Fresh Fiction - Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Fiction

Fresh Fiction is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Courtney Howard, James Clay
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
B+
Vice (2018)

James Clay

VICE warns a cautionary tale of power that breaks the fourth wall, throws the rules of cinema out the window to become one of the most creative and entertaining films for adults this year.
Posted Dec 17, 2018
2
B-
Once Upon a Deadpool (2018)

James Clay

This neutered version of DEADPOOL 2 has no reason to exist on its own terms, as literally everything content wise you most likely have at home already, but the charm is still there.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
3
C+
Roma (2018)

James Clay

This Netflix original lacks agency within its' character beats that have a frustrating passivity to the narrative. [Alfonso] Cuarón's film comes to the brink of being cruel to its setting and characters.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
4
B+
Creed II (2018)

James Clay

CREED II find a legacy through making mistakes. It's messy, and we don't always bring out the best parts of ourselves. The trick is to breathe, listen, open up.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
5
B
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen (2018)

James Clay

The documentary directed by Steve Mitchell comes from a place of absolute love for this filmmaker who paved the way for many artists who came after and he inspired a generation of filmmakers to produce greatness on the fly.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
6
C
Destroyer (2018)

James Clay

[Karyn] Kusama's film has an appealing grittiness to its subject matter, yet somehow in execution, this hard-boiled tale become a bit too stale with tropes that have been seen in this genre before.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
7
B+
Hold the Dark (2018)

James Clay

It's a shame that the masses won't get to see this on the big screen, but those looking to access a meditative campfire tale will be more than thrilled.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
8
B
Overlord (2018)

James Clay

Maybe the studio is to blame for wanting to reign in its filmmakers quite a bit. However, there's enough madness to keep any Nazi hater satiated.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
9
B+
The Perfection (2018)

James Clay

This film is an absolute blast. It's an empowering message marred in horror, tragedy and overall WTF gasps. It's surely one of the most riveting films of the year and will be burned into your brain long after its ghastly crescendo.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
10
C+
Kursk (2018)

James Clay

Moments of suspense are abound here, but not abundant.
Posted Dec 15, 2018
11
C
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)

James Clay

[The film] is attempting to accomplish too much human growth at one time, which ends up coming across as meandering, even if there are true nuggets of wisdom buried underneath.
Posted Dec 14, 2018
12
B-
Equalizer 2 (2018)

James Clay

[Denzel] Washington doesn't bring anything novel to his acting tool belt, yet it has enough focus to become a successful B-movie, even if it is weirdly preachy.
Posted Dec 14, 2018
13
F
Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

James Clay

Its laziness is only topped by its sadistic (and terribly problematic) approach to putting its victims in peril for the sake of its viewers.
Posted Dec 14, 2018
14
B
Leave No Trace (2018)

James Clay

Narratively, LEAVE NO TRACE falls flat, yet [Thomasin] McKenzie's performance is unlike anything that's been shown this year.
Posted Dec 14, 2018
15
C
The First Purge (2018)

James Clay

This is a film that wants to be junk food for the genre crowd while attempting to operate on a not-so-subtle plain offering up political allegories.
Posted Dec 14, 2018
16
B+
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)

James Clay

This isn't a cautionary tale; just a story of horrific happenstance, which is all the more chilling given the stark reality of this systemic problem.
Posted Dec 14, 2018
17
B+
You Were Never Really Here (2018)

James Clay

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE beautifully blends the visual and aural power that cinema has to offer.
Posted Dec 13, 2018
18
A
Isle of Dogs (2018)

James Clay

It's an overwhelming experience to see how man and dog have magnetic pulls on one another, but the journey to get to that place of trust isn't as easy as giving a dog a bit of a "Puppy Snap."
Posted Dec 12, 2018
19
B+
Eighth Grade (2018)

James Clay

Anxiety is only one click away.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
20
B
Early Man (2018)

James Clay

The film finds its largest success in its beautifully British disposition and its singular animation style.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
21
D
Geostorm (2017)

James Clay

This low-rent disaster film doesn't even have the campy charm that could and should make a movie called GEOSTORM have some form of value.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
22
B-
Mom and Dad (2018)

James Clay

MOM AND DAD won't be an instant cult classic, but it will make you think twice before being rude to your parents at dinner.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
23
B+
The Shape of Water (2017)

James Clay

[Guillermo] del Toro's love of nostalgia gets in the way of moving the story forward. It has a familiarity that hinders the newness and excitement of the downright incredible moments of character.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
24
B
I, Tonya (2018)

James Clay

This isn't a story of a life lost, but she could have been so much more and that is the real tragedy. This is about as American as it gets.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
25
B-
Suburbicon (2017)

James Clay

Despite its roundabout way of making a point on racial ethics, the film is dipped into a half-baked murder mystery that's oddly daring and quite possibly incompetent (although the material works in a head-scratching kind of way).
Posted Dec 12, 2018
26
B
Bodied (2018)

