Katherine McLaughlin
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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The Boogeyman (2023) |
While The Boogeyman takes the emotions at the core of the film seriously, it isn’t afraid to use humour and shift tones when necessary. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jun 01, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
Ford is of course wonderful as Indy, getting some decent quips and grumpy lines, and his dynamic with Waller-Bridge is amusingly adversarial. - SciFiNow
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| Posted May 25, 2023
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Suzume (2022) |
With Suzume, Shinkai has crafted another fantastic adventure through big emotions and major issues that whizzes along at a fast pace while also tugging at the heartstrings. Bring tissues! - SciFiNow
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| Posted Apr 13, 2023
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) |
The screenplay doesn’t skimp on character building, blends genres in surprising and subversive ways, and also gives its incredible ensemble cast plenty of room to show off their comedy and action chops. It’s a whole lotta fun! - SciFiNow
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| Posted Mar 29, 2023
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Pearl (2022) |
Goth’s powerhouse performance is shot through with both a mischievous and desperately sad giddiness that never lets up. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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Scream VI (2023) |
Sneaking suspicion is all part of the charm of the Scream films, and writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick have a ball putting the audience off the scent with red herrings, tongue-in-cheek humour and overly dubious characters. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Mar 08, 2023
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Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) |
Ultimately, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, hits home in its comical and tender handling of collective grief and hope; something we can all relate to in the aftermath of a global lockdown. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Feb 16, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin (2023) |
Mostly set in one location, the film is a claustrophobic nail-biter that tackles themes of faith, love and sacrifice. The exquisitely game cast turn in performances that amp up an ambience of dread and panic. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Feb 02, 2023
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Nanny (2022) |
Nanny is a mesmerising and compelling piece of filmmaking, that holds attention, however it comes somewhat undone with a brief reveal in its final third that doesn’t entirely do the film emotional justice. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Dec 16, 2022
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Violent Night (2022) |
There's a little more to the film than expected, as it goes its own way in terms of mythology, but it all wraps up a bit too neatly and is somewhat formulaic. Still, there's lots of jolly fun along the way. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Dec 01, 2022
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Bones and All (2022) |
Bones And All is an exhilaratingly daring depiction of what independence and freedom means to the disenfranchised, and it’s all shot through with potent visual poetry, dark humour and tacit social commentary. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Nov 29, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Single tears or floods of sobs performed by a clearly deeply affected cast are shown in close-up to convey pain and sorrow in such a raw manner that it’s difficult not to get invested in this epic and often breathtakingly arresting adventure. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
Once again Guillermo del Toro has delivered a provocative, exquisitely crafted and timeless piece of filmmaking, that compellingly speaks to modern fears and anxieties. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Oct 20, 2022
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The Wonder (2022) |
The Wonder grows in power as it tenderly unfolds the complex worlds, wounds and stories inside its characters with captivating insight. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Oct 13, 2022
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White Noise (2022) |
The thriller elements in the final third may not possess the same elegance but for the most part, White Noise is a dazzling and gloriously surreal cinematic experience, packed with acute tension, memorable performances and pitch-black humour. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Oct 13, 2022
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Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022) |
Though the film may run a bit too long for little ones... it does manage to maintain its momentum thanks to the particularly game cast belting out tunes and in the darker moments the inspired CGI wizardry really sings and rousingly speaks to modern times. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Oct 06, 2022
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Don't Worry Darling (2022) |
Wilde’s ability to whip up an ambience of terror and paranoia serves the film well even if it’s frustratingly rote in the point that it’s making. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Sep 24, 2022
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Crimes of the Future (2022) |
Crimes of the Future is quintessential Cronenberg; a sensual and disturbingly fascinating fever dream that re-evaluates the intersection of flesh and technology, and pain and pleasure, with a masterful and provocative eye. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Sep 16, 2022
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Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) |
Reijn’s finely orchestrated ambience of frenzy and tension is a blast to watch, and the game performances, particularly from the young ensemble cast of female actors as they savagely jump at each other’s throats, deliciously ups the ante. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Sep 08, 2022
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After Yang (2021) |
It’s all profoundly moving. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Aug 25, 2022
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Orphan: First Kill (2022) |
The credibility of Fuhrman actually pulling off being a child is somewhat reduced, and the dull direction from William Brent Bell is no match for the original. Yet there’s still some fun to be had with the enjoyably trashy premise and a game cast. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Aug 18, 2022
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Bergman Island (2021) |
The multi-layered screenplay cannily picks apart the creative process and relationships while paying invigorating tribute to female filmmakers. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Aug 11, 2022
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Brian and Charles (2022) |
A warm hug of a movie to those who love a bit of quirk in their comedy. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jul 07, 2022
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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) |
