MovieJawn

MovieJawn is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Dan Scully, Deborah Krieger, Fiona Underhill, Francis X. Friel, Gary M. Kramer, Jaime Davis, Rosalie Kicks, Ryan Silberstein
Rating Title/Year Author
Profile (2018) Dan Scully With the 'computer screen' movie subgenre being predominantly used for horror, it was nice to see it applied to a real world scenario so effectively. EDIT
Posted May 15, 2021
The Djinn (2021) Dan Scully The Djinn maintains a pretty consistent level of tension throughout, with a handful of tiny reprieves peppered here and there to make it all bearable. EDIT
Posted May 15, 2021
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) Ryan Silberstein There's a fair bit of True Grit DNA woven into the relationship between Hannah and Connor, and Jolie makes for a convincing Rooster Cogburn replacement. EDIT
Posted May 14, 2021
High Ground (2020) Gary M. Kramer Despite its flaws, High Ground is gorgeously filmed and features timely lessons about race and colonization. Its insights into Aboriginal culture are both valuable and welcome. EDIT
Posted May 14, 2021
1/4 Wrath of Man (2021) Rosalie Kicks This is a simple plot with a terrible execution. EDIT
Posted May 7, 2021
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (2021) Dan Scully Uses incredible behind the scenes footage to give us a rundown of the show's history, while also digging into its effects on society at large . EDIT
Posted Apr 24, 2021
Honeydew (2020) Dan Scully A welcome entry into the American rural horror canon. EDIT
Posted Apr 12, 2021
Hollow Point (2019) Gary M. Kramer Hollow Point lays every detail on thick, which blunts the film's effectiveness. EDIT
Posted Apr 8, 2021
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula (2020) Dan Scully There's another infection going around. It's called 'sequelitis' and Peninsula has a pretty rough case of it. EDIT
Posted Apr 4, 2021
French Exit (2020) Jaime Davis What the film lacks in razzle dazzle it makes up for in spades with Pfeiffer's sparkling performance alone. EDIT
Posted Apr 2, 2021
Concrete Cowboy (2020) Ryan Silberstein While most of Concrete Cowboy is perfectly fine...there are moments, here and there, where something stronger surfaces. EDIT
Posted Apr 2, 2021
Nobody (2021) Ryan Silberstein After so many other films in this subgenre, there's only so much mileage there, and the film's charm runs out fairly quickly. EDIT
Posted Mar 25, 2021
Long Weekend (2021) Gary M. Kramer Long Weekend is mostly undemanding. As long as viewers embrace the film's low-key pleasures, it makes for a passable time filler. EDIT
Posted Mar 12, 2021
Kid 90 (2021) Gary M. Kramer Kid 90 shows the pain and growth Frye has experienced and how she has survived and thrived. This documentary provides a not uninteresting glimpse into a rarified world. However, it may work best as an extended form of redemptive therapy for its filmmaker. EDIT
Posted Mar 12, 2021
Own the Room (2021) Jaime Davis Own the Room is the story of possibility, of daring to dream, of having the audacity to advocate for change even when people believe you can't or when life holds you back. EDIT
Posted Mar 10, 2021
Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know (2020) Dan Scully As much the telling of a specific achievement as it is a paean to the altruism of intellectual pursuit. EDIT
Posted Mar 5, 2021
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Ryan Silberstein ...the amount of healing and offering of redemption and atonement contained here is exactly the kind of story we all need to open ourselves up to. EDIT
Posted Mar 4, 2021
My Darling Supermarket (2019) Jaime Davis An affectionate look at the inner dimensions of a local grocery store and an enchanting peek behind the curtain at the hard-working folks who help make it possible to put food on our tables. EDIT
Posted Mar 3, 2021
The Mauritanian (2021) Jaime Davis The Mauritanian may not be the most artful or perfect film, but it's one that everyone should watch. EDIT
Posted Mar 3, 2021
Cherry (2021) Ryan Silberstein Cherry is a film so self-serious that there were moments I was concerned that it was supposed to be a parody that never once winked at its audience. EDIT
Posted Feb 26, 2021
Rage (2021) Gary M. Kramer Even as a low-budget film, where many of these elements-the "stylizing" acting, the intricate plotting-are expected, even desired, Rage feels both lazy and long. EDIT
Posted Feb 23, 2021
MAFIA INC (2020) Dan Scully At over two hours there is a lot of movie here, but none of it feels like dead weight. EDIT
Posted Feb 20, 2021
3/4 Blithe Spirit (2020) Rosalie Kicks BLITHE SPIRIT is a fun colorful remake to escape in. Check it out, it may even lift your spirits! EDIT
Posted Feb 19, 2021
