Monica Castillo
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Past Lives (2023) |
A masterclass in storytelling. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jun 01, 2023
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The Starling Girl (2023) |
“The Starling Girl” lives and breathes through Scanlen’s stellar performance. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted May 24, 2023
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Fool's Paradise (2023) |
Day seems to have nothing new or insightful to add beyond pointing out some heightened caricatures of who you meet in Hollywood. On his way to making his satire, Day forgot to add jokes. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted May 12, 2023
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Unrest (2022) |
“Unrest” is an intriguing period piece, but a flawed curio that never quite achieves its soul-stirring goals. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted May 05, 2023
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Polite Society (2023) |
Nida Manzoor’s riotously funny and action-packed film “Polite Society” is a bold feature debut that defies categorization. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Apr 28, 2023
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Judy Blume Forever (2023) |
This lovingly crafted tribute to the author feels as friendly and welcoming as Blume does greeting customers at her bookstore in Key West. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Apr 21, 2023
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Sick of Myself (2022) |
“Sick of Myself” works as well as it does due to Kujath Thorp’s charismatic performance. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Apr 12, 2023
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On a Wing and a Prayer (2023) |
[On a Wing and a Prayer] falls short of the glory of competent filmmaking and gorges on cheap sentimentally and cliches, undermining its own message. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Apr 07, 2023
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The Unheard (2023) |
“The Unheard” has its shining moments, but they are not enough to cover for some glaring missteps. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Mar 31, 2023
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Stampede (2022) |
[Rodeo] often switches gears between character study and a heist movie, creating an uneasy whiplash. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Mar 17, 2023
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Scream VI (2023) |
A horror movie that tickles a nostalgic funny bone, [and] a chiller with some good scares and cheesy lines that earn more laughter than screams. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Mar 09, 2023
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The Forger (2022) |
Peren, who wrote and directed “The Forger,” subtly draws out these conflicted characters one by one. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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God's Time (2022) |
Unfortunately, “God’s Time” doesn’t quite sustain the momentum or freewheeling style of its start. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Feb 24, 2023
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Return to Seoul (2022) |
The role is a formidable assignment even for experienced performers, but this intricate character is wonderfully brought to life by first-time actor Park Ji-min. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Feb 18, 2023
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The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (2021) |
A charming premise that then turns into a suspense movie. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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One Fine Morning (2022) |
Hansen-Løve’s work is heartfelt yet profound, emotionally and mentally engaging in ways few films dare to balance. Her latest work, One Fine Morning is no different. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jan 28, 2023
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Alice, Darling (2022) |
Kendrick’s performance is one of the strongest aspects of Alice, Darling. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jan 25, 2023
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House Party (2023) |
While this remix of House Party may leave some nostalgic for the original, it smartly doesn't try to copy the first film. However, it does stay true to the first version's celebration of friendship. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Joyride (2022) |
It may not come together as smoothly as the best feel-good movies of its kind, but there's an unwieldy charm to Joyride that makes the trip memorable. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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To the End (2022) |
Throughout To the End, there is a clear sense of urgency to the call for action. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Dec 09, 2022
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The Swimmers (2022) |
Based on the true story of Yusra and Sara Mardini, Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers is a touching portrait of their fight to survive and achieve the impossible. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Nov 24, 2022
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Encanto (2021) |
Despite a few missteps, Encanto is one of the more charming animated movies to hit theaters this year. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Nov 24, 2021
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India Sweets and Spices (2021) |
Alia's internal tug-of-war may be familiar to many first- and second-generation children of immigrants, and Malik's film makes that uneasy struggle into a poignant yet delightful journey of self-discovery. - TheWrap
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| Posted Nov 19, 2021
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C'mon C'mon (2021) |
A sincere drama about relationships. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Nov 19, 2021
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7 Prisoners (2021) |
With "7 Prisoners," Moratto proves himself as a director of many talents. - The Playlist
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| Posted Nov 18, 2021
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The Power of the Dog (2021) |
The game of wits between Phil and everyone else is a chilling one to watch, and it's exactly the kind of end-of-the-year movie to finish things with a bang. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Nov 17, 2021
