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2/4
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Dalíland
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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Somewhere in “Dalíland” is a far sharper film about this unusual pair... But through James’ point of view, it’s just another coming-of-age tale for a young white man who finds himself tickled and intrigued by this seeming den of artistic iniquity.
Posted Jun 09, 2023
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1.5/4
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Unable to rise above this internal conflict, it’s a film that’s both dull and disposable. Though it sets up the opportunity for more interconnected franchise filmmaking, this is a beast that needs to be put down.
Posted Jun 06, 2023
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3.5/4
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Drawing from inspirations beyond the comic book world as diverse as Abstract Expressionism, storybook illustrations, ballet and punk, “Across the Spider-Verse” is a stunning blend of artistic traditions with a gleefully disruptive attitude.
Posted Jun 01, 2023
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4/4
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Past Lives
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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The treatment of time, which is stretched and pulled, crumpled, torn and put back together, makes “Past Lives” a deeply meditative and existentially curious piece.
Posted Jun 01, 2023
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3.5/4
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Master Gardener
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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Almost radical in its hopefulness, especially when cynicism would have been the easy way out.
Posted May 17, 2023
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2.5/4
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Fast X
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Leterrier and Momoa bring an energy and excitement to “Fast X” that juices the engine to deliver the goods that fans want. But the jumbled lore and odd treatment of characters may leave audiences with more questions than answers
Posted May 17, 2023
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2/4
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Hypnotic
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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As a film fan, you have to respect the continued indie spirit with which Rodriguez works... but the script and performances in “Hypnotic” are too laughably absurd to take seriously.
Posted May 15, 2023
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2.5/4
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Book Club: The Next Chapter
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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It may be treacly and unrealistic, but “Book Club: The Next Chapter” has heart and soul, and it’s as sweet and quaffable as an Aperol spritz on a hot day.
Posted May 15, 2023
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4/4
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The Eight Mountains
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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The love story that is “The Eight Mountains” expresses this ineffable relationship between those who know us best and the places in which we find ourselves with a rough-hewn grace and profound knowingness.
Posted May 04, 2023
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2.5/4
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Gunn is a filmmaker with nothing to lose in the MCU, and for the end of his trilogy, his Marvel swan song, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” he throws it all at the wall with a satisfying splat.
Posted May 03, 2023
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4/4
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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As lovely, heartfelt and, indeed, deeply radical as the original text.
Posted Apr 27, 2023
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2/4
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Chevalier
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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The story of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is a crucial and necessary corrective to the historical record and our understanding of this time period. But “Chevalier” the film fails to express the radical spirit that it seemed to promise.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
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3/4
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Guy Ritchie's The Covenant
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Swinging back to a more serious register, Ritchie presents his first film grounded in harsh real-world politics, and it’s the best film he’s made in years.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
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3/4
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Mafia Mamma
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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This high-concept romp demands an over-the-top and facile narrative, and some of the bits are a bit hackneyed, but “Mafia Mamma” is much more wacky, funny and violent than the too-tame trailers would have you believe.
Posted Apr 14, 2023
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2.5
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Renfield
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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“Renfield” dutifully delivers the goods — and a few therapist-approved lessons about codependent relationships too — but unfortunately, it’s lacking a bit of bite.
Posted Apr 12, 2023
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3/4
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Air
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Affleck’s treatise on the film industry and the perils of celebrity, shoehorned into a biopic of a brand... Affleck applies just the right elements to make it sing.
Posted Apr 04, 2023
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3.5/4
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A Thousand and One
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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The film is utterly absorbing, anchored by the at times unpredictable performance of Taylor, playing a hopelessly complicated, but deeply caring woman.
Posted Mar 30, 2023
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2.5/4
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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The film’s affable nature and the sheer charisma oozing off Pine and Grant is intoxicating, but overall, there’s a sense that it doesn’t quite gel, the engine revving but never hitting the speed of which it seems capable.
Posted Mar 30, 2023
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3/4
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The Lost King
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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Reveals a distinctly British obsession with royalty and propriety that doesn’t always translate with the same reverence abroad. But the more important story is the one about discrimination and misinformation; that fact can be twisted into fiction
Posted Mar 29, 2023
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3/4
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John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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A sprawling, Shakespearean orgy of violence, a salute to stunt choreographers, and a return to the original film’s roots — at the heart of the matter, it is the fundamentally the story of a duel, and a dog.
Posted Mar 22, 2023
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3/4
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Inside
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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"Inside" pits the most primal elements of humanity against the most advanced in order to tease out the contradictory and alienating nature of our current world.
Posted Mar 21, 2023
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1/4
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Shazam! Fury of the Gods
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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May be a shoddily made Skittles ad masquerading as a superhero riff, but it’s Levi’s performance that sends it into the stratosphere of cringe. Here’s hoping this is not only Shazam’s last outing but the nail in the coffin of the smarmy superhero as well.
Posted Mar 15, 2023
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Champions
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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“Champions” doesn’t break any molds, narratively or aesthetically, and it’s too long, but what sets it apart are the Friends, who offer warm and nuanced performances
Posted Mar 10, 2023
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3/4
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Scream VI
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick keep the blade sharp, while directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett bring a brawny, bruising and bloody style to this “requel sequel.”
Posted Mar 08, 2023
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3/4
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Palm Trees and Power Lines
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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It’s a bold, bleak and unapologetic work exposing inescapable truths about the world, about sex and relationships and power.
