|
C+
|
When You Finish Saving the World
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
When You Finish Saving the World is a solid family drama that isn’t heavy-handed. It’s a promising debut film for Jesse Eisenberg but it’s also not fantastic either.
Posted Jan 27, 2023
|
|
B+
|
You People
(2023)
|
Julian Lytle
|
You People is a very well-written and performed comedy that juggles many situations yet stays relatable with a good message of coming together despite our differences.
Posted Jan 27, 2023
|
|
B+
|
Missing
(2023)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Missing is a great thriller with a mystery that’s fun to try and figure out, all while perfecting a new type of film.
Posted Jan 19, 2023
|
|
B
|
Plane
(2023)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Plane is a knowingly silly action movie with a likable cast and an easy-to-follow narrative. It falls into some old stereotypes but is fun enough for you to ignore the problems and enjoy the ride.
Posted Jan 13, 2023
|
|
B
|
House Party
(2023)
|
Julian Lytle
|
House Party is a fun and cool comedy that is able to take its classic name and become something new and fresh for now while keeping with the quality of the original.
Posted Jan 13, 2023
|
|
B+
|
M3GAN
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Throw away any doubts that this is another tired evil doll movie and go check out the first real banger of 2023, starring the best robot babysitter/friend in the game: M3GAN.
Posted Jan 06, 2023
|
|
B
|
A Man Called Otto
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
A Man Called Otto is a nice movie that will entertain you with a good message (even if you can’t buy into Tom Hanks being a mean old man).
Posted Jan 06, 2023
|
|
C
|
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
It’s the script and the editing that really affects this film and doesn’t do service to Whitney Houston’s legacy.
Posted Dec 27, 2022
|
|
A
|
Strange World
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Strange World is a fun and immaculate film using pulp and golden age aesthetics to tell a very modern tale that works on many different levels for many different audiences.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
A
|
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is an S-tier modern whodunnit mystery with great direction and excellent performances. One of the most fulfilling film-going experiences I’ve seen this year.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
B+
|
The Menu
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
The Menu is a well-made and fun horror-satire that smartly dabbles in class, wealth, and criticism, featuring a good, strong cast.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
C+
|
Devotion
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Devotion is your standard holiday season fare that does well with war movie and biopic tropes but it’s not impressive in the slightest. You might feel it flies too close to other tropes you don’t like.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
A
|
Violent Night
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Violent Night is an unforgettable new Christmas action classic, perfect for those who want to hate on Die Hard being a holiday classic—now you have one that is undeniable.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
C
|
Emancipation
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Emancipation is a different type of historical slave movie but not different enough to really stand out and be interesting.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Women Talking
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
The filmmaking is solid, and the pacing is good. The film also intelligently handles the subject of violence by alluding to it instead of showing it.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
C
|
Spoiler Alert
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
I do think Spoiler Alert would’ve been better served by streaming than a theatrical release but, hey, we all could be surprised by its box-office fate.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
B
|
The Whale
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
The Whale is a heartbreaking film with an astounding performance by Brenden Fraser—he is the reason to see it.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
C
|
Babylon
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Babylon is an overly long film that feels more strongly about capturing the vibes of 1920s Hollywood than actually telling a substantial story with a point and theme.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is an enjoyable animated film and probably one of the year’s best ones, injecting a fresh look and completely reinvigorating a pretty cold franchise.
Posted Dec 20, 2022
|
|
A
|
Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Avatar: The Way of Water is equally impressive in its technical merits and in its storytelling merits. It’s one of the best films of 2022, easy.
Posted Dec 13, 2022
|
|
|
Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
Avatar: The Way of Water is unfaltering in its high-octane action but it is infused with a steady emotional pulse. That is what keeps it centered; every character arc and plotline pays off.
Posted Dec 13, 2022
|
|
|
Darby and the Dead
(2022)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
If you’re expecting ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE then Darby is happy to defy your expectations.
Posted Dec 02, 2022
|
|
|
The Fabelmans
(2022)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
This harmony of story, visuals, and sentiment makes The Fabelmans a weaver of spells; it’s just so lovely and funny and frustrating in its candor; so relatable in its openness.
Posted Nov 22, 2022
|
|
B+
|
The Banshees of Inisherin
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
The Banshees of Inisherin is an engaging film that works as a solid drama or dark comedy-drama, depending on your humor, that you should go and see.
Posted Nov 21, 2022
|
|
B
|
The Inspection
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
The Inspection is a well-done new story in a well-worn movie subgenre with a great performance by Jeremy Pope and a solid debut from filmmaker Elegance Bratton.
