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Erika W. Smith
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Family (2018) |
In the end, though, Family is yet another uptight-career-woman-learns-how-to-loosen-up story-with some added Juggalos. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 19, 2019
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Mary Queen of Scots (2018) |
But I wish the cast, costume director, and hair and makeup team had a better story to work with. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Dec 07, 2018
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Vox Lux (2018) |
Vox Lux is no Black Swan. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Dec 07, 2018
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Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) |
McCarthy proves she can do dark comedy and drama just as well as she does slapstick. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Oct 19, 2018
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Colette (2018) |
[Colette and Missy's] sweet, supportive romance is a highlight here. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Sep 20, 2018
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Lizzie (2018) |
The first half of Lizzie is, for the most part, strong. Macneill successfully builds tension slowly. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Sep 14, 2018
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BlacKkKlansman (2018) |
The movie is smart, funny, and insightful. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Aug 10, 2018
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Skate Kitchen (2018) |
Although Vinberg is a talented actor, several of the supporting characters hint at stories that would be far more interesting than the familiar "naive teenager moves to New York City" narrative. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Aug 10, 2018
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Madeline's Madeline (2018) |
The acting here is strong, particularly from Helena Howard-it's hard to believe this is her debut. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Aug 10, 2018
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The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) |
Moretz gives a strong performance and Ehle makes for a frightening villain. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Aug 03, 2018
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Three Identical Strangers (2018) |
Beneath the heartwarming story is another, much more disturbing, one. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jun 29, 2018
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Boundaries (2018) |
Comedies about mental illness that are funny, creative, and take mental health seriously do exist... but Boundaries is not one of them. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jun 25, 2018
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Ibiza (2018) |
If you don't think too hard about the plot, you'll end up laughing plenty - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 29, 2018
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The Seagull (2018) |
An unnecessary flash-forward makes the pace drag, but overall, this is a well-done adaptation of a classic play. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 11, 2018
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Tully (2018) |
Though the ending is a little heavy-handed, Diablo Cody's smart, funny dialogue makes Tully an enjoyable watch even when it's uncomfortable, and Charlize Theron gives a strong performance as an exhausted, burnt-out mom. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 03, 2018
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Mary Shelley (2017) |
The costumes and cinematography make the movie visually romantic, and hopefully the movie will cause more people to seek out Mary Shelley's work. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 01, 2018
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Roll Red Roll (2018) |
Roll Red Roll is often hard to watch, but [director Nancy] Schwartzman handles the subject matter with respect, grace, insight, and even hope. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Apr 29, 2018
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Untogether (2018) |
If Andrea and Tara had dumped their love interests early and Forrest had spent the rest of the movie exploring the sisters' relationship, I'd have loved Untogether. But unfortunately, that's not the movie this is. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 27, 2018
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Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie (2018) |
But Tiny Shoulders keeps criticism of Barbie at a minimum-so much so that I was expecting a "sponsored by Mattel" line in the credits. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 27, 2018
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Disobedience (2017) |
Like director's Sebastián Lelio's recent movie A Fantastic Woman, Disobedience is a nuanced study of grief, with Ronit's mourning taking just as much a focus as her and Esti's slow-burning romance. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 26, 2018
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Duck Butter (2018) |
Duck Butter gets props for its creative story, for its queer women-centered storyline (with Mae Whitman, Hong Chau, and Kate Berlant in supporting roles). But ultimately, Duck Butter a just-okay sex comedy. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 26, 2018
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Love, Gilda (2018) |
Love, Gilda is a celebration of Radner's life and career that will be beloved by her fans, and make fans out of those who will be introduced to her work through this documentary. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Apr 25, 2018
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Little Woods (2018) |
Little Woods is the first feature from [Nia] DaCosta, who should have a long career ahead of her. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Apr 25, 2018
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A Quiet Place (2018) |
This means that the experience of watching the movie is extremely tense-any loud footstep, any accidentally knocked-over object could mean almost-instant death for the characters. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Apr 13, 2018
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Chappaquiddick (2017) |
Chappaquiddick succeeds in showing the dark side of the political machinery behind the Kennedys, but there has to be a way to do that and give more value to Mary Jo's life than the Kennedys did. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 05, 2018
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Lean on Pete (2017) |
It's hard to watch Lean On Pete without thinking of how different this story would be if Charley were a young woman or a person of color... Still, it's rare to see this type of poverty portrayed onscreen, and Lean On Pete does so effectively... - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 03, 2018
