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7/10
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I Am Thor
(2015)
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Chris Evangelista
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The flaws are noticeable, but not detrimental. I Am Thor is blessed with an infectious can-do energy, and watching Jon Mikl Thor try, and try, and try again is inspiring in its own slightly goofy way.
Posted Jan 14, 2020
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7/10
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Hush
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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Hush is quick and agile, and the script from Flanagan and Siegel always manages to be clever enough to be effective. Hush doesn't break new ground, but that doesn't mean it's not a bloody good time.
Posted Nov 22, 2019
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7/10
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Fury of the Demon (La Rage du Démon)
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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Running only an hour long, La Rage Du Démon is fast and breezy enough to result in a mostly pleasurable experience.
Posted Apr 22, 2019
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10/10
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Hereditary
(2018)
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Isaac Feldberg
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The less said about the premise of this sinuous, sadistic masterstroke, the better. But it must be articulated that Hereditary is so unshakably terrifying precisely because it knows how to worm its way into the hearts of all those watching.
Posted May 03, 2018
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9/10
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Upgrade
(2018)
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Isaac Feldberg
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There's so much to praise about Upgrade that it's easy to overlook one of the most impressive elements of this slick sci-fi riff: namely, how relentlessly fun it is to watch.
Posted Mar 22, 2018
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7/10
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War for the Planet of the Apes
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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... a memorable piece of modern big budget filmmaking.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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8/10
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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There's more inventiveness, and more honest to goodness heart in this film than the last four MCU films combined. And the soundtrack isn't too bad, either.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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6/10
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Aftermath
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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... this is a fascinating film, simply because it's so out of character for Schwarzenegger. The actor may not have the range to carry such a film, but it's commendable that he's still willing to try even at this point in his career.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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7/10
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American Fable
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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American Fable signals the arrival of an exciting new filmmaker, Anne Hamilton.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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5/10
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Don't Knock Twice
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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It's the script that isn't doing Don't Knock Twice any favors.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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10/10
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Silence
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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Like a true religious experience, you will be in awe of what you've witnessed.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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7/10
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Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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Fans of the musician will find plenty to tune into here, and the uninitiated will likely go away wanting to scoop up as much of Coltrane's music as they can get their hands on.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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7/10
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Lake Bodom
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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... there's enough originality here, mixed with truly stunning cinematographer, to make Lake Bodom stand out from the pack.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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5/10
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The Dark Tower
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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The Dark Tower shows some meager promise, but as the first in a proposed series it leaves much to be desired.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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6/10
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Another Evil
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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In the end, Another Evil feels more like a funny idea that would've killed as an SNL skit, but as a feature-length film it doesn't stand a ghost of a chance.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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7/10
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The Little Hours
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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There's much to like here.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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6/10
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The Wizard of Lies
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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Mostly ... you can't really shake the Made-For-TV vibe that The Wizard of Lies throws off.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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5/10
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Voice From the Stone
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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Voice from the Stone wants to pay homage to the great gothic horror films and stories that came before it, but you'd probably be better off just watching and reading them instead.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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8/10
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Kedi
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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As the camera follows cats through streets, or up onto rooftops; and as drone cameras hover above Istanbul, looking down at a city that has nurtured these creatures for thousands of years, a calm clarity sets in.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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5/10
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Catfight
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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Catfight wants to be some sort of mix of ultra-violence and Paddy Chayefsky-esque satire, but it fails to result in anything more than an excuse to watch two actresses beat the crap out of each other.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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6/10
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Black Butterfly
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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There's a lot of material here for a tidy little thriller, but Goodman and screenwriters Justin Stanley and Marc Frydman don't seem to know how to stick the landing.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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9/10
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It Comes at Night
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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It Comes at Night builds, and builds, and builds before unleashing a nightmarish, soul-sickening conclusion that will utterly devastate you if you've grown invested in the film's narrative.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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6/10
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Take Me
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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By the time Take Me arrives at its climax we begin to see how much better this film could've been.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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7/10
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1922
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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Still, if you're in the mood for something quick and creepy, 1922 will do the trick. It'll haunt you in just the right way, and then fade away like a specter.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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The Lost City of Z
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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Cinematographer Darius Khondji shoots the film in lush greens and smoky, dreamy hazes, resulting in scene after scene of gorgeous cinematography.
