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3.5/5
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Deepfaking Sam Altman
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Deepfaking Sam Altman works best as a thought experiment about our relationship with technology and why we’re so eager to embrace new forms of connection, even artificial ones. A compelling conversation stimulator to say the least.
Posted Jan 28, 2026
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4.5/5
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Predators
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of the year's best films; a documentary I won't stop thinking about any time soon. A meditation on ethics, true crime’s popularity, and America’s preference for punishment over rehabilitation, for spectacle over understanding and compassion. Riveting
Posted Oct 29, 2025
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2.5/5
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Unbanked
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Unbanked offers an intriguing, if somewhat one-sided and simplified, glimpse into what might be the future of money. It could've been less biased and taken a more unconventional approach but it's a decent entry point into a complicated concept.
Posted Oct 29, 2025
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5/5
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One Battle After Another
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Living in this country feels like fighting one battle after another. PTA made a crackerjack of an action comedy at a time of extreme anxiety, huge changes in my life and made it in a way that only he could accomplish. The cast is perfect, so is the film.
Posted Sep 25, 2025
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4.5/5
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It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of the year's best films is a remarkable music documentary about an artist that meant so much to me, it's hard to express it all here in a review. This film shows that our love of music, of the arts, of people like Jeff Buckley, is truly, never over.
Posted Aug 17, 2025
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4/5
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Together
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of the year's best. Michael Shanks' debut arrives as one of the year's most unsettling examinations of toxic attachment, wrapped in a nasty packaging of Yuzna-esque effects that will leave everyone both laughing and squirming in equal measure.
Posted Jul 27, 2025
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3.5/5
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Surprisingly fantastic thanks to the cast and Shakman's vision. Haven't enjoyed a comic book movie this much in a while, probably because this one isn't an exposition bot / origin story / connected to a million other shows to where it's enjoyed on its own
Posted Jul 27, 2025
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3/5
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AJ Goes to the Dog Park
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Runs out of steam but I laughed quite hard & often. Channels the early manic energy of Zucker Abrahams Zucker through a distinctly absurdist cartoonish lens. It's wildly silly and has an underwhelming final act but still recommending for the ambition.
Posted Jul 27, 2025
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3.5/5
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Magnetosphere
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Nicola Rose uses Maggie's unique perception as a metaphor for the teenage experience of feeling like an outsider. Even if you don't share the condition, you'll be able to connect to her particular struggle and the trepidation she experiences among peers.
Posted Jul 27, 2025
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3/5
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Eddington
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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The film wants credit for depicting narcissistic attitudes and the political divide during the pandemic without taking a clear stance, resulting in a work that feels morally unsound. It'll generate discussion but it also becomes muddled and confused.
Posted Jul 19, 2025
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4.5/5
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The Passengers
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of the best films of 2025 so far, an experimental time-capsule documentary that truly showcases humanity at its most honest, vulnerable and revealing. A reminder that we are all passengers and our stories matter more than we might realize.
Posted Jul 04, 2025
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4/5
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Brother Verses Brother
(2025)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Brother Verses Brother is ultimately a meditation on family, mortality, and the healing power of organic, artistic expression. The Gold brothers' journey culminates in a moving finale that feels earned despite the film's structural limitations.
Posted May 10, 2025
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4/5
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Familiar Touch
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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By treating Ruth's experience with compassion, Friedland has crafted a tender, observational film that illuminates the dignity in vulnerability and the persistence of selfhood even as memory fades. This is empathic filmmaking and one of the year's best.
Posted May 10, 2025
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3.5/5
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Friendship
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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More than just another cringe comedy—it's an insightful exploration of male loneliness and the desperate need for connection even if it loses steam a bit here and there. Fans of Rudd and Robinson will find a lot to appreciate with plenty of LOL moments.
Posted May 10, 2025
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3.5/5
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Sharp Corner
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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A dark cautionary tale about the dangers of masculine insecurity and the desperate pursuit of significance. Though a bit long, this is a really nice showcase for one of our best character actors: Ben Foster.
Posted May 10, 2025
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3.5/5
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The Zebra and the Bear
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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The Zebra and the Bear thoughtfully reminds us that behind every medical statistic are real families fighting battles most of us can't even fathom. A compassionate, engaging documentary that is quite effective, whether you're a parent or not.
