Lake") that takes all the strain of isolation born of multiple traumas and dares the audience not to look away. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 23, 2023
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Groundhog Day (1993) |
As home releases and re-releases start to fall into a bit of an endless cycle, it makes a weird bit of sense that Groundhog Day would lack a certain excitement and feel like more of what we’ve seen, yet still bring about a little bit of joy. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 20, 2023
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New Gods: Yang Jian (2022) |
... returning director Zhao Ji invites audiences to go on a journey through the immortal realm, bearing witness to the awesome might of several legendary warriors in a film that evokes the more traditional flourishes of wuxia tales. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 19, 2023
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Kids vs. Aliens (2022) |
... "Kids vs. Aliens" hits that nostalgic sweet spot of being young and finding something broadcasting late at night that you likely shouldn’t be watching and yet can’t turn it off. It’s wild and rebellious, though not as gnarly as one may hope. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 18, 2023
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The Menu (2022) |
.... "The Menu" is a delicious treat from appetizer to dessert, balancing the sweet and savory to offer a unique experience that ultimately reminds audiences not to f*** with the people who serve you. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 17, 2023
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Beautiful Beings (2022) |
"Beautiful Beings" breaks our heart as much as it uplifts us, the weight of adulthood almost too much to bear for these little men and their newfound witnesses. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 10, 2023
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Dragons Forever (1988) |
... the action romantic comedy "Fei lung mang jeung," more commonly known as "Dragons Forever," is a strong note to go out on, offering brilliant stunt work and hilarious comedy that holds up as strongly in 2023 as it did in ’88. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 09, 2023
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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989) |
... "Munchausen" explores the end of a man’s life, asking questions about whether truth matters more than imagination and why impossibility over reason allows for a fuller life. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 05, 2023
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Strange World (2022) |
... for audiences willing to give "Strange World" a chance, the surprise of the film enriches the entire experience, drawing the daring and inquisitive to look deeper, think bigger, and, just maybe, reconsider their place in the larger world. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 03, 2023
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Black Adam (2022) |
... it’s so intent on creating literal blockbusting action sequences that all of the good stuff gets lost in the rubble. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Jan 02, 2023
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Întregalde (2021) |
... "Întregalde" seeks to imbed the audience with the interpersonal conflict which drives the film. The issue is that, despite a clear desire to convey a sense of caring, of humanity, there’s no tension present to push the point through. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 30, 2022
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Highlander (1986) |
The film is a little sad, a little comic, a little horrific, and a little sexy and, now, it’s out on home video for the first time in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision and a bevy of bonus features. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 21, 2022
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The Story of Film: A New Generation (2022) |
Sometimes [the structure] means jumping in time or location, but each leap from genre, from country, from time, leads to a greater understanding of cinema as a whole. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 20, 2022
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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) |
Amid war civil and interpersonal, there is no warning for when our time has come; sometimes all we can do is hope for the best and make our best guess at what to do. It’s a somber notion; one that permeates the film and the audience upon completion. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 19, 2022
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Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) |
... a story of finding one’s family, of believing in one’s self, and never settling for the ways things are when they could be so much more. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 15, 2022
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Medusa (2021) |
By all accounts, "Medusa" should be a tonal mess, yet it compels its audience to lean in, listen, and contemplate the seething rage that permeates its every frame. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 13, 2022
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
... a classic child’s tale that isn’t afraid to bear its teeth toward the follies of humanity in its quest to open and uplift hearts. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 08, 2022
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Eternal Spring (2022) |
The final mixed-media project is thrilling, mesmerizing, and heartbreaking as Daxiong brings the audience through an incredible journey of human resilience in the face of insurmountable circumstances. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 07, 2022
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Pulp Fiction (1994) |
The dialogue is sharp, the performances immaculate, and the twists continually surprising. There’s much about the film that stands the test of time. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 06, 2022
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Amsterdam (2022) |
It looks beautiful and Daniel Pemberton ("Motherless Brooklyn"/"The Bad Guys") provides another great score, but it’s all set dressing on a film one never really connects with in a meaning way. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 05, 2022
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Food and Romance (2022) |
Appelin’s approach follows the cookie cutter path blazed many times over while throwing in surprises that’ll keep audiences engaged from appetizer to the final course. - Elements of Madness
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| Posted Dec 02, 2022
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