Jeffrey M. Anderson
Tomatometer-approved critic
The Passion of Joan of Arc, Sherlock Jr., Chimes at Midnight, Rio Bravo, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Cat People, Dead Ringers, Modern Times, Life and Nothing More, Eyes Wide Shut, Late Spring, Detour
San Francisco
http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Creed III (2023) |
It's a powerhouse film whose hardest blows take place outside the ring. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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The Woman King (2022) |
If it had been a story about white people, it would have been a snore. But we have rarely, if ever, seen a movie quite like this one about powerful Black women, and the energy onscreen is infectious. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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How Do You Measure a Year? (2021) |
Wonderfully simple, yet ambitious, and sweetly touching. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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65 (2023) |
While this sci-fi/dinosaur movie is competently made, it really only has one good idea, and it doesn't do much with it. The rest is generic, familiar, and fails to generate much suspense or emotion. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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The Ritual Killer (2023) |
Muddled, vaguely irritating, and somewhat offensive, this un-thrilling thriller moves lifelessly through through its story and has a bizarre head-scratcher of an ending. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Scream VI (2023) |
While this slasher sequel is bogged down by complicated lore and is far more brutal than it is actually scary, the strong characters and an effective mystery come together to make it a cut above. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Children of the Corn (2023) |
Without a doubt one of the two or three absolute worst Stephen King movie adaptations, this reboot is so awful on every level that you probably won't even believe what you're seeing. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023) |
Thoroughly superficial, Guy Ritchie's globetrotting action/adventure is nonetheless consistently swift and light, and the fun that the cast seems to be having on-screen is contagious. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Plastic Earth (2023) |
Overly busy, this documentary still undeniably provides plenty of fresh information on a pressing environmental problem, and the filmmakers have certainly done their legwork. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Righteous Thieves (2023) |
What could have been a pretty solid heist story is thwarted by budgetary shortcomings, bits of awkward or confusing writing, and draggy direction that makes things feel like they're taking too long. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Ambush (2023) |
Despite a creaky plot setup and a small budget, this Vietnam War story delivers commentary on the hypocrisy of war while still respecting the people who risk their lives to fight. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2023
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Cocaine Bear (2023) |
'Cocaine Bear' is the feature directing debut of Elizabeth Banks, and it seems to pulse with her sharp, wicked sense of humor. It goes for the throat, but it has shape, and it has characters that make us want to keep paying attention. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Feb 25, 2023
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Marlowe (2022) |
While the mystery here may disappoint Raymond Chandler fans, the rest of this well-crafted detective movie enthralls with its stylish, sordid underworld and fresh take on a classic character. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) |
After the subversive idea of turning beloved children's book characters into brutal killers wears off, all that's left in this low-budget horror movie are boring cliches and frustrating characters. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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The Weapon (2023) |
Incoherent, abysmally acted, and bafflingly edited, this generic action movie is frustrating on many levels. But its cynicism --both toward its characters and the viewers -- is the worst thing about it. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' is certainly likable. It has laughs, astonishing visuals, and a terrifying villain. But it also has some little… bugs. There are just a few niggling flaws that bite at you and refuse to let go. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Feb 15, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin (2023) |
M. Night Shyamalan's horror/thriller makes terrific use of its intimate scale and level-headed approach, generating suspense through suggestion and surprising empathy for the characters. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Unexpected (2023) |
Despite likable performances, this dramedy ultimately disappoints, feeling irreparably split between its comedy sequences -- which always feel a bit off -- and its overwrought dramatic bits. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Who Invited Charlie? (2022) |
Following a well-worn formula from start to finish, this comedy nonetheless gains traction not only from embracing COVID-era craziness, but also with its harmonious, lovable performances. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Life Upside Down (2023) |
This COVID-era romantic dramedy experiment with a great cast quickly becomes as inert as lockdown was. It's not terribly funny or terribly emotional, and it winds up not doing or being much of anything. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Little Dixie (2023) |
Although most of this crime drama is so familiar as to be tired, the filmmakers nonetheless take a little extra time to develop a strange, gritty atmosphere that elevates the movie above the average. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Blood (2022) |
This often-brutal horror movie is flawed but offers a fascinating and fresh take on the ages-old vampire tale, with a powerful maternal twist and other modern parallels. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Fear (2023) |
Despite a diverse cast and a nifty location, this soggy, inert horror movie unfolds with a most unimaginative collection of worn-out genre staples, starting with its bland title. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Alone at Night (2022) |
Made in the self-aware, meta-style of the 'Scream' movies, this slasher/whodunit has some wit and vigor, but in the end it's all flash, not dissimilar from the vapid reality show it purports to parody. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Skinamarink (2022) |
A truly unique and absolutely terrifying horror movie, this experimental nightmare doesn't follow standard story structures and isn't for everyone, but those who brave it won't soon forget it. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Detective Knight: Independence (2023) |