A highly entertaining MCU entry, charged with cheeky sexual innuendo, silly comedy and cameos that may make you guffaw or cringe. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jul 06, 2022
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The Black Phone (2021) |
It admirably rallies against the notion of childhood nostalgia to pay tribute to the resilience of kids, yet the slight screenplay hits a familiar and repetitive rhythm. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jul 05, 2022
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Hatching (2022) |
This is a brutal and elegantly crafted first feature from Bergholm who toys with multiple genres in exciting and unexpected ways. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jun 13, 2022
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Red Rocket (2021) |
Baker has crafted another masterpiece full of searing highs, black humour and comical hijinks, with a lot to say about the modern world and politics. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Jun 10, 2022
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Marry Me (2022) |
Director Kat Coiro does wonders in the concert moments, making you feel like you’re in the room. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Jun 10, 2022
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The Innocents (2021) |
The entire film picks apart a child’s understanding of the world with subtlety, menacing intensity and an intelligence that gets deep under the skin. - SciFiNow
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| Posted May 19, 2022
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Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) |
Hsu and Yeoh’s scenes together switch effortlessly between comically violent and deeply emotional as they eventually discover connection in the strangest of places and in the most surprising forms. - SciFiNow
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| Posted May 11, 2022
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A Banquet (2021) |
A feast for the senses and a promising debut. - Little White Lies
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| Posted Mar 10, 2022
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The Batman (2022) |
The capable cast all inhabit their roles with panache, but some of the film's potency is lost with certain unconvincing narrative twists and a few characters who feel stale. - The List
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| Posted Mar 04, 2022
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The Souvenir Part II (2021) |
An insightful and exquisitely crafted piece of filmmaking. - The List
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| Posted Feb 04, 2022
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Memory Box (2021) |
It's a film that deals in the ephemeral and contains the same compassion, curiosity and joyful invention found in Varda's body of work. - Sight & Sound
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| Posted Jan 20, 2022
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Nightmare Alley (2021) |
Behind the thick, smoky cinematography by Dan Laustsen and the fiery symbolism in which truth is repeatedly burnt to ashes, lies a visceral, rage-filled gut-punch of a picture. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jan 20, 2022
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Encanto (2021) |
The dazzling craftsmanship on display in every aspect of the film...makes Encanto a feel-good hit that delivers a hefty emotional wallop when you least expect it. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Jan 14, 2022
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Scream (2022) |
Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett whip up a tense and delightfully wired ambiance, delivering a gleefully violent slasher and the best Scream film since the original. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Jan 13, 2022
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Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) |
For the kids who grew up with all the different incarnations of the superhero on the big screen and are now teenagers themselves, Spider-Man: No Way Home offers treats galore... that goes for the big kids too. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Dec 17, 2021
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Lamb (2021) |
This tenderly crafted and darkly funny depiction of humanity and nature living side by side is both pertinent and timeless as it viscerally paws at the primeval chaos of existence. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Dec 09, 2021
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Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) |
You may find yourself on the edge of your seat for all the wrong reasons at points, but mostly this is an enjoyably amusing family film... - SciFiNow
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| Posted Nov 10, 2021
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Dune (2021) |
The worldbuilding is majestic as is the score by Hans Zimmer. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Oct 22, 2021
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Flee (2021) |
This exquisitely crafted animation based on a refugee's tale is tense, unpredictable and profoundly moving. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Oct 19, 2021
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Petite Maman (2021) |
Petite Maman deals with grief and memory by waving a fond farewell to childhood innocence, the people you love and the person you once were with radiant charm. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Oct 19, 2021
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Titane (2021) |
A modern ride or die love story that fully delivers on its meaty concept. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Oct 14, 2021
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Candyman (2021) |
The way it reframes the original story to reflect on the horrors of the past and a relentless cycle of violence is compelling and provocative. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Sep 02, 2021
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The Night House (2020) |
It's a disquieting experience, but some of the cheap twists rob it of the gravitas deserved for the complex themes it investigates. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Aug 19, 2021
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The Night House (2020) |
Suspenseful, if occasionally ridiculous viewing. - The List
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| Posted Aug 19, 2021
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Pig (2021) |
Pig plays out like a modern western, with just a pinch of Pixar's Ratatouille adding a few more tender notes. - The List
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| Posted Aug 18, 2021
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Wildland (2020) |
A chilling portrait of twisted family loyalty, told from the perspective of a young woman caught up in grief, trauma and desperation. - Sight & Sound
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| Posted Aug 16, 2021
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Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021) |
A G.I. Joe spin-off film that seems more interested in teasing a sequel than in actually telling an imaginative origin story. - SciFiNow
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| Posted Aug 16, 2021
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