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Julian Roman
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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All of Us Strangers (2023) |
All of Us Strangers sublimely addresses honest truths long hidden in the shadows. Death's cruel finality leaves a gaping void in the lives of those left behind. Your heart will soar and break in a powerfully emotional journey of devastating loss. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 24, 2023
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Inspector Sun (2022) |
Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow is a wildly creative, creepy-crawly whodunit with slick CGI animation and big laughs. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 22, 2023
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The Inventor (2023) |
The Inventor is a brilliantly artistic stop-motion and 2D animated film. The lesson here is what Leonardo da Vinci inspired for the ages, a tremendous contribution to art, science, and humanity's benevolence. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 18, 2023
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Dumb Money (2023) |
Dumb Money is a raunchy, hilarious, and surprisingly emotional rollercoaster of sweet comeuppance. The film brilliantly contrasts the lavish lifestyles of the 1% with those struggling to survive during a deadly crisis. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 12, 2023
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A Haunting in Venice (2023) |
Kenneth Branagh's third outing as Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is a captivating murder mystery with bona fide horror scares. A Haunting in Venice will send shivers down your spine with devilish plot twists. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 12, 2023
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Freedom's Path (2022) |
Freedom's Path treads into melodrama as characters stay rigidly defined to support the narrative's agenda. That said, its powerful themes and unvarnished truth lessens the flaws for a worthwhile viewing experience. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 11, 2023
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Scrapper (2023) |
Scrapper will tickle your funny bone and tug heartstrings with a beautiful story about finding belonging. Newcomer Lola Campbell lights up the screen in an audacious debut performance. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 07, 2023
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The Dive (2023) |
The Dive is a harrowing, real-time thriller that guarantees this author will never set foot in scuba gear. The drama does run a little thick, but the life or death scenario keeps you gasping for air until the credits. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Sep 04, 2023
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The Equalizer 3 (2023) |
Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington orchestrate a symphony of masterful violence in the summer's best action film. The Equalizer 3 brings bloody vengeance to Italy's beautiful Amalfi Coast. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 30, 2023
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Retribution (2023) |
Retribution has reasonable tension and is capably acted, but the overall experience feels like a tired retread. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 28, 2023
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Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story (2023) |
Gran Turismo inspires and works on an emotional level, but kicks exhaust as a thrilling sports adventure. The superbly shot, realistic racing scenes will have audiences gripping their chairs in white-knuckle excitement. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 24, 2023
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The Adults (2023) |
The Adults tries your patience as relatable but unlikable characters engage in strange behavior with annoying song and dance routines. To say this gets old and irritating quickly is an understatement. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 21, 2023
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Strays (2023) |
Strays will have audiences rolling in the aisles with its unabashed embrace of raunchy humor. The naughty script cleverly tackles themes of animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 17, 2023
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Blue Beetle (2023) |
The DC Universe gets a much-needed Latino infusion with a superhero origin story based on the importance of family. Blue Beetle breaks the comic book adaptation mold by giving a young Mexican protagonist the blockbuster popcorn cinema treatment. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 16, 2023
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Golda (2023) |
Helen Mirren astounds as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in a tense dramatization of the Yom Kippur War. The film juxtaposes her debilitating cancer treatments with the fortitude to make life and death decisions under extraordinary circumstances. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 16, 2023
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The Pod Generation (2023) |
The Pod Generation satirically addresses our dependence on technology, the definition of female empowerment, and humanity's loss of connection to nature. There's never any real moments of angst or tension. The film treads into lukewarm territory. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 13, 2023
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Jules (2023) |
Ben Kingsley shines in a heartwarming sci-fi comedy about a truly unusual friendship. Jules is a sweet and gentle summer escape. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 13, 2023
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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) |
The Last Voyage of the Demeter had the base elements to be terrifying. What we get is a painfully slow slog through tired genre tropes. The characters don't have an ounce of self-preservation or rationality. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 11, 2023
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Brother (2022) |
The bonds that hold a family together are tested as tragedy rattles a strong foundation. Brother breathes depth and nuance into absorbing characters. Their love for each other resonates as outside forces pull them apart in a heartbreaking narrative. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 09, 2023
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What Comes Around (2022) |
What Comes Around will send shivers down the spine of every parent. It's the worst case scenario for children's social media interactions. The plot thickens to mud with a bombshell reveal. The sensational twist is a bridge too far. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 07, 2023
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Mob Land (2023) |
Mob Land aims to be a gritty crime thriller and social commentary on the ravages of the opioid epidemic. It does neither well in a convoluted plot with an ensemble cast of Hollywood veterans sporting Southern twangs. None of the characters are believable. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 07, 2023
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Meg 2: The Trench (2023) |
Meg 2: The Trench brings other hungry Cretaceous critters to the human buffet. The shark sequel revels in monster tropes and gloriously overblown action. You'll cheer and roar with laughter at the popcorn cinema carnage. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 04, 2023
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Stephen Curry: Underrated (2023) |
Underrated is a captivating and inspirational look at what it takes to be the best. You don't have to be a basketball fan to admire Stephen Curry's amazing journey. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Aug 01, 2023
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War Pony (2022) |
War Pony is a desperate journey through the perils of poverty, crime, and exploitation. The lack of opportunities in a gritty environment forces difficult choices. You will be shocked and saddened with a slice of life drama that pulls no punches. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 31, 2023
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Susie Searches (2022) |
Susie Searches is a dark comedy and borderline sinister thriller on the trappings of social media fixation. The need for belonging and a desperate desire for fame leads a seemingly sympathetic protagonist down a troubling path. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 31, 2023