Posted Dec 28, 2017
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8/10
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The Lost City of Z
(2016)
|
Alistair Ryder
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Although it has flaws, The Lost City of Z will surely be heralded as one of the finest films of our current era by future cinephiles, due to how it is such a loving throwback to the epics of bygone eras.
Posted Dec 28, 2017
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6/10
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John Wick: Chapter 2
(2017)
|
Will Ashton
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That precise rhythm is found throughout the sequel, most certainly, but it's more repetitive this time. It's sometimes deathly familiar too.
Posted Dec 28, 2017
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7/10
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
(2016)
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Karen Han
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Fantastic Beasts is a charm, excelling when it's allowed to be its own creature and falling short only when it's forced to pay its franchise dues.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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5/10
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Captain Fantastic
(2016)
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Karen Han
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While the spirit of the movie is admirable, the constant tirades by the Cash family against typical society grow repetitive and lose their impact as a result, even as a device to show the difficulties in processing grief.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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9/10
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Little Men
(2016)
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Karen Han
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The film is quiet but vibrant, and Ira Sachs does a lovely job coaxing images to life out of stillness, and tenderness out of situations that might seem barren of it.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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9/10
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American Honey
(2016)
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Karen Han
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American Honey is undeniably gorgeous. It's drenched in color; it drips with it like, yes, honey. In the center of it all is Sasha Lane as Star, just as bright (if not brighter), and impossible not to watch.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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9/10
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The Lure
(2015)
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Karen Han
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The Lure is remarkable not just for its zaniness but for its willingness to let girls be girls. It's not a luxury often afforded to female characters, especially not in horror, and it's especially notable as the male characters are either food or flakes.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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3/10
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Punching Henry
(2016)
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Karen Han
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Sympathy is a dollar that can only be stretched so far, and it gives out halfway through the movie.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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5/10
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14 Minutes From Earth
(2016)
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Karen Han
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14 Minutes from Earth is diverting, but not much more than that. The lack of a driving motivator ultimately cripples it, turning it into what feels more like a science TV special than a documentary.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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10/10
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Toni Erdmann
(2016)
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Karen Han
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Toni Erdmann is a thing of rare beauty.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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10/10
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After the Storm
(2016)
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Karen Han
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The hard part is that it takes work, which isn't quite a message we associate with movies but which remains, as with the rest of the film, true to life. The resulting work is beautiful, and strikingly human.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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5/10
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All Nighter
(2017)
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Karen Han
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The story's just chaff; the movie's worth seeing for its performances if you're a fan of those involved. Otherwise, it's forgettable, just like the last hours of being up all night.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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Bitter Harvest
(2017)
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Karen Han
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Despite the fact that it was a genocide that claimed millions of lives, the Holodomor is not particularly well known. Bitter Harvest is not the film to bring attention to it.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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8/10
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All These Sleepless Nights
(2016)
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Karen Han
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The best thing I can say about it all is that it feels true to life; there's no easy way to explain the beginnings and endings of relationships, nor any easy way to navigate them.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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7/10
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The Last Laugh
(2016)
|
Colin Biggs
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Anyone looking for a definitive resolution the questions asked by Ferne Pearlstein's film will leave unsatisfied. There are no easy answers at film's end, and there shouldn't be.
Posted Nov 20, 2017
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5/10
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
(2016)
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Chris Evangelista
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By the time Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice concludes, don't be surprised if you're cranky and exhausted from its hectic, tumultuous conclusion.
Posted Nov 12, 2017
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9.5/10
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Dunkirk
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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With Dunkirk, Nolan has crafted a pulse-quickening, unrelenting 107 minute experience that grabs hold and refuses to let go until the credits roll.
Posted Nov 10, 2017
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10/10
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Okja
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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With Okja, Netflix has to put to bed any silly argument over big screen vs. small screen, because the simple fact is this movie would be a stunning masterpiece no matter what sized screen you watched it on.
Posted Nov 10, 2017
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8/10
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Wonder Woman
(2017)
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Chris Evangelista
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Wonder Woman is alive and in command in ways the other DCEU films can only dream about. It is, in short, heroic.
Posted Nov 10, 2017
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