Posted May 10, 2025
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4/5
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Misericordia
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Though it starts out slow, it becomes a galvanizing work by a master director that reminds us of film's unique power to challenge, disturb, and ultimately transform our understanding of what it means to be an imperfectly lustful human being.
Posted Apr 11, 2025
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4.5/5
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The Shrouds
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of Cronenberg's best in quite a while. The Shrouds is a deeply compelling and personal meditation on mortality from a filmmaker who has spent his career examining the relationship between technology, intimacy, and the complicated human psyche.
Posted Apr 11, 2025
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3.5/5
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Secret Mall Apartment
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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A thoroughly engaging documentary with a lot on its mind while also being consistently entertaining. Reminds us that sometimes the most profound artistic statements happen in the spaces no one thought to look.
Posted Apr 11, 2025
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4.5/5
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Darkest Miriam
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Like a library itself, Darkest Miriam creates a welcoming space where conflicted feelings of being lonely and imperfectly human are given the attention and compassion each of us deserves. Lower is extraordinary. This is my favorite film of 2025 so far.
Posted Apr 11, 2025
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4/5
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Eric LaRue
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Eric LaRue is one of the year’s best films containing a central performance from Greer that is a career highlight. Shannon's directorial debut is assured, challenging and thought-provoking in all the right ways.
Posted Apr 01, 2025
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2/5
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MaXXXine
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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As a fan of the other two entries, especially Pearl, I was shocked at how little Maxxxine has to offer as a conclusion to the Mia Goth show. We could’ve simply been satisfied with a two-parter and that lingering closing credits image of Pearl’s smile.
Posted Jul 16, 2024
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1.5/5
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In a Violent Nature
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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If the attempt was to make a boring horror film, then the filmmaker succeeded. Otherwise, it's tedious, bland and even the conceit is abandoned by the final act. Yes, there's one great kill but that's about the only moment that's memorable.
Posted Jul 16, 2024
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2/5
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Longlegs
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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This movie has been done so many times before - think Angel Heart, Seven, Exorcist III - that I was taken aback by how little innovation there was throughout from a talent like Perkins. Uninvolving with a reveal that left me bewildered rather than shocked
Posted Jul 16, 2024
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4/5
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Robot Dreams
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Make it the cult hit it deserves to be. It’s a moving experience all about overcoming loss, and that is an emotion that can certainly resonate across generations. I can almost guarantee, the smile will not leave your face throughout the entire film.
Posted Jul 02, 2024
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3.5/5
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Kinds of Kindness
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Mixed positive here despite its ideas about control and chaos. This is a wild anomaly soaked in misanthropy that isn’t entirely satisfying in the end. Plemons really shines throughout though, providing distinguishably flawed characters, lost and broken.
Posted Jul 02, 2024
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2.5/5
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Chestnut
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Dyer is great but the overall effect is that of a morning hangover haze without the nighttime fun that precedes it. Which is strange given that there are many bar scenes and interactions. I was left wanting so much more by the end.
Posted Jul 02, 2024
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4.5/5
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Janet Planet
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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It’s hard not to think about Aftersun and Ladybird as done by Kelly Reichardt here. The magical realism isn’t a part of this world but the offbeat behavior of Gerwig and the hesitant, contemplative pace of Reichardt is consistent. One of the year's best.