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a refreshing new take on beloved characters. The film looks absolutely incredible with stunning animation and killer action scenes. The turtles experience growing pains in a world that fears them. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 27, 2023
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Haunted Mansion (2023) |
Haunted Mansion captures the spooky fun of the theme park ride with a gaggle of family-friendly humor. LaKeith Stanfield leads an all-star cast on a paranormal adventure loaded with banner visual effects. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 26, 2023
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Oppenheimer (2023) |
Christopher Nolan explores the life, controversial legacy, and significant scientific contributions of J. Robert Oppenheimer in a tense, superbly-acted biopic. It is a masterclass in character development and film editing. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 19, 2023
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Barbie (2023) |
Greta Gerwig's pink-hued film adaptation of the eponymous, billion-selling toy line is a brilliant satire that thoughtfully explores relationship dynamics. It's also knockdown funny with heart, epic dance numbers, and gleefully torches patriarchal norms. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 19, 2023
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Lakota Nation vs. United States (2022) |
Lakota Nation vs. United States is a reckoning of systematic genocide and the fight for sacred territory. It is a vital history lesson you were never taught in school. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 19, 2023
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Two Tickets to Greece (2022) |
Two Tickets to Greece reminds that getting your groove back is never easy. Life invariably hurts, rejects, and disappoints in the most cruel ways. Sometimes we need help to get out of our comfort zones and find a new path to happiness. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 14, 2023
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The Deepest Breath (2023) |
The Deepest Breath tells a spellbinding true story of victory and heartbreaking tragedy underneath dark seas. The drive to greatness requires indomitable spirit and relentless commitment, but that journey is rarely taken alone. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 12, 2023
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The League (2023) |
Director Sam Pollard gives forgotten Black baseball players their long overdue recognition. The League is a breathtaking retrospective of our national pastime through the awful injustice of segregation. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 10, 2023
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The Lesson (2023) |
The Lesson simmers with palpable tension and an eerie sense of foreboding. Taut performances from a distinguished cast are accompanied by a fantastic score. Director Alice Troughton is brilliant in her feature directorial debut. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 08, 2023
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Joy Ride (2023) |
Joy Ride gives an Asian female perspective to the sex-fueled, drugs-snorting, and boozy antics usually seen in juvenile frat boy comedies. The gross-out gags intermingle with a heartfelt narrative about finding belonging in friends and family. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 08, 2023
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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) |
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One doesn't reach the helicopter-swerving heights of the superb last installment. But Tom Cruise is a guaranteed commodity in delivering blockbuster popcorn cinema. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jul 05, 2023
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Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) |
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken delights with a clever take on the trials and tribulations of growing up. The film delivers a sweet girl power message with vivid animation that the entire family will enjoy. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 30, 2023
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Confidential Informant (2023) |
Confidential Informant doesn't craft a compelling narrative to support its cause. Shoddy camera work, murky lighting, and a grating score hinder what could have been impactful. A puzzling climax also makes little sense after a long build up. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 30, 2023
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Nimona (2023) |
Nimona uses a hilarious narrative and compelling characters to teach a valuable lesson. A beautiful tale of acceptance and understanding over fear, racism, and xenophobia arrives at the perfect time for our divided society. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 28, 2023
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No Hard Feelings (2023) |
Jennifer Lawrence gets hilariously raunchy in a sweet-natured sex comedy with surprisingly relevant themes. No Hard Feelings doesn't hold back from the risqué. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 22, 2023
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Stan Lee (2023) |
Stan Lee narrates his own amazing life story in a fun and creatively produced documentary that purposely skirts controversy. Director David Gelb celebrates the 100th anniversary of Lee's birth with a breezy retrospective of an extraordinary man. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 22, 2023
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Surrounded (2023) |
Surrounded addresses racial and gender inequality with a fusillade of bullets. Sublime cinematography and rich character development adds texture to a narrative that runs thin but never fails to be engaging. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 19, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny fades into the sunset as a bloated greatest hits spectacle. Classic sidekicks make an appearance but play second fiddle to a wild goddaughter and her pint-sized accomplice. There's no originality to a rote narrative. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 19, 2023
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Asteroid City (2023) |
Wes Anderson delivers his most abstract cinematic endeavor yet. Asteroid City is a lot to digest and puzzling at times, but boldly creative and loaded with good humor. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 16, 2023
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Elemental (2023) |
Opposites attract as a temperamental fire and weepy water find forbidden romance in a city segregated by physical composition. Elemental tickles the funny bone and tugs heartstrings with a lighthearted delivery. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 14, 2023
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Eric LaRue (2023) |
Eric LaRue is a wildly uneven exploration of a horrific tragedy's aftermath. Superb lead performances from Judy Greer and an unrecognizable Alexander Skarsgård are marred by a questionable focus on religious extremism. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 12, 2023
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Dalíland (2022) |
Dalíland takes a peek into the zoo approach that offers no real insight to a creative genius. That's disappointing given the luminous eccentricity of its subject. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 12, 2023
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Persian Lessons (2020) |
Persian Lessons tells a harrowing story of deception and survival under the most horrific circumstances. Humanity's worst instincts are vividly displayed in a bleak setting fueled by antisemitic hatred. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 12, 2023
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The Flash (2023) |
Ezra Miller saves the Snyderverse in a stunning superhero adaptation that gloriously lives up to the hype. The Flash is the DC film that fans have been aching to see. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 06, 2023
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) |
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts continues the better narrative footing established by Bumblebee. The sequel of sorts again reshapes the franchise with an action-packed, throwback adventure loaded with exciting new characters. - MovieWeb
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| Posted Jun 06, 2023
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