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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
(2023)
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Terence Johnson
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By virtue of placing a character that is nearly street level with a universe threatening opponent, you have to make the movie rise to meet it. However Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is largely stuck in needing to be bigger.
Posted Feb 23, 2023
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M3GAN
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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M3GAN is crowd pleasing entertainment at its finest. The scares are effective but the filmmakers and cast know that it’s the foolishness we’re here for.
Posted Jan 06, 2023
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Babylon
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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Unfortunately for audiences, there’s only so much fine fabrics and gilded chandeliers can do. The film struggles to maintain any semblance of pace and there is distinct impression that the movie did not know how to end.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is certainly a lot of movie and a fitting tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman. While some mileage may vary with the pacing and plottiness, the movie does provide a thrilling entry in the saga of Wakanda.
Posted Nov 17, 2022
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Bros
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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Bros is a genuinely good time at the movies and hopefully a welcome step in the right direction towards more varied protagonists in studio pictures.
Posted Sep 30, 2022
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Don't Worry Darling
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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Although there were some entertaining moments, Don’t Worry Darling is unfortunately weighed down by the many issues in the script and the questions it brings forth, but refuses to and can’t answer.
Posted Sep 23, 2022
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Uncharted
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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A globe-hopping adventure that manages to be visually boring and charm-sucking.
Posted Aug 26, 2022
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Persuasion
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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Persuasion never gets to truly take off because it is trying to be both modern and period. There is far too much winking towards the camera.
Posted Aug 26, 2022
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40 Years Young
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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A very fun and breezy Netflix film.
Posted Aug 26, 2022
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Beast
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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What’s not to like? Seriously, this movie is very well made and it knows exactly what it was made to do, to thrill audiences.
Posted Aug 26, 2022
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Bullet Train
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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A fun movie that was just one script element and one plot point too much for itself.
Posted Aug 12, 2022
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Fire Island
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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There’s a great mix of earnestness and hijinks that kept me laughing throughout the film. It’s also a short but sweet look at the variances in the gay experience.
Posted Jun 07, 2022
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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You can feel the production and overall plan seeping into the storytelling in ways that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness doesn’t entirely have the strength to overcome.
Posted May 03, 2022
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The Bad Guys
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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With stylish flair and some fun turns, the film is a good example of how to adapt something with reverence while using the tools that make film such a fun medium.
Posted Apr 23, 2022
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The Northman
(2022)
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Terence Johnson
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Robert Eggers has established himself as a master of mood and tone since he dragged us by our eyebrows with The VVitch. Here, he’s working with a much broader canvas and a sizable budget, and acquits himself astoundingly well.
Posted Apr 23, 2022
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Spider-Man: No Way Home
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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This sort of well meaning, but poorly executed approach leads what could be interesting, to feel like nothing but fan service that doesn't do anything worthwhile for the previous stories or this one.
Posted Dec 23, 2021
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West Side Story
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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In their attempt to ground the musical and add new wrinkles, Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner actually work against the story. Expanding the narrative, adding in additional backstory, and trying to ground the movie didn't quite gel for me.
Posted Dec 04, 2021
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Red Rocket
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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It's a movie that's trying to get to a seedy awfulness of some truly foolish people but the way events unfold, particularly towards the end left a sour taste in my mouth.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
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Parallel Mothers
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Penelope Cruz is quite sensational in this movie; nobody understands her gifts or challenges her like Pedro, and it was great to see them working in concert together once again.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
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Good Madam
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Good Madam has an out of this world sound design, which is used to creepy and chilling effect at every turn. This South African horror film is 92 minutes of nerves.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
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Paris, 13th District
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Some really smart performances end up making this Jacques Audiard a winning effort.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
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To What Remains
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Despite the stories and the interesting topic, I couldn't quite get into the movie. I feel like the filmmaking choices weren't quite up to the material they were showcasing.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
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The Power of the Dog
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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The Power of the Dog is a movie I'm certain to be thinking about a lot in the coming days, if not for the rest of the year. Jane Campion has crafted a sterling film that everyone should see the second they get a chance.
Posted Nov 12, 2021
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Eternals
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Pretty images can only go so far and Eternals can't quite rise to its own formidable goals.
Posted Nov 04, 2021
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Dune
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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I loved how the movie gives you the tools you need to realize what's happening so that you can be immersed in the world of the characters.
Posted Oct 22, 2021
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Dear Evan Hansen
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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It's truly a shame that the cast brought their A game to a movie that was not as interested in serving their characters as they were
Posted Sep 22, 2021
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Blue Bayou
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Even when the movie dips or zigs when it should zag, the performances are enough of a delight to move you and make Blue Bayou a worthy watch.