Posted Jul 02, 2024
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4.5/5
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Ghostlight
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of the year's most satisfying stories. You are guaranteed to be moved by the performances alone. Every gesture feels genuine. Thompson and O’Sullivan deserve the highest of praise for making a crowd-pleaser that never succumbs to manipulation.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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3/5
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Good One
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Lily Collias as Sam is someone to watch. LeGros is reliably great. Their dynamic makes this special. It ends up as a good film without question. Perhaps the restlessness I felt was deliberate to create a sense of tension, the kind that Sam is dealing with
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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3.5/5
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Thelma
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Thoroughly entertained by the majority of it. It definitely fits rather too neatly into the crowd-pleasing Sundance indie dramedy formula, but Squibb really makes this worthwhile regardless. It's a joy just to watch her play the role of action hero.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4/5
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The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Bring Kleenex. Ibelin is a truly special documentary that emotionally envelopes you right from the beginning. More than just a tribute to Mats as a beautiful mind, it showcases that technology doesn’t always lead to something unhealthy, but necessary.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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2.5/5
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Cuckoo
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Schafer is fully committed here. Stevens is a hoot. But by the end, I shrugged it off despite admiring its intent to go batshit crazy. Sadly, I simply felt disconnected and wished it had gone somewhere way more interesting than where it wound up.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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3.5/5
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Babes
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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That’ll do, babes. That’ll do. In all seriousness, Babes is often a very funny movie. Pure and simple. Pamela Adlon knows how to direct comedy better than most.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4.5/5
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Sing Sing
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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A remarkable film that centers a deeper, important, and timely question: how do we create a more compassionate society especially for those who are incarcerated to avoid recidivism? Not to mention, the catharsis of artistic expression on display here.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4/5
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The Last Stop in Yuma County
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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The Coen Brothers-esque execution positions itself as a story contained in a single location but then it takes some unexpected turns in how the narrative unfolds along with character evolution that is darkly funny, but also bleak and disturbing.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4.5/5
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I Saw the TV Glow
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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When it ended, my first thought was, “this is why I love movies, they saved my life but they’re also an easy way to escape reality, and that in of itself can become addictive.” Jane has made their best work to date with a final act that gave me chills.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4/5
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Hundreds of Beavers
(2022)
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Jim Laczkowski
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If you’re in the mood for something wildly unexpected and miss feeling like a kid watching Saturday Morning Cartoons, then look no further than the stunning achievement that is HOB. This is like Guy Maddin directing Looney Tunes with many LOL hijinks.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4/5
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The First Omen
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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A genuine surprise. This is how a prequel should be (aside from the final minutes). Nell Tiger Free is fully committed here and this should cement her status as one of the most intriguing actors in horror working today.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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3.5/5
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Wicked Little Letters
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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If you're a fan of Colman and Buckley (and you should be), there are plenty of reasons to make time for this, especially since they have such a wonderful, combative rapport that is sometimes sad but mostly hilarious.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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2.5/5
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Civil War
(2024)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Garland's films continue to feel incomplete especially when it comes to wrapping them up in a satisfying way. Still, there are some great action set pieces and Dunst is excellent as always.
Posted Jun 10, 2024
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4.5/5
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The Teachers' Lounge
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of the year's most compelling, anxiety-inducing films held together by an impeccable central performance. Akin to a sociological examination of complex human behavior and what happens when good intentions don't lead to the desired outcome.
Posted Jan 22, 2024
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1/5
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The Shift
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Rambling incoherence about faith, choice, believing in Him, etc. An intriguing premise is reduced to feeling like a sci-fi channel pilot for a show I would never continue watching.
Posted Dec 02, 2023
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4.5/5
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Dream Scenario
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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The weirdest film of 2023 is a pitch-black existential comedy with a lot on its mind about unexamined fragility, ego, society's need to commodify into meme culture. A great showcase for Cage and proof that filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli has a lot of talent.
Posted Nov 16, 2023
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4/5
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Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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One of my favorite documentaries of 2023; that's likely due to the fact that Albert Brooks is one of my favorite comedians and writers of all time. His legacy status is preserved and presented here with truly wonderful clips and recollections from Brooks.
Posted Nov 10, 2023
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4/5
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The Holdovers
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Payne's best since Sideways; the entire ensemble deserves praise for bringing it their all. A lovely, melancholic Christmas story; it almost feels more like a live-action adult version of what Charlie Brown goes through. A must-see for this time of year.
Posted Nov 10, 2023
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2/5
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Fingernails
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Despite reliable actors being engaging throughout, this movie lacks curiosity about its ideas to where I only grew more and more frustrated. It’s not a good sign that you don’t experience any feeling whatsoever watching this letdown of a film about love.
Posted Nov 10, 2023
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3/5
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All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Challenging in its lack of a narrative-driven story; could be a test of patience. But there is beauty to be discovered with strikingly poetic visual language. I wish I connected more strongly to what’s being presented but have no doubt that others will.
Posted Nov 10, 2023
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3/5
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The Man in the White Van
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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Barely gets a pass due to how long of a buildup it is to get the good stuff. Succeeds in mainly playing with our expectations about when and how our protagonist comes face to face with her captor. Once they finally meet, that’s when the film takes off.
Posted Oct 19, 2023
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3/5
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The Creator
(2023)
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Jim Laczkowski
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An engaging sci-fi action film with strong visuals but becomes hindered by a weak third act and not the most compelling lead actor. The script could've used several rewrites to accompany its lofty ambitions.
Posted Oct 07, 2023
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