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Love Hard (2021) |
This cookie cutter rom-com has nothing more or less than what its subgenre demands. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Nov 05, 2021
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Dead & Beautiful (2021) |
There's something strangely vacuous about David Verbeek's Dead & Beautiful. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Nov 04, 2021
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At the Ready (2021) |
A dose of sobering insight. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Oct 25, 2021
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The Blazing World (2021) |
The Blazing World falls short narratively and visually. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Oct 18, 2021
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Knocking (2021) |
In addition to its mind-bending narrative, the visual style of Knocking is equally as striking. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Oct 08, 2021
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No One Gets Out Alive (2021) |
Even if everything doesn't quite work out, No One Gets Out Alive has a good premise and solid performances from Rodlo and her castmates. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Sep 29, 2021
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Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021) |
A heartwarming musical with the performances to really make it shine. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Sep 21, 2021
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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021) |
Sharpe's vision of Wain's story is much more whimsical in nature than the traditional biopic, including colorful and artfully composed scenes filmed by cinematographer Erik Wilson (Paddington 2) that blur the line between fantasy and reality. - TheWrap
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| Posted Sep 11, 2021
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Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) |
By the film's end, it feels like the cinematic equivalent of a hug. - TheWrap
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| Posted Sep 06, 2021
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Spencer (2021) |
A haunting reimagining of a tense Christmas holiday in the life of Princess Diana. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Sep 05, 2021
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Belfast (2021) |
There are not enough platitudes to heap on the performance Branagh coached out of [Jude] Hill...his enthusiasm carries so much of the movie that whenever fear or sadness get the better of him, it feels more pronounced and heartbreaking. - The Playlist
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| Posted Sep 04, 2021
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King Richard (2021) |
Green orchestrates these various elements into a symphony that's a tribute to hard-working parents, however difficult they may be, and to showing the origin story that begins a generation before our heroes became famous. - TheWrap
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| Posted Sep 04, 2021
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Cyrano (2021) |
he movie's highs are enjoyable and riveting, they're reason why the character has endured for decades. But the lows - they hurt even worse. - TheWrap
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| Posted Sep 03, 2021
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The Colony (2021) |
Tim Fehlbaum's The Colony has many ideas about the future, and while not all of them quite stick together, there's a few interesting aesthetic and narrative choices to make it something of a curiosity. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Aug 27, 2021
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Rare Beasts (2019) |
[Rare Beasts] is meant to be funny but after a while, it just feels flat and often mean spirited. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Aug 20, 2021
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The Kissing Booth 3 (2021) |
After the sand has been shaken out of shoes and final smiles have been pointed at the camera, there's not really much more to the movie. Just a boy, a girl, and the looks they trade with each other. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Aug 12, 2021
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The Macaluso Sisters (2020) |
Any missteps feel minor in comparison to the film's most poignant moments. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Aug 06, 2021
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Resort to Love (2021) |
Resort to Love offers a cute love story starring attractive leads, but it has the look and feel of a vacation on a budget. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jul 29, 2021
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Ailey (2021) |
An educational journey, an uncompromising look into the challenges of an artistic life, and a tribute to the man whose studio and dance company still bear his name. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jul 23, 2021
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Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) |
What Papushado and Ehud Lavski's script lacks, no amount of charisma is able to make up. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jul 14, 2021
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Scales (2019) |
Although the tale is a familiar one ... the film's striking imagery makes it memorable. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jul 09, 2021
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First Date (2021) |
First Date feels like a throwback caper to something you'd find on cable, funny yet full of action with a generous helping of a timeless romance for good measure. It's the kind of movie you come across and have to see how it ends. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jul 02, 2021
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Good on Paper (2021) |
Despite the movie's darker aspects, Gatewood and Shlesinger escape with some decent laughs and pointed questions. - RogerEbert.com
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| Posted Jun 23, 2021
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In the Heights (2021) |
Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical now stands as a celebration of [the] community's remarkable perseverance... - The Ringer
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| Posted Jun 18, 2021
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