James Clay

The hyper-stylized world [Joseph] Kahn creates has an artistry that barrels its way into the social consciousness in a manner that few films would ever attempt.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
27
C-
Porto (2017)

James Clay

PORTO is more of an academic exercise, rather than a film with a thesis.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
28
B+
Lady Bird (2017)

James Clay

Gerwig's film isn't quirky for the sake of quirks; she connects her themes of family, faith, and freedom into a wheel of curiosity that allows you to travel along and gain a unique perspective...
Posted Dec 12, 2018
29
B+
Last Flag Flying (2017)

James Clay

LAST FLAG FLYING tackles what goes on the minds of not-so-happy veterans without serving the jingoistic conservatism that so many military films find themselves worshipping.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
30
C+
The Mountain Between Us (2017)

James Clay

An icy romance with peaks and valleys.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
31
B
Gemini (2018)

James Clay

GEMINI isn't going to be easily categorized, but it puts a premium on its storytelling while still remaining a chin-stroking puzzle.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
32
D
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

James Clay

ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE is no doubt a crowd-pleaser that wears its heart on its bloody sleeve. That's fine and well, but a Christmas-zombie-musical has got to have a reason for its existence other than, "Well, this sounds fun!"
Posted Dec 12, 2018
33
A-
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

James Clay

KILLING OF A SACRED DEER treats love as a disease, one that must be evaporated to live an efficient life. And while the romantic side of a person is hard to turn off, the fight for survival is much stronger.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
34
B
mother! (2017)

James Clay

While [Darren] Aronofsky will be accused of taking it "too far," and he does (one scene in particular), MOTHER! exemplifies a filmmaker acting on pure id.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
35
A
Good Time (2017)

James Clay

But ultimately, love is what fuels this traumatic night - brotherly love, the love of the chase and the freedom that money provides. GOOD TIME traps its characters in a world lacking empathy, and as a result, there is nothing left to lose.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
36
A
Wind River (2017)

James Clay

WIND RIVER proves now that Taylor Sheridan is one of the great contemporary American storytellers.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
37
B
The Little Hours (2017)

James Clay

THE LITTLE HOURS dares to be different in a world of filmmaking that exclaims the only way to be successful is to assimilate.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
38
B+
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

James Clay

Not only is it a fun ride as a superhero romp, but the bubbly pace will also warrant multiple viewings. This is finally a fresh take on the classic hero. Welcome home, buddy.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
39
A
The Big Sick (2017)

James Clay

this is a real American story about cultures clashing and finding a common ground. [Emily] Gordon and [Kumail] Nanjiani's writing shows that we as Americans have many more similarities than we realize; all we have to do is dig deeper.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
40
B+
The Beguiled (2017)

James Clay

Far too many times on camera, and in real life, women are subtly and not-so-subtly informed by popular culture to suppress their sexuality, and this film is a direct comment on that notion.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
41
B
All Eyez on Me (2017)

James Clay

ALL EYEZ ON ME will, without a doubt, have value to a viewer - and even though this is a hugely flawed film, this man's life will forever be fascinating to observe and cherish
Posted Dec 12, 2018
42
B-
Rough Night (2017)

James Clay

ROUGH NIGHT is a mixed bag of party favors that has an acceptable amount of laughs throughout. But relying too heavily on the character dynamics was a fatal flaw.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
43
F
Everything, Everything (2017)

James Clay

The saving grace is the whole film's absurdity that makes it worth watching.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
44
C-
The Wall (2017)

James Clay

[Doug] Liman can't find anything fascinating for his characters to do except writhe in the misery of being in the desert with a gunshot wound and cottonmouth.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
45
A-
The Lost City of Z (2017)

James Clay

It's truly a throwback that's epic in scale, yet sharp with its emotional punch.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
46
C+
Ghost in the Shell (2017)

James Clay

GHOST IN THE SHELL isn't the disaster that the film community could have imagined. While it's visually sumptuous, the films lacks a narrative husk.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
47
D+
Wilson (2017)

James Clay

Director Craig Johnson and screenwriter Daniel Clowes get so caught up in the quirks of their lead character that they forget to build the film around the central character.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
48
B
T2 Trainspotting (2017)

James Clay

For a film that doesn't fully capture the moment that we all shared in 1996, T2 finds its footing gracefully while stumbling at times to earnestly wear its heart on its sleeve.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
49
A-
The Disaster Artist (2017)

James Clay

This isn't the next coming of a great meta-masterpiece, but its largely a damn good retelling of one of Hollywood's most beautiful disasters.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
50
C
Song to Song (2017)

James Clay

Though there are times when you're dying for any excuse to look away from the monotony of the montage, it's yet another vanity project that's as isolating as it is immersive.
Posted Dec 12, 2018