Hammer to Nail

Hammer to Nail is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Chase Whale, Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Don R. Lewis, Jessica Baxter
Rating Title/Year Author
Isaac (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed If the lessons are stark, the experience is always gripping. EDIT
Posted Feb 25, 2021
Dons of Disco (2018) Christopher Llewellyn Reed It's terrific fun, just like the music, itself, mostly thanks to the engaging presence of the two lead subjects. EDIT
Posted Feb 24, 2021
My Name Is Pauli Murray (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Enter My Name Is Pauli Murray, a stirring documentary that lays out all the reasons why its subject deserves her place in the annals of history. EDIT
Posted Feb 16, 2021
Prime Time (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed The beauty of Prime Time, beyond the fine central performances, is how little of [it] is spelled out, Piatek preferring hints and subtle reminders to blatant exposition. EDIT
Posted Feb 15, 2021
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed You'll cry, you'll laugh, and you'll learn something. Just like with Sesame Street, itself. EDIT
Posted Feb 10, 2021
Sabaya (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Though there is evil in this world, there are also those willing to fight back. This is their story. EDIT
Posted Feb 8, 2021
Writing with Fire (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Seeing them there, all together ... now empowered to be the best they can be, is an inspiring image that should give hope to oppressed individuals around the globe EDIT
Posted Feb 4, 2021
Searchers (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Though small in scale, the film is large in spirit and heart. EDIT
Posted Feb 4, 2021
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Lie down and prepare to hallucinate. EDIT
Posted Feb 3, 2021
Passing (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed The truth lies in the gaze, the touch and what is never quite spoken. There is no avoiding what the heart knows. In Passing, it eventually knows all. EDIT
Posted Feb 2, 2021
Rebel Hearts (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Kos walks us through that heady time, showcasing the movers, shakers, sheroes and villains, replicating a tumultuous history that speaks very much to our present time, as well. EDIT
Posted Feb 1, 2021
In the Same Breath (2021) Christopher Llewellyn Reed It's when we are in the heart of the tragedy that the movie works best, the pain of interview after interview accumulating in intensity EDIT
Posted Jan 30, 2021
Supernova (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Thanks to Tucci and Firth's heartfelt performances, we can agree or disagree with the choices made, but we can't look away. Theirs is a powerful light. EDIT
Posted Jan 29, 2021
Notturno (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Offsetting the harsh truths on the ground with strikingly composed shots ... Rosi creates a somber meditation on brutality and resilience. EDIT
Posted Jan 26, 2021
Sound of Metal (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed That's the essential beauty of the narrative: the sound of metal may be elusive, but it's sharp, like a dagger to the soul. EDIT
Posted Jan 22, 2021
Minor Premise (2020) Jessica Baxter With Minor Premise, Schultz has cemented himself as a sci-fi director to watch. I can only hope he doesn't let a budget destroy his creativity. EDIT
Posted Jan 22, 2021
One Night in Miami (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed What results is a profound study of class, race, religion and power in America, as vital now as ever. EDIT
Posted Jan 18, 2021
Herself (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Much more than a tale of victimhood, the movie delivers a rousing feminist narrative of discovered agency and pride of self. EDIT
Posted Jan 8, 2021
Corpus Christi (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed As much high-stakes psychological thriller as Passion play, Corpus Christi is never less than riveting. EDIT
Posted Dec 31, 2020
The Dissident (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed In this hard-hitting documentary, Fogel primarily explores Khashoggi's life, though his death certainly plays a role in the narrative. EDIT
Posted Dec 28, 2020
Sylvie's Love (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Writer/director Ashe ... himself a former musician, does a fine job with the details of both that era and the jazz setting. EDIT
Posted Dec 23, 2020
Promising Young Woman (2020) Jessica Baxter Honestly, this whole movie is one delicious smack in the face after another. EDIT
Posted Dec 18, 2020
Through the Night (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed It very much takes a village, and this one is proud and strong. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2020
Farewell Amor (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Msangi crafts a stirring immigrant tale that presents the kind of unique specificity that offers universal appeal. This world feels genuinely lived in and experienced. EDIT
Posted Dec 11, 2020
Funny Boy (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Like Arjie, the film has infectious joie de vivre. Let it wash over you. EDIT
Posted Dec 10, 2020
Happiest Season (2020) Jessica Baxter DuVall shares screenwriting credit with fellow Veep alum, Mary Holland. The script is sharp as a tack, and chock full of quotable lines. EDIT