Posted Sep 18, 2021
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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It's perfectly fine entertainment in the moment, but the overall staying power is pretty negligible.
Posted Aug 27, 2021
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Candyman
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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As a whole, these ideas don't cohere into an even, interesting picture, leaving Candyman feeling like a liquid amorphous thing rather than a solid entity.
Posted Aug 27, 2021
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Jungle Cruise
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Not offensive enough to be seen as a soulless cash grab but not good enough to make you feel that your time is being valued, Jungle Cruise is a misfire.
Posted Jul 30, 2021
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Black Widow
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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While I'm still not quite sure why the movie needed to exist in theory, I do think that Cate Shortland crafted a really fascinating and entertaining film.
Posted Jun 29, 2021
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Zola
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Director Janicza Bravo does some herculean work with this movie, handling the many elements with a deft hand. She has a really impressive eye for staging and understanding that sometimes the smallest details can make the biggest impact.
Posted Jun 29, 2021
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Cruella
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Look after look after look by Jenny Bevan helped this film feel like a breeze. This movie also breezes by on the delicious acting decisions made by Thompson who revels in the villain-y of the Baroness.
Posted Jun 01, 2021
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Army Of The Dead
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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The movie does not have enough interesting things going for it to uphold this run time.
Posted May 28, 2021
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Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train truly is a distillation of what makes the anime so great. The animation style is top tier, a dream to behold given that these characters move around so much when they fight.
Posted May 13, 2021
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Raya and the Last Dragon
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Raya and the Last Dragon proved that it was more than just an adventure film by being able to bring weighty themes and fun action beats together in a fun way.
Posted Mar 06, 2021
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Malcolm & Marie
(2021)
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Terence Johnson
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Yes, we enjoy getting to witness two people be awful, but if it doesn't come from a truly emotional place or have someone other than the main couple to bounce off, it just feels awful.
Posted Jan 26, 2021
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Wonder Woman 1984
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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The main problems for this film start with the script and its lack of attention to detail.
Posted Dec 26, 2020
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Hillbilly Elegy
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Both of those actresses are quite gifted at digging into characters, but this movie does not give them much tangible to grab hold of. This gets to the movie's fatal flaw: an inability to tap into anything specific to elevate the story.
Posted Nov 12, 2020
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Nine Days
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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I felt unmoored rather than inquisitive about the premise. The movie is at it's best when it relies on actors doing thing in a space to an amazing score, but the ideas didn't make me sit forward and ponder.
Posted Oct 23, 2020
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Uncle Frank
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Paul Bettany is really phenomenal in Uncle Frank... So phenomenal in fact that he singlehandedly helps rescue the movie from some plot foolery.
Posted Oct 23, 2020
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Wolfwalkers
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Beautiful images and a wonderful score make this movie a breezy watch.
Posted Oct 23, 2020
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The Boys in the Band
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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The Boys in the Band might be a classic text, but even with this new production, it feels more like a museum exhibit than a vibrant account of the past.
Posted Oct 07, 2020
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Mulan
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Stuck in a battle of wills between an American sensibility, the Chinese legend, and the spectre of a previous film. This battle extends to every arena of the film with the exception of the acting and gorgeous costume work.
Posted Sep 03, 2020
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Sputnik
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Sputnik rises above expectations by investing in the science and the characters, trusting that the amazing work of the cast and crew can carry the audience through. And carry us through they did.
Posted Aug 17, 2020
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Palm Springs
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Miliotti and Samberg are so brilliant in their roles, I was mesmerized. The depth of their performances in channeling varying degrees of weariness and struggle is worth the price of admission (or clicking play on Hulu).
Posted Jul 15, 2020
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The Old Guard
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Theron gives a great performance of the weariness of a cause and a lifetime of both great successes and failures. The movie also features wonderful diversity that's both integral and not for the story.
Posted Jul 15, 2020
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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
(2020)
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Terence Johnson
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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is the type of film that knows itself, and though it can't hold up entirely, I found the earnestness and quirkiness endearing.
Posted Jun 30, 2020
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The Vast of Night
(2019)
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Terence Johnson
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The Vast of Night has a lot going for it: it has a lot of mood, a lot of tone, a lot of fancy camera work, a lot of long takes where actors can chew into a lot of dialogue. However, even with all of this muchness, the movie never really seems to elevate.
Posted Jun 01, 2020
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15 Years
(2019)
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Terence Johnson
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Every single glance, pause, and tongue lashing in 15 Years is imbued with the 15-plus year history of these characters, and it is truly a sight to see.
Posted Apr 30, 2020
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