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A-
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No One Will Save You
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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It’s rare for a film to take something we have seen countless times before and make us feel like we were experiencing it for the first time.
Posted Sep 23, 2023
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B+
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El Conde
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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It is equal parts beautiful, funny, and grotesque. It takes real world villains and repurposes them into over the top caricatures.
Posted Sep 16, 2023
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B-
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Sitting in Bars with Cake
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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The film does have its qualities, and for that I’m giving a recommendation. I just have this nagging suspicion that there is a deeper, more insightful movie hidden here.
Posted Sep 10, 2023
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B-
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Perpetrator
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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Although the story barely holds together and the world building leaves a lot to be desired, it’s hard to ignore Jennifer Reeder’s talent in terms of craftsmanship.
Posted Sep 04, 2023
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B
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You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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A fun and entertaining tale of a person wanting to grow up and realizing what that entails.
Posted Aug 27, 2023
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C-
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The Monkey King
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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Netflix has given us such good animated films in the last few years that we all know they can do better than this.
Posted Aug 22, 2023
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C
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Bad Things
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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While there are elements that work well, the overall piece leaves a lot to be desired. It has plenty of potential but doesn’t quite reach it in the end.
Posted Aug 20, 2023
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C+
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Corner Office
(2022)
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Allen Almachar
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The film is making a comment on the trials and tribulations of working in an office setting, but the messaging is fuzzy.
Posted Aug 11, 2023
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D
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Meg 2: The Trench
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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It tries way too hard to win us over – as though it were begging us to like it. It takes a familiar formula and botches it, resulting in one of the more forgettable movie going experiences in recent memory.
Posted Aug 06, 2023
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B
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Sympathy for the Devil
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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Ultimately, the main draw is – without a doubt – Nicolas Cage’s edgy, hilariously enigmatic performance.
Posted Aug 01, 2023
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B-
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Happiness for Beginners
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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Are there better rom-com options out there? Sure, but there’s also a ton that are worse.
Posted Jul 30, 2023
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B
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They Cloned Tyrone
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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In his debut, Taylor has established himself as an inventive cinematic voice. I look forward to watching how well his skill set develops with each new project.
Posted Jul 23, 2023
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B+
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The Deepest Breath
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
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The film is not just an examination of an extreme sport, but an exploration of two people learning to live for themselves and each other.
Posted Jul 20, 2023
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B-
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Bird Box Barcelona
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
|
[The film] introduces some interesting ideas about faith and redemption, I just wish it had more of a chance to explore them.
Posted Jul 16, 2023
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|
C-
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Insidious: The Red Door
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
This is a forgettable movie that does nothing to take the franchise to new heights.
Posted Jul 11, 2023
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B+
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Nimona
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
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A fun and exciting adventure, filled with creativity, social awareness, and a ton of heart.
Posted Jul 02, 2023
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C
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Run Rabbit Run
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Its repetitiveness and lack of narrative momentum keeps things stuck in neutral.
Posted Jun 29, 2023
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B
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No Hard Feelings
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
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It’s a throwback with a modern twist, headlined by a star who isn’t afraid to be goofy, silly, and sincere – sometimes that’s all a movie really needs to succeed.
Posted Jun 26, 2023
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B-
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Stan Lee
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
While the documentary doesn’t reveal any insights that hasn’t already been part of public knowledge, its sweet and earnest mood makes the whole experience go down smoothly.
Posted Jun 20, 2023
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A
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
It is a dazzling experience – not only paying homage to the past but pushing things forward in unexpected and exhilarating ways.
Posted Jun 03, 2023
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B-
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Kandahar
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
An efficient and glossy action thriller…as long as we don’t think about it too much.
Posted May 26, 2023
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B-
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Cracked
(2022)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Although I never got that chill down my spine as I do watching a really scary horror flick, there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t fully invested with what was happening.
Posted May 26, 2023
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C-
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Fast X
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
There is no sense of revelation, no sense of surprise or burst of creative energy. Instead of seeing something new and exciting, we’re served yesterday’s leftovers.
Posted May 22, 2023
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C
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The Mother
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Jennifer Lopez has immense talent – she is one of the few celebrities that can garner an audience with her name alone. With her skillset, delving into action should be an easy homerun, but she deserves material that’s as good as she is.
Posted May 15, 2023
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A+
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Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
(2023)
|
Sarah Ksiazek
|
Still is an entertaining and unique documentary that reveals the early life of the star Michael J. Fox, how he became famous, and, in a sort of way, reintroduces him to those who grew up with him.
Posted May 15, 2023
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B
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Carmen
(2022)
|
Allen Almachar
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The acting, music, dancing, and production design are so effective that it was easy to sink into the dreamscape of it all.
