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Mara Reinstein
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Scream (2022) |
When you go to the same funhouse five times, you begin to see the cracks in the hall of mirrors. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jan 12, 2022
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Last Night in Soho (2021) |
this audaciously original time-traveling thriller - with a plot too complicated and twisted to explain in a few sentences - wasn't exactly a crowd-pleasing hit. But please do yourselves a favor and stream it soon. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) |
From Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, the Oscar-nominated actresses and screenwriters who brought us Bridesmaids a decade ago, comes a goofy vibe-of-a-movie centering on two middle-aged culottes-lovin' gal pals. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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West Side Story (2021) |
Steven Spielberg's sweeping take on the tragic Romeo and Juliette tale dazzles the senses... - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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The Last Duel (2021) |
A layered, if uneasy watch. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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CODA (2021) |
No theatrics, no gimmicks - just a wonderful coming-of-age gem that aims directly at the heart and hits the bullseye. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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King Richard (2021) |
Featuring a towering performance from Will Smith in the title role, proving that a hero is not necessarily easy to root for. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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Belfast (2021) |
...both grand and intimate, gooey sweet and shockingly violent, life-affirming and cynical. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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House of Gucci (2021) |
It's long and poorly paced and plays too loose with the facts. Oh, well! The bonkers true story that chronicles the unraveling of the Italian fashion empire is also first-class frothy and fun entertainment. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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Don't Look Up (2021) |
Please ignore that instruction - or else you'll miss out on a so-sharp-it-hurts satire that skewers our current state of politics, technology and celebrity culture within the context of an asteroid headed to Earth - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 28, 2021
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Spencer (2021) |
Like the austere artwork in the Sandringham House, the film deserves to be framed and hung on a wall. Admire it, don't embrace it. Maybe that's the point. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 06, 2021
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Black Widow (2021) |
The stakes are nonexistent. No matter how many times a bad guy (or girl) aims a gun at our beloved heroine, we know she has a specific Endgame. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jun 29, 2021
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Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (2021) |
The best coming-of-age movie of 2021 revolves around an introspective L.A. teen who just happens to be a multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning international superstar. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Feb 26, 2021
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The Prom (2020) |
It's a wondrously entertaining and big-hearted musical comedy guaranteed to crowd-please. That is, if crowds were still a thing. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 01, 2020
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On the Rocks (2020) |
The film is so fizzy that by the time the hijinks are over, you're left to look down and realize that there's not much there there. At least Bill Murray and Rashida Jones keep the spirits flowing. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 24, 2020
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Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) |
Happy yet hapless, the comedy is sort of like a high school reunion: Good times in theory, but anticlimactic and disappointing once you actually show up. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Aug 28, 2020
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The King of Staten Island (2020) |
Pete Davidson may as well be waving his heavily inked arm and saying to his fans, "Sorry, kids, there's nothing to see here." - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jun 08, 2020
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Beastie Boys Story (2020) |
Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond are literally front and center in what amounts to be part comedy special, part motivational TED talk and part open-mic Moth storySLAM. They excel at all the above. - Billboard
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| Posted Apr 23, 2020
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The Way Back (2020) |
Ben Affleck is still portraying a version of the Tortured Good Guy with a Past, but he exposes his vulnerabilities in ways that audiences have rarely seen. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Mar 04, 2020
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The Rhythm Section (2020) |
Sticking a gun in the backside of an Islamic radical terrorist and sneering, "Where's the detonator?!" in a British accent just does not play to Blake Lively's skillset. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jan 29, 2020
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Cats (2019) |
I realize "It's not that bad!" won't be used in the Cats advertising campaign, but it is worth noting that the peculiar musical does indeed have merit. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 19, 2019
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Bombshell (2019) |
Ace casting shouldn't distract from the main issue: Unlikely, and in some cases, unlikeable women can change the game. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Dec 11, 2019
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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) |
Tom Hanks' effortless ability to step into Rogers' shoes - er, comfy pair of sneakers - is the big reason this enchanting film will make even ice-veined cynics develop a sudden case of the sniffles. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Nov 20, 2019
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Frozen II (2019) |
Is it as spectacular as the original? No, but let it go. It's still a beautifully designed, sharply written and toe-tapping piece of family entertainment. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Nov 15, 2019
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Last Christmas (2019) |
Turns out that crafting an ultra-charming, multi-threaded, pop music-stuffed, holiday-themed romantic comedy is harder than it looks, actually. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Nov 06, 2019