Posted Nov 21, 2022
|
|
B
|
One Piece Film Red
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
One Piece film: Red is a great One Piece film, but it’s one for the Straw Hats fandom more than everyone else.
Posted Nov 11, 2022
|
|
C+
|
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has the unenviable task of continuing on without its star but, in reckoning with that, it loses focus on how it wants to go forward.
Posted Nov 11, 2022
|
|
|
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(2022)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
Wakanda Forever is warm, exciting, and a heartfelt tribute but I might’ve liked it more if it had done less.
Posted Nov 10, 2022
|
|
|
Enola Holmes 2
(2022)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
The women in this tale are as well voiced as opera divas, as unbowed as suffragettes, and as brilliant as any mastermind.
Posted Nov 01, 2022
|
|
C
|
Armageddon Time
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Armageddon Time may be an excellent film for some but its handling of race will leave others very cold.
Posted Oct 28, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Causeway
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Causeway is a great drama with strong star performances. It’s worth seeing either in the theater or at home.
Posted Oct 28, 2022
|
|
C
|
Ticket to Paradise
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Ticket to Paradise is not a great watch, and you don’t need to go to the theater for it but it’s still a decent comfort food of a movie.
Posted Oct 21, 2022
|
|
B
|
Werewolf by Night
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Werewolf by Night tells a focused story that doesn’t overstay its welcome and has fun experimenting with the visual look of an MCU chapter.
Posted Oct 20, 2022
|
|
A
|
Tár
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Tár is probably the real start of the Oscar film season with this amazingly crafted film with stellar performances. It should easily put Cate Blanchett back in the Best Actress Award contenders this year.
Posted Oct 20, 2022
|
|
B
|
Black Adam
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Black Adam changes the power structure of the DC Universe by being a really good superhero movie that should please a wide range of fans from the diehard to the casual.
Posted Oct 20, 2022
|
|
D+
|
Blonde
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Blonde does just as much of a disservice to Marilyn Monroe as the men in her life did.
Posted Sep 29, 2022
|
|
C
|
Hocus Pocus 2
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Hocus Pocus 2 doesn’t feel like a total waste of time but it also feels like the most Disney Channel movie I’ve seen on Disney+ since its debut.
Posted Sep 29, 2022
|
|
C
|
Don't Worry Darling
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
It works well with Florence Pugh as our protagonist but it’s a bit too long and it thinks it’s smarter than it is…it might be better on cable.
Posted Sep 21, 2022
|
|
|
The Woman King
(2022)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
See it as many times as your budget will allow, The Woman King gives us new heroes to cheer for and enough action to fuel new dreams.
Posted Sep 15, 2022
|
|
C
|
Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
This 2022 Pinocchio is a weird mix of over-adherence to what has come before and changes reaching for a modern sensibility, but it never makes an effort to do either entirely.
Posted Sep 08, 2022
|
|
B
|
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is an excellent directorial debut by Adamma Ebo with fantastic performances.
Posted Sep 01, 2022
|
|
D
|
Funny Pages
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Funny Pages has a title that is misleading as it’s not funny or even entertaining and doesn’t portray anything about cartoonists well.
Posted Aug 26, 2022
|
|
A
|
Three Thousand Years of Longing
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Three Thousand Years of Longing is a beautiful modern fairytale that will have you thinking about it for days.
Posted Aug 26, 2022
|
|
B
|
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is another excellent and fun Dragon Ball story that will get you ready to watch it over and over again.
Posted Aug 16, 2022
|
|
B+
|
INU-OH
(2021)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Inu-Oh is a beautifully animated film that’s touching and rousing throughout from one of the best filmmakers today.
Posted Aug 12, 2022
|
|
B
|
Day Shift
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Day Shift is a fun delight of a genre action movie that is one good Netflix success this summer.
Posted Aug 12, 2022
|
|
D
|
Bullet Train
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Bullet Train is a brainless action movie that the star-studded cast can’t save.
Posted Aug 11, 2022
|
|
B
|
Bodies Bodies Bodies
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a fun comedic mystery thriller with a great young cast and good performances.
Posted Aug 11, 2022
|
|
|
INU-OH
(2021)
|
Sherin Nicole
|
Inu-Oh is an inventive and beautiful animated rock opera set in an alternate feudal Japan. You get drawn into the folklore and big performances that are like a Bowie show if Es Devlin designed the set. It’s incredible
Posted Aug 10, 2022
|
|
A
|
Prey
(2022)
|
Julian Lytle
|
Prey is an awesome restart of the Predator franchise featuring a fantastic new heroine with a star-making performance.
Posted Aug 03, 2022
|
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