Posted Mar 06, 2023
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3/4
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Creed III
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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What Jordan does best as star, director and producer is showcase Majors’ heavyweight performance, cementing him as one of our brightest stars. Taking over a behind-the-scenes role is a part of the “Rocky” legacy, and Jordan takes the reins with ease
Posted Mar 03, 2023
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1.5/4
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Jesus Revolution
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Unfortunately, despite the interesting history, the film itself is a dry, scattered slog, neutered of all the thorny, contradictory details of the real story.
Posted Feb 25, 2023
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2.5/4
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My Happy Ending
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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The premise of “My Happy Ending” is somewhat slight, but there’s nothing insubstantial about a woman coming to a profound realization about her life thanks to a surprising encounter with unexpected new allies
Posted Feb 25, 2023
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4/4
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Return to Seoul
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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Chou’s direction is patient yet energetic, sometimes elliptical and willing to take a beat, reflecting the inner tempo of our protagonist as she traverses – and eventually inhabits – the world of Seoul, rendered here with saturated color and texture.
Posted Feb 19, 2023
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4/4
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Of an Age
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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A profoundly moving film about the beauty and the horror of what it means to be seen for the first time, to love for the first time, and how the past and future are constantly informing each other.
Posted Feb 19, 2023
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2/4
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Magic Mike's Last Dance
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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This final installment finds Soderbergh and Tatum toying with audience expectations to disappointing results. There are a few flashes of the original magic, but it’s lacking in the energy that made the first two movies a thrill.
Posted Feb 07, 2023
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2.5/4
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Knock at the Cabin
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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[The] tweaks to this story, despite the impeccable cinematic craft and tremendous acting on display, hobble the adaptation’s power.
Posted Feb 03, 2023
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2.5/4
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80 for Brady
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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The picture hangs together thanks to this group of legends and the loose, absurdist humor of the screenplay.
Posted Feb 03, 2023
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2/4
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Fear
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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Deadliest of all, “Fear” is just not scary. The jump scares don’t land, the fears themselves are all a bit silly and it feels like Taylor is holding back for the majority of the run time.
Posted Jan 29, 2023
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4/4
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Infinity Pool
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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If you’re willing to surf on the wonderfully weird and wild wavelength of “Infinity Pool” it is indeed a singular, and unforgettable, ride.
Posted Jan 24, 2023
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2.5/4
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Alice, Darling
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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A bit obvious and mannered, but it’s so rare to see these kinds of abusive relationships, the kind that leave mental scars, not physical ones, depicted on screen with such a searing sense of authenticity that it eclipses the faults of the screenplay.
Posted Jan 19, 2023
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2.5/4
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Missing
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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That’s what makes movies like “Searching” and “Missing” so captivating. They’re not only high-concept thrillers featuring melodramatic acting... but they also feel authentic to the way we live, even in the outlandish moments.
Posted Jan 18, 2023
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1.5/4
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House Party
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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deeply unfunny and downright tiresome.
Posted Jan 13, 2023
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2.5/4
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Plane
(2023)
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Katie Walsh
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If you go into it expecting nothing more than to enjoy watching a sweaty Butler manhandle some bad guys while Colter manhandles him, you’ll be more than satisfied with the ride “Plane” offers — a well-executed hunk of pulpy entertainment.
Posted Jan 12, 2023
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2.5/4
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A Man Called Otto
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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The cumulative effect of the story’s twists and turns is powerful, if somewhat predictable.
Posted Jan 05, 2023
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3/4
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M3GAN
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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The jump scares in the fun, funny thrill ride that is “M3GAN” elicit more giggles than groans, but there are also intriguing connections being made on “M3GAN’s” motherboard, behind the glossy surface.
Posted Jan 05, 2023
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2/4
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Babylon
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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Chazelle can’t seem to land on whether or not he wants to reject nostalgia or eulogize cinema, and ultimately, it’s all incredibly smug for a message, and a movie, so muddled.
Posted Dec 23, 2022
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1.5/4
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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It starts to take on a distinctly ghoulish quality, especially a scene that imagines her frame of mind before her death. It’s a film that ultimately feels less like a celebration and more like further exploitation of the star.
Posted Dec 23, 2022
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3/4
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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One gorgeous and dynamic fractured fairy tale
Posted Dec 23, 2022
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3.5/4
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Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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If "The Way of Water" was the last film Cameron ever made, it’d be appropriate, as all of his cinematic obsessions coalesce within this gargantuan slice of mind-boggling spectacle presented with classical action-adventure storytelling.
Posted Dec 14, 2022
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2.5/4
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The Whale
(2022)
|
Katie Walsh
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“The Whale” may not be as honest as Charlie demands, but Fraser is, and that is the film’s saving grace.
Posted Dec 09, 2022
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2/4
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Empire of Light
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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We don’t need someone to remind us that movies are magic by stating that up front, usually it’s the magic of storytelling itself that achieves that, which “Empire of Light” ultimately, and unfortunately, fumbles.
Posted Dec 08, 2022
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2.5/5
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Spoiler Alert
(2022)
|
Katie Walsh
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Despite the narrative elements that are part of Michael’s coping mechanisms, Aldridge and Field effectively salvage the emotional core of “Spoiler Alert,” bringing us back to the heart of the matter.
Posted Dec 01, 2022
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2/4
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Violent Night
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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Tries to be both naughty and nice and as it turns out, when it comes to those lists, it’s either one or the other.
Posted Dec 01, 2022
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3/4
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Devotion
(2022)
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Katie Walsh
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A stirring story of friendship during war, and beyond, that is both rare and real.
Posted Nov 23, 2022
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