The final chapter of the Detective Knight trilogy, this action/thriller has almost nothing to do with the previous two entries, and, despite some ambitious ideas, it's listless and cursory. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 08, 2023
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Condor's Nest (2023) |
Its left-field tone may some viewers off, but others may tune into it and discover a small, potential cult classic. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Feb 01, 2023
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Missing (2023) |
Taking place entirely on computer screens and video monitors, this thriller builds a clever, frantic, and emotional mystery, even if it finds itself stretched a bit too thin as it reaches its climax. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 18, 2023
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Women Talking (2022) |
Not unlike '12 Angry Men,' it's a deceptively simple movie that yields profound results. This time it's the women who are angry, and they have every right to be. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Tár (2022) |
She is as fully-formed a character as Charles Foster Kane, a great and terrible figure that will not be easy to ever forget. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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RRR (2022) |
There are many twists as this beast punches its way through three long hours, but it moves so beautifully and is so frequently astonishing that it's well worth a look. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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No Bears (2022) |
The oppression that Panahi and his characters endure are, thus, not much more than arbitrary fairy tales: "Things are this way because we say so." Panahi is a warrior, continuing to fight against this authoritarian way of thinking. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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EO (2022) |
We human viewers begin to question our relationships with animals, and with EO in particular, to whom we become quite attached. Do we have a mutual love, or a symbiosis, or are we using each other for various reasons? - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) |
Farrell and Gleeson have a great onscreen friction. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Aftersun (2022) |
Wells is masterfully using the cinema form for a powerful, intimate discourse on memory and connection, as profound as Hirokazu Koreeda's 'After Life,' but subtler. It's a beautiful achievement, worthy of many viewings. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Babylon (2022) |
Whatever amazements the movie offers initially are ground down into weariness. It's a chore. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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The Devil Conspiracy (2022) |
This horror/thriller starts with a preposterous idea and runs with it full-steam ahead. The Devil Conspiracy takes itself dead seriously and is burdened with poor filmmaking that's often too dark or too noisy. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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The Price We Pay (2022) |
This genre-switching thriller likely hopes to entertain with its increasingly over-the-top plot turns, but by the time it gets to the good stuff, you'll likely be too frustrated by the dumb stuff. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Door Mouse (2022) |
This low-key neo-noir doesn't go much deeper than its assertion that some people are just monsters, but it has more than enough punk-grunge style and flip attitude to make it consistently interesting. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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M3GAN (2022) |
A combination of sly, funny self-awareness, a genuine sense of human grief and emotional connection, and an unsettlingly creepy-cool killer robot, this fun horror pic hits all the right buttons. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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The Old Way (2023) |
This simple Western ultimately doesn't have terribly much to say, but Cage's hard-as-an-anvil performance, his chemistry with young Armstrong, and some playful dialogue make it worth a look. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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The Pale Blue Eye (2022) |
This period mystery has a few flaws in its logic, but its stellar cast, some good twists, and a crisp, wintry atmosphere add up to a sturdy, bleak film that should pair well with a hot mug of cocoa. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Lullaby (2022) |
Aside from a handful of committed performances and some effective set design, this horror movie is unfortunately all too formulaic, staying right on the surface and hitting many familiar beats. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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The Automat (2021) |
Director Lisa Hurwitz has made an absolute delight of a documentary telling a seemingly non-essential and yet totally essential piece of forgotten history. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Dec 11, 2022
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Don't Worry Darling (2022) |
[It's] a good-looking movie, and it has its moments, but overall, I felt like the "1950s-type-suburbia-are-hiding-something-sinister" theme was just too shopworn. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Dec 11, 2022
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Black Warrant (2022) |
This action movie seems complicated, with lots of characters and relationships all tangled up together, but it's also a confusing mess of loose ends that easily falls to pieces under scrutiny. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Dec 11, 2022
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Detective Knight: Redemption (2022) |
The second movie in Willis' farewell action trilogy features even less of its star player this time, and while the tricks and cheats used to film around him sometimes work, they too often don't. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Dec 11, 2022
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The Whale (2022) |
Like Darren Aronofsky's other movies, this dark drama doesn't shy away from the realities of its main character's situation, but what lingers are its deep wells of compassion. - Common Sense Media
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| Posted Dec 11, 2022
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The Wonder (2022) |
Pugh gives a great performance, but it's young Cassidy who knocks it out of the park with her full-throated, intensely suffering miracle girl. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Dec 05, 2022
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Wendell & Wild (2022) |
Wendell & Wild has an unsettling look, with odd-shaped faces and bodies full of sharp edges and hinges. - Combustible Celluloid
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| Posted Dec 05, 2022
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