Bust Magazine

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating Title/Year Author
Starfish (2016) Deborah Krieger Starfish was written, directed, and scored by A. T. White, primarily a musician by trade, and it's completely fitting in how it uses sound to fully evoke the horror elements of the story. EDIT
Posted Apr 19, 2019
3/5 Family (2018) Laura Steinel In the end, though, Family is yet another uptight-career-woman-learns-how-to-loosen-up story-with some added Juggalos. EDIT
Posted Apr 19, 2019
Josie and the Pussycats (2001) Emma Davey It's a silly film, yes, but it also served as a critical commentary to the culture of the early aughts. EDIT
Posted Apr 11, 2019
5/5 Gloria Bell (2018) Jenni Miller Moore is endlessly watchable. EDIT
Posted Mar 8, 2019
Nancy (2018) Deborah Krieger Riseborough, so appealing in Battle of the Sexes and amusingly histrionic in The Death of Stalin, is astonishing in the lead role. EDIT
Posted Feb 11, 2019
The Craft (1996) Jessica Guess We watched Rochelle take her own power and take her own revenge. It is one of the many reasons why The Craft was ahead of its time. EDIT
Posted Jan 30, 2019
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Samantha Mann It's complex and hilarious, and not hilarious at the expense of the film's two female leads. EDIT
Posted Jan 24, 2019
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) Emma Davey It's a shame that such a didactic script and the attachment of Brian Singer taints what could have been a genuine and touching story. EDIT
Posted Jan 8, 2019
The New Romantic (2018) Deborah Krieger The New Romantic (the debut feature of writer-director Carly Stone) is too slight, both in terms of theme and general characterization, to match up to Barden's performance (which will probably not get the attention it deserves). EDIT
Posted Jan 3, 2019
5/5 On the Basis of Sex (2018) Lydia Wang A lush, emotional celebration of one of the greatest trailblazers of our time. EDIT
Posted Dec 19, 2018
Destroyer (2018) Jenni Miller Director Karyn Kusama's deft eye for grit and action gives Kidman a safe space to let loose in a way her previous roles have only hinted at. EDIT
Posted Dec 19, 2018
The American Meme (2018) Deborah Krieger Unpacks and reveals the ecosystem of social media celebrity with incredible thoughtfulness. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2018
Vox Lux (2018) Erika W. Smith Vox Lux is no Black Swan. EDIT
Posted Dec 7, 2018
Mary Queen of Scots (2018) Erika W. Smith But I wish the cast, costume director, and hair and makeup team had a better story to work with. EDIT
Posted Dec 7, 2018
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin (2018) Alexandra Vlak Cipolle Worlds is a much-needed antidote for the world right now... EDIT
Posted Nov 26, 2018
Brand New Old Love (2018) Deborah Krieger While Brand New Old Love is ostensibly a romantic comedy about two friends who fulfill their high-school pledge to marry each other by age thirty, it's also an honest, unglamorous exploration of what it means to be an adult in the 2010s. EDIT
Posted Nov 15, 2018
4/5 The Long Dumb Road (2018) Samantha Ladwig Falls prey to predictability. But what the film lacks in surprises, it makes up for with fresh jokes, engaging narrative, and solid performances... EDIT
Posted Nov 9, 2018
Beautiful Boy (2018) Eliza C. Thompson In less capable hands, Nic could come off as entitled or smarmy, but Chalamet never plays him that way, and he never lets Nic's addictive tics slip into parody. EDIT
Posted Nov 6, 2018
Suspiria (2018) Eliza C. Thompson Still, no amount of-minor spoiler alert-blood geysers can quell the feeling that the whole of Suspiria doesn't add up to the sum of its witchy parts. EDIT
Posted Nov 2, 2018
4/5 Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) Erika W. Smith McCarthy proves she can do dark comedy and drama just as well as she does slapstick. EDIT
Posted Oct 19, 2018
Sadie (2018) Samantha Ladwig It's a moving meditation on the consequences of brutish escapism. EDIT
Posted Oct 12, 2018
Paper Year (2017) Deborah Krieger Jogia and Hewson are entirely believable in capturing and portraying deep affection and adoration for one another, which makes it all the more affecting when their relationship breaks down. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
4/5 Colette (2018) Erika W. Smith [Colette and Missy's] sweet, supportive romance is a highlight here. EDIT
Posted Sep 20, 2018
3/5 Assassination Nation (2018) Alex Vasquez A high stimulus collage of colors and vibrations. EDIT
Posted Sep 20, 2018
2/5 The Bookshop (2017) Samantha Ladwig The book doesn't translate well onscreen. Its unnecessary narration squeezes the life out of its actors, leaving them little to work with, and thus not making use of their talent. EDIT