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The Irishman (2019) |
Instead of flash and brash, Martin Scorsese delivers an effectively moving portrait that focuses on the emotional toll of being atop the mob underworld. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 28, 2019
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Ad Astra (2019) |
The big payoff is the cinematic equivalent of a black hole. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 18, 2019
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Joker (2019) |
This predictable brand of cold-hearted cynicism is not worth your time. Seriously. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 10, 2019
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Hustlers (2019) |
Breaking the rules has never seemed so fun . . . or so necessary. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 08, 2019
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It: Chapter Two (2019) |
Pennywise's evils have a numbing effect. He's capable of blood-curling murder and yet lacks a truly scary bogeyman appeal. You've seen one shape-shifting scam, you've seen them all. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 03, 2019
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Marriage Story (2019) |
A marriage can't be defined by a single emotion. It's an all-consuming force that can lead to euphoric rushes and eat away at your insides, sometimes within moments of each other. Marriage Story perfectly encapsulates these feelings. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Sep 01, 2019
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Judy (2019) |
It's a revelatory biopic with brains, heart and courage. - Billboard
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| Posted Aug 31, 2019
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Blinded by the Light (2019) |
Springsteen devotees will lap it up, as will anyone who's ever inserted a pair of ear buds and pressed play during a private moment of despair. - Billboard
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| Posted Aug 13, 2019
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Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) |
If you told me the screenwriters settled on this plot after playing a drunken game of Scattergories, I'd believe you. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jul 31, 2019
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Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (2019) |
Forget the Oscar talk and just enjoy the movie for what it is: A breezy late-summer entry with a story that could only be written by a native Angelino-turned-maverick-filmmaker. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jul 23, 2019
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The Lion King (2019) |
For all the remake's technological majesty, that special mystique unique to the 1994 original lies far beyond where the light touches. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jul 11, 2019
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David Crosby: Remember My Name (2019) |
It's a difficult but poignant ode to a man fading out and not at all pleased about it. - Billboard
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| Posted Jul 11, 2019
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Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) |
In an impressively entertaining sequel, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man saves the world -and rescues a summer movie season in the doldrums. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jun 27, 2019
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The Dirt (2019) |
Vince Neil may have wailed to take me into his heart in "Home Sweet Home," but after watching this poorly acted, laughably juvenile adaptation of his band's tell-all chronicle of the same name, I'm ready to run in the other direction. - Billboard
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| Posted Jun 12, 2019
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Men in Black: International (2019) |
The Men in Black agents zap, but they have no zip. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Jun 12, 2019
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Rocketman (2019) |
A wildly entertaining (if a bit unwieldy) story of how Elton John went from neglected kid to outrageous, hit-making rock star. - Us Weekly
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| Posted May 30, 2019
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Always Be My Maybe (2019) |
This is a savvy entry in the rom-com genre, as the two leads take the time to circle each other in the ring and punch high. - Us Weekly
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| Posted May 29, 2019
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The Sun Is Also a Star (2019) |
Forget physics. These teens need to work on their chemistry. - Us Weekly
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| Posted May 16, 2019
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Yesterday (2019) |
It's a bright, big-hearted pop confection, serving as an amusing walk down memory lane (er, make that Penny Lane) while still conveying deep passion for its iconic subject. - Billboard
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| Posted May 05, 2019
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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) |
The film is not so much an insightful examination about how a college-educated man turns into a psychopath as much as it's a peculiar relationship tale between a skilled liar and his too-trusting single mom girlfriend. - Us Weekly
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| Posted May 02, 2019
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Avengers: Endgame (2019) |
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have somehow crafted a coherent and exhilarating epic that incorporates all your favorite superheroes (and many of their loved ones) in one emotionally resonant package. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Apr 23, 2019
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Someone Great (2019) |
It's not quite as charming or winning as other Netflix rom-com originals, but it does have a more meaningful message: Find yourself, then find the guy. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Apr 19, 2019
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Shazam! (2019) |
The best, most complete entry yet in the new DC Comic Universe. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Apr 04, 2019
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Us (2019) |
Unnerving in tone and brazenly terrifying in story, Us is the kind of movie you watch with your fingers splayed over your face. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Mar 12, 2019
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Captain Marvel (2019) |
It succeeds more as an amusing fill-in-the-blanks Marvel backstory provider than a confident, stand-alone tale of a woman discovering her fierceness. - Us Weekly
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| Posted Mar 05, 2019
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