Posted May 12, 2023
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B+
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Because it doesn’t shy away from taking chances, and because it embraces its oddball quirkiness like a benefit and not a hindrance, it becomes endearing.
Posted May 08, 2023
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A-
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R.M.N.
(2022)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Mungiu holds a mirror at modern society, showing how tribalism and hive-mind thinking brings out the worst in people. While his film does not offer any answers, it takes the important step of admitting that there is a problem.
Posted May 05, 2023
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B+
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Peter Pan & Wendy
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
David Lowery has taken a beloved fairy tale and reconfigured it with charm, artistry, and compassion.
Posted Apr 28, 2023
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B-
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Ghosted
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
It does what is required but doesn’t strive to go beyond that. When you have actors at the top of their stardom, don’t you want them to be in something that’s more than just ok?
Posted Apr 21, 2023
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B-
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To Catch a Killer
(2023)
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Allen Almachar
|
There’s nothing here that we haven’t seen executed with more creativity and style in other productions. What we get is a cover performance that knows the lyrics but lacks the soul.
Posted Apr 21, 2023
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C
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Mafia Mamma
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
This is one of those situations where a film was probably more fun to make than it is to watch.
Posted Apr 14, 2023
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A-
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How to Blow Up a Pipeline
(2022)
|
Allen Almachar
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It radiates with urgency, staking its claim not with subtlety or metaphor but with blunt force trauma.
Posted Apr 07, 2023
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B-
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Tetris
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
In tone, style, and execution, this plays way more like a political thriller.
Posted Mar 31, 2023
|
|
A-
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John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Some may come away feeling drained from it all, but the drive to produce such an over-the-top spectacle cannot be dismissed. The film dares to be great.
Posted Mar 27, 2023
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C-
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Shazam! Fury of the Gods
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
The heart and soul that made the first entry a success is missing this time around, in favor for a bigger, louder, and messier affair.
Posted Mar 20, 2023
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A-
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Deadland
(2023)
|
Sarah Ksiazek
|
I am still trying to conclusively figure out Deadland’s meaning and how events related to each other, but that is not necessarily a negative element of it. I’m still thinking about what happened, and that, in my opinion, is a hallmark of a good film.
Posted Mar 17, 2023
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C+
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The Magician's Elephant
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
It’s not that this film does anything wrong – it’s that it doesn’t really do much of anything at all.
Posted Mar 17, 2023
|
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B
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Boston Strangler
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
This takes the true crime element and reconfigures it as a study of gender dynamics, the balance between the police and media, and the determination of those working to crack the case.
Posted Mar 17, 2023
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A+
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If You Were the Last
(2023)
|
Sarah Ksiazek
|
Love is the overarching theme of If You Were the Last, and the director and cast exuded their love for it after reading the script and kept that feeling to its completion; it is palpable.
Posted Mar 16, 2023
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B
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
(2023)
|
Sarah Ksiazek
|
Honor Among Thieves is a good time, just not the ultimate comedic fantasy film that fans are maybe expecting it to be, and that is still a pretty good time spent in the theatre with one “stellar” cameo.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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C+
|
Scream VI
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
It tries to have things both ways – as an ode to the past and a fresh new start. The result is a weird middle ground.
Posted Mar 12, 2023
|
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A
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One Fine Morning
(2022)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Mia Hansen-Løve has created a story with such intelligence, warmth, and insight that any person from any walk of life can see themselves in it.
Posted Mar 03, 2023
|
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B+
|
The Strays
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
Nathaniel Martello-White has announced himself with a very strong debut. If this is his starting point, I can only imagine what heights he’ll take us next.
Posted Feb 23, 2023
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B
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Sharper
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
It’s like watching a magic act unfold – it’s entertaining as long as we don’t pay attention to what’s going on behind the curtain.
Posted Feb 17, 2023
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B
|
Hidden Blade
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
On a purely aesthetic basis, this is a slick and handsomely made production.
Posted Feb 17, 2023
|
|
B-
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Somebody I Used To Know
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
This is not only about the hijinks of a rom com – it is also a story about self-worth and personal identity. While not all the elements work cohesively, the ambition to explore those areas is notable.
Posted Feb 13, 2023
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|
A
|
No Bears
(2022)
|
Allen Almachar
|
There is a sense of urgency that underlines the film, as though Panahi – and the audience – are on borrowed time.
Posted Feb 03, 2023
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B
|
Shotgun Wedding
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
The film knows it’s pure fluff and embraces that fact with full conviction.
Posted Jan 28, 2023
|
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B+
|
Rye Lane
(2023)
|
Allen Almachar
|
A 21st century love story, brimming with a youthful energy that is nothing short of enthralling.
Posted Jan 27, 2023
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