Posted Sep 14, 2018
3/5 Lizzie (2018) Erika W. Smith The first half of Lizzie is, for the most part, strong. Macneill successfully builds tension slowly. EDIT
Posted Sep 14, 2018
5/5 Crazy Rich Asians (2018) Jennifer Chen Sure, Crazy Rich Asians doesn't capture my Asian American experience growing up in America, but it hits all the right notes. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2018
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) Deborah Krieger The energetic, game cast and smart writing that makes To All the Boys I've Loved Before one of the best romantic comedies in years, and the strongest outing in the genre released by Netflix thus far. EDIT
Posted Aug 21, 2018
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018) Sarah A. Lybrand Gadsby turns comedy on its head. EDIT
Posted Aug 13, 2018
BlacKkKlansman (2018) Erika W. Smith The movie is smart, funny, and insightful. EDIT
Posted Aug 10, 2018
4/5 Madeline's Madeline (2018) Erika W. Smith The acting here is strong, particularly from Helena Howard-it's hard to believe this is her debut. EDIT
Posted Aug 10, 2018
4/5 Skate Kitchen (2018) Erika W. Smith Although Vinberg is a talented actor, several of the supporting characters hint at stories that would be far more interesting than the familiar "naive teenager moves to New York City" narrative. EDIT
Posted Aug 10, 2018
4/5 The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) Erika W. Smith Moretz gives a strong performance and Ehle makes for a frightening villain. EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2018
Nico, 1988 (2017) Michael Levine Dyrholm's brilliant performance authentically embodies Nico's inner turmoil. EDIT
Posted Aug 2, 2018
Zoe (2018) Deborah Krieger Details are drowned in the tortured love story, which does McGregor, a normally incredibly appealing and captivating actor, precisely zero favors. EDIT
Posted Jul 24, 2018
5/5 Eighth Grade (2018) Jenni Miller Elsie Fisher carries the movie in a performance that's nuanced and thoughtful. EDIT
Posted Jul 13, 2018
Hearts Beat Loud (2018) Deborah Krieger Offerman is strong in his role, and Kiersey Clemons is a star in the making, if not already. EDIT
Posted Jul 2, 2018
Three Identical Strangers (2018) Erika W. Smith Beneath the heartwarming story is another, much more disturbing, one. EDIT
Posted Jun 29, 2018
5/5 Leave No Trace (2018) Victoria Albert [Thomasin McKenzie's] acting, like Foster's, is flawless, and their father-daughter rapport rings true from the film's first moments. EDIT
Posted Jun 28, 2018
Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits (2017) Michael Levine Now, The Slits' story is properly documented for the future generations to come. EDIT
Posted Jun 28, 2018
2/5 Boundaries (2018) Erika W. Smith Comedies about mental illness that are funny, creative, and take mental health seriously do exist... but Boundaries is not one of them. EDIT
Posted Jun 25, 2018
2/5 The Year of Spectacular Men (2017) Samantha Ladwig The narrative sloppily whizzes through character introductions, making the sometimes-comical hodgepodge of plot points seem unmotivated and nonsensical. EDIT
Posted Jun 18, 2018
2/5 On Chesil Beach (2017) Samantha Ladwig Falls prey to the "if you didn't read the book then you won't understand the movie" arc. So maybe read the book first. EDIT
Posted Jun 7, 2018
4/5 That Summer (2017) Courtney Bissonette Grey Gardens purists might find it jarring to see the isolated icons fully clothed and interacting with outsiders, but this prequel still contains plenty of tough love between two high-class outcasts. EDIT
Posted Jun 5, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Anna Greer Solo may not be the best Star Wars movie (it's definitely not the worst), but it's an important one that should provoke conversations. EDIT
Posted May 30, 2018
3/5 Ibiza (2018) Erika W. Smith If you don't think too hard about the plot, you'll end up laughing plenty EDIT
Posted May 29, 2018
5/5 Book Club (2018) Courtney Bissonette The four actresses deliver their lines so well that it seems criminal that we had to wait til 2018 to see this sort of thing happen. EDIT
Posted May 18, 2018
4/5 () Erika W. Smith An unnecessary flash-forward makes the pace drag, but overall, this is a well-done adaptation of a classic play. EDIT
Posted May 11, 2018
4/5 6 Balloons (2018) Elizabeth F. Olson Jacobson's performance was nothing short of stunning. EDIT
Posted May 4, 2018
4/5 Tully (2018) Erika W. Smith Though the ending is a little heavy-handed, Diablo Cody's smart, funny dialogue makes Tully an enjoyable watch even when it's uncomfortable, and Charlize Theron gives a strong performance as an exhausted, burnt-out mom. EDIT
Posted May 3, 2018