Posted Dec 4, 2020
Black Bear (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Levine ... keeps us hooked, his elliptical plot folding in on itself halfway through, delivering a mirrored narrative that offers cinematic delights aplenty. EDIT
Posted Dec 4, 2020
Ammonite (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Winslet and Ronan are a perfect match, their gestures and looks at first at odds, then beautifully in sync, until circumstances once more force them apart. EDIT
Posted Dec 3, 2020
Mayor (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Osit is not out to tear down the Israeli state; he is here to make an observational documentary that humanizes a population all too often dehumanized. EDIT
Posted Dec 2, 2020
The Mystery of D.B. Cooper (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Told in a playful manner, with room for genuine emotion, as well, The Mystery of D.B. Cooper becomes, by the end, a meditation on the human need for myths and legends. EDIT
Posted Nov 24, 2020
The Viewing Booth (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed We all have our own "viewing booths," already, constantly with us. Who controls whom? That, indeed, is the essential question. EDIT
Posted Nov 23, 2020
Assassins (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed By the end, we have been transported into a tale of conspiracy and espionage, with a fair measure of social justice thrown in, too. EDIT
Posted Nov 20, 2020
Missing in Brooks County (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed However one might feel about border security, human lives and their loss deserve respect. In this film, we honor the dead. EDIT
Posted Nov 19, 2020
El Father Plays Himself (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Scarpelli ... is a gentle, observational presence, quietly gathering this remarkable footage of dysfunctional family dynamic with both sensitivity and confidence. EDIT
Posted Nov 18, 2020
The Meaning of Hitler (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed What is the "meaning of Hitler," then? That history is cyclical ... So be aware, be afraid, and do not give up the fight. EDIT
Posted Nov 17, 2020
Television Event (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Were people horrified? Yes! But they were also moved, and Daniels, in a film as entertaining as it is profound, makes sure we are, too. EDIT
Posted Nov 16, 2020
Proxima (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Winocour does a fine job examining the emotional impact on both mother and child. EDIT
Posted Nov 6, 2020
A Place Among The Dead (2020) Jessica Baxter A Place Among the Dead is an ultra-meta exploration on the ways in which pop culture glamorizes death and destruction whilst trading youth and beauty as currency. EDIT
Posted Nov 6, 2020
Kindred (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed What's past is present, and the present is still very much now. EDIT
Posted Nov 6, 2020
Citizen Bio (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Citizen Bio offers two parallel narratives: one a tale of hubris and its comeuppance, the other of the future of do-it-yourself science. It's the latter that truly captivates. EDIT
Posted Oct 30, 2020
() Jessica Baxter For those craving a dose of Unsolved Mysteries style conjecture, Breedlove presents plenty of theories on where Mothman comes from and what it might want. EDIT
Posted Oct 30, 2020
Us Kids (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Perhaps it's high past time for "us adults" to step up and be the change we see in these vibrant children. Let them be our guide and inspiration. EDIT
Posted Oct 30, 2020
Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Life is short; choose your personal journey well. EDIT
Posted Oct 27, 2020
Night of the Kings (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed All the elements ... along with lyrical singing and dancing, come together in a consistently thrilling mix, making of Night of the Kings a majestic cinematic experience. EDIT
Posted Oct 26, 2020
Fully Realized Humans (2020) Jessica Baxter Despite all that darkness, this is a comedy. There are a lot of hilarious scenes in Fully Realized Humans, EDIT
Posted Oct 22, 2020
After So Many Days (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed If in moments the movie overuses montages and cuts too quickly from scene to scene, there is nevertheless enough fascinating material here to deliver meaningful ... content. EDIT
Posted Oct 21, 2020
Martin Eden (2019) Christopher Llewellyn Reed It may leave us emotionally cold, but Martin Eden earns our respect as a near perfect amalgam of style and content. EDIT
Posted Oct 16, 2020
Totally Under Control (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed One thing is certain, which is that so many would not have died had anyone else been in charge. What to do? See you on election day. EDIT
Posted Oct 13, 2020
The Truffle Hunters (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed People chat, dogs dig, the forest rustles. What more does one need? EDIT
Posted Oct 9, 2020
Charm City Kings (2020) Christopher Llewellyn Reed Filled with strong dialogue and performances, the film is a sharp portrait of the pitfalls of despair and the joys of survival. This is America, circa 2020. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2020