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Mankiller (2017) |
If you don't know much about activist Wilma Mankiller, now's the time to change that. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Mar 12, 2018
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Half Magic (2018) |
Half Magic's dialogue can sometimes be heavy-handed, but its over-the-top nature helps make the movie fun. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Feb 22, 2018
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Annihilation (2018) |
Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson especially stand out, and though they get a decent amount of screentime, I wanted even more. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Feb 22, 2018
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The Boy Downstairs (2017) |
It's an interesting take on a romance plot, but while Ben is definitely cute, he and Diana have no real chemistry - I didn't particularly care why they broke up or if they'd get back together, which meant that the story as a whole didn't hold my interest. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Feb 01, 2018
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Please Stand By (2017) |
Though Star Trek fans might enjoy the references, Please Stand By fails mainly because it doesn't depict Wendy's autism with any realism or nuance. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jan 31, 2018
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In the Fade (2017) |
Kruger gives a devastating performance as a woman torn apart by grief and rage. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Dec 21, 2017
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Call Me by Your Name (2017) |
... it's a beautiful coming-of-age story that hasn't been told before. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Dec 14, 2017
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I, Tonya (2017) |
... puts a powerful, post-Monica-Lewinsky-TED-Talk spin on the concept of public shaming. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Dec 08, 2017
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) |
McDormand stands out in a sea of stellar performances-more than anything else, Three Billboards is a reminder that she should be starring in movies at least as regularly as Meryl Streep. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Nov 28, 2017
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Novitiate (2017) |
It's hard to imagine a film that more thoroughly passes the Bechdel Test than Novitiate, a period drama about nuns coming to terms with the changes Vatican II brought to the Catholic Church in the 1960s. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Oct 27, 2017
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Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017) |
... The Center Will Not Hold is well worth watching, both for Didion fans and for those who want an introduction to her work and her writing. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Oct 27, 2017
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Faces Places (2017) |
Faces Places is a celebration of Varda for fans of her work, and a strong introduction for those who haven't yet watched her films. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Oct 06, 2017
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Dolores (2017) |
Dolores argues that Huerta should have a much bigger place in American history - here's hoping that this documentary can help make that happen. - Bust Magazine
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| Posted Sep 01, 2017
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Bare (2015) |
Though you'll recognize familiar tropes, [Natalia] Leite's direction and Dianna Agron's performance mean that Bare is interesting in a way that feels new. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Aug 11, 2017
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From the Land of the Moon (2016) |
Director Nicole Garcia creates a romantic drama that at times falls back on clichés, but also covers new ground with a love-it-or-hate-it unexpected ending. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jul 28, 2017
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The Incredible Jessica James (2017) |
The Incredible Jessica James isn't reinventing the rom-com, but it doesn't need to. It's sweet, smart, and funny, and makes me want to see Jessica Williams star in all of the things. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jul 28, 2017
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Atomic Blonde (2017) |
Having a female action star isn't enough to make a film feminist, and like so many other action films, Atomic Blonde falls short in how it portrays women, and how it portrays same-sex relationships. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jul 28, 2017
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Landline (2017) |
Jenny Slate's performance is fantastic, as are Edie Falco's, Abby Quinn's, and the rest of the cast. Make sure to bring a lot of Kleenex to this one. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jul 24, 2017
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The Big Sick (2017) |
Tore than a love story, this is a story about Kumail's relationship with two sets of parents, his own and Emily's -- and both are full of conflicts that range from hilarious to frustrating to incredibly sweet. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jun 22, 2017
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Megan Leavey (2017) |
Cowperthwaite isn't doing anything particularly original with this film, but dog lovers will find it an enjoyable watch. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Jun 09, 2017
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Everything, Everything (2017) |
If you love romantic dramas, or YA novels, or Amandla Stenberg, or visually creative films, then see this movie. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 24, 2017
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Paint It Black (2016) |
Tamblyn has a unique perspective as a director, and we're excited to see what she creates next. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 24, 2017
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Manifesto (2015) |
Some scenes are visually beautiful, and Blanchett is of course brilliant, but unless you're deep into art theory or a Cate Blanchett completist, I'd advise rewatching Elizabeth, or I'm Not There, or both, instead. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted May 12, 2017
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Beauty and the Beast (2017) |
I enjoyed the remake but it definitely has its flaws, and nothing beats the original movie. Additionally, the remake worked for me because I grew up with the original and it was hitting the nostalgia feels HARD. - Bust Magazine
Read More
| Posted Apr 06, 2017
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