Russ Simmons
Tomatometer-approved critic
Russ Simmons is a two-time winner of the National Entertainment Journalism Award for "Best TV Movie Critic." His reviews have appeared in print, broadcast and online outlets for over 20 years. Russ is a long-time member of the Critics' Choice Association and the Kansas City Film Critics' Circle, the nation's second oldest critics group.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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One Fine Morning (2022) |
This low-key drama doesn’t try to do too much, but its quiet emotional connections make “One Fine Morning” an intimate, wistful affair. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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The Magician's Elephant (2023) |
“The Magician’s Elephant” is a well-produced and easygoing addition to the genre. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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Boston Strangler (2023) |
“Boston Strangler” capably captures the considerable frustrations of the investigation as well as the frustrations of sexism and corruption. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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Moving On (2022) |
Moving On” is an oddball movie that finds some success in small moments but can never quite establish a consistent tone. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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The Quiet Girl (2022) |
Thanks to its realism and heartfelt treatment, what could have been cloying and sentimental is instead profoundly moving. “The Quiet Girl” is a cinematic gem. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 11, 2023
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Champions (2023) |
“Champions” is a featherweight and predictable, but it’s still a breezy feel-good flick. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 11, 2023
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Scream VI (2023) |
At one point in the absurd slasher sequel “Scream VI,” a stabbing victim says, “**** this franchise.” I agree. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 11, 2023
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Linoleum (2022) |
“Linoleum” may appeal to patient viewers who appreciate ambiguity. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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We Have a Ghost (2023) |
It’s lively and sometimes funny, but “We Have a Ghost” struggles to fill its two-hour-plus running time. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Emily (2022) |
“Emily” is an atmospheric flight of fancy. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Cocaine Bear (2023) |
“Cocaine Bear” could be a stoner’s guilty pleasure. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb (2022) |
“Turn Every Page” is a fascinating and involving behind the scenes glimpse of these literary titans and their sometimes-contentious affiliation, a partnership that continues to this day. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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They Wait in the Dark (2022) |
“They Wait in the Dark” is a tight, well-paced little chiller. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023) |
While it has all the requisite elements for an action thriller, “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” excels at none of them. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Creed III (2023) |
“Creed III” should have some box office punch. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Sharper (2023) |
Don’t think too hard about the details because they don’t quite hold up to post-movie scrutiny. But “Sharper” still provides a lot of decadent fun while you’re watching it. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) |
This micro-budget slasher movie is a witless “Halloween” rip-off with Pooh and Piglet responsible for the bloody mayhem instead of Michael Meyers. Pooh indeed. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
While the tone of this goofy entry is all over the place, it does introduce Jonathan Majors as the menacing super villain Kang the Conqueror…and he nails it. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Consecration (2023) |
“Consecration” commits the worst sin for a horror movie. It’s dull. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 10, 2023
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Pamela, a Love Story (2023) |
While she doesn’t flinch from admitting her flaws, Anderson also embraces the chance to set the record straight about her life and infamous tabloid scandals. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 10, 2023
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Your Place or Mine (2023) |
With “Your Place or Mine,” a good cast got saddled with the script of a second-rate Lifetime movie. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 10, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin (2023) |
“Knock at the Cabin” is ultimately disappointing because has nothing to say about the intriguing moral conundrum it presents. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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True Spirit (2023) |
While it’s conventional to a fault, “True Spirit” is a respectable, family-friendly adventure. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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80 for Brady (2023) |
“80 for Brady” deserves a few yellow flags for corniness, but the veteran cast manages to push it over the goal line. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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Infinity Pool (2023) |
It revels in its ugliness, but this “Infinity Pool” is just shallow. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 27, 2023
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Living (2022) |
“Living” is a thoughtful, introspective, and touching drama. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 27, 2023
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You People (2023) |
“You People ” is an often funny, sharp and observant dissection of contemporary race relations. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 27, 2023
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Alice, Darling (2022) |
“Alice, Darling” is a deliberately paced drama that tackles this difficult topic in an understated manner. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 20, 2023
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The Son (2022) |
“The Son” is a manipulative and affected melodrama that never rings true. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 20, 2023
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Women Talking (2022) |
While the action in the film at times resembles a filmed stage play, a smart and thoughtful screenplay from filmmaker Sarah Polley gives “Women Talking” a real sense of urgency. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 20, 2023
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Dog Gone (2023) |
As a movie, it’s a real mongrel. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Plane (2023) |
Fasten your seat belts, turn off your brain and enjoy this bumpy “Plane” ride. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Corsage (2022) |
The film is filled with historical anachronisms and the main character is brusque and unpleasant. But the main problem with “Corsage” is that it’s simply dull. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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A Man Called Otto (2022) |
“A Man Called Otto” is square, but sweet and inoffensive. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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The Pale Blue Eye (2022) |
It goes completely off the rails in the final preposterous scenes. Still, “The Pale Blue Eye” is involving for most of its two-hour, ten-minute running time. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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White Noise (2022) |
“White Noise” is an uneven cinematic experiment. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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The Whale (2022) |
Thanks to the cast, “The Whale” manages to mine some pathos despite its dispiriting story. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) |
It’s a pleasant enough time-waster for undiscerning kids. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Babylon (2022) |
“Babylon” is way too much and not enough at the same time. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) |
The singer’s tragic life story should have been much more compelling, but thanks to that voice and those songs, it’s still an entertaining tribute to the pop music diva. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Aftersun (2022) |
It’s a complex and affecting drama about the vagaries of memory and the uncertainties of family dynamics. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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Emancipation (2022) |
“Emancipation” works as a disturbing reminder of a dark chapter in American history. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
While it’s overlong and sometimes off-putting, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” shows that new twists can still be added to old wooden tales. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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The Inspection (2022) |
While its respectable and its heart is in the right place, the boilerplate execution makes “The Inspection” standard dramatic fare. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 01, 2022
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Bones and All (2022) |
“Bones and All” is twisted and blood-soaked, but surprisingly poignant thanks to its appealing stars. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 01, 2022
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Violent Night (2022) |
It’s essentially a one-joke movie, but “Violent Night” provides a bit of bloody fun for midnight movie fans. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 01, 2022
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Darby and the Dead (2022) |
“Darby and the Dead” is dead on arrival. - WDAF-TV (Kansas City)
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| Posted Dec 01, 2022
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Strange World (2022) |
“Strange World” is diverting, mid-level Mouse House fare. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Nov 24, 2022
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Slumberland (2022) |
It’s all very manic and overlong. Still, parents may see Slumberland” as a harmless two-hour babysitter. - KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Nov 24, 2022
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
Even though it is absurd, mystery fans should find “Glass Onion” to be good decadent fun.
- KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
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| Posted Nov 24, 2022
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