4/4 Nomadland (2020) Rosalie Kicks With the breathtakingly stunning cinematography and magnificent score, I often found myself forgetting that this story is in fact heartbreaking. EDIT
Posted Feb 16, 2021
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021) Ryan Silberstein another example of when a familiar idea and setting are executed well, their familiarity is not a mark against it (and may even be an asset) EDIT
Posted Feb 15, 2021
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) Jaime Davis It remains to be seen how people will take to this completely bananapants movie, and I can't wait to hear what others think. EDIT
Posted Feb 12, 2021
3.5/4 The Pink Cloud (2021) Rosalie Kicks For a feature debut, this story strikes me as incredibly courageous and I can't wait to see what comes next for Iuli Gerbase. EDIT
Posted Feb 12, 2021
Minari (2020) Jaime Davis A true, classic example of A-game filmmaking and a beautiful story of what it means to be American EDIT
Posted Feb 11, 2021
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Ryan Silberstein udas and the Black Messiah, while providing important details and facts that American education often sidesteps, is a genuinely thrilling film. EDIT
Posted Feb 11, 2021
3.5/4 John and the Hole (2020) Rosalie Kicks If you're a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos or Lynne Ramsay, you'll probably enjoy this trip down the hole, just be prepared you may not find your way out. EDIT
Posted Feb 9, 2021
Sator (2019) Dan Scully So can a nightmare that is clearly quite personal to the filmmaker translate to fear within the viewer? Evidently, it can. EDIT
Posted Feb 8, 2021
The Reckoning (2021) Dan Scully Feels simultaneously neutered and in poor taste. EDIT
Posted Feb 8, 2021
Happy Times (2019) Gary M. Kramer Happy Times is uneven, but it hits its stride once the bodies start piling up. EDIT
Posted Feb 8, 2021
4/4 Pleasure (2021) Rosalie Kicks "Ninja Thyberg's keen sense of direction and her ability to bring the viewer into the space is extremely effective, making it so hard to look away." EDIT
Posted Feb 8, 2021
Earwig and the Witch (2020) Ryan Silberstein A couple of sequences have some charm to them, but even at 80 minutes, Earwig and the Witch feels like a slog. EDIT
Posted Feb 5, 2021
Malcolm & Marie (2021) Jaime Davis While you'd think watching a near two hour-long fight might get old after a while, Zendaya and JDW put in some real work to keep it interesting. EDIT
Posted Feb 4, 2021
3/4 Saint Maud (2019) Rosalie Kicks Rose Glass's feature debut is a moody and stylish slow burn that me in awe. EDIT
Posted Feb 3, 2021
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet (2021) Gary M. Kramer The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet is a minor film, but its deadpan qualities make it appealing. EDIT
Posted Feb 2, 2021
Violation (2021) Gary M. Kramer Violation is best when it revels in its ambiguity. The film's quiet, ominous ending may be its most unsettling moment-other than what transpires between Miriam and Dylan in the film's centerpiece. EDIT
Posted Feb 2, 2021
Away (2019) Ryan Silberstein Told without dialogue, this simple story is capably told through image alone. The effect feels like...an extended short film or a beautifully rendered video game. EDIT
Posted Feb 1, 2021
Palmer (2021) Ryan Silberstein ...whether it's the grounded performances of both Timberlake and Allen, or the film's refusal to look down on any of its characters, the sincerity comes right through. EDIT
Posted Feb 1, 2021
Son of Monarchs (2020) Gary M. Kramer Gambis' poetic film flits around... alternating between realistic and mystical, ultimately leaving viewers dazzled if mystified. EDIT
Posted Jan 29, 2021
The Night (2020) Dan Scully If not for a third act that sags, it borders on great for the majority of its runtime. EDIT
Posted Jan 29, 2021
The Queen of Black Magic (2020) Dan Scully The Queen of Black Magic is not a spin-off of The Conjuring, but it's the wildest, most splattery spin-off of The Conjuring that I've ever seen. EDIT
Posted Jan 29, 2021
1.5/4 The Little Things (2021) Rosalie Kicks The Little Things is trying so hard to be something grandiose and, instead, ended up as a predictable slog. EDIT
Posted Jan 27, 2021
Pieces of a Woman (2020) Jaime Davis While I have problems with the finished product, the fact that it was wrought out of pain to provide relief makes it worth watching. EDIT
Posted Jan 27, 2021
Lennox Lewis: The Untold Story (2020) Dan Scully While the film feels like much more of a TV special than a piece of cinema, it's also an extremely compelling documentary. EDIT
Posted Jan 20, 2021
One Night in Miami (2020) Jaime Davis The film feels like a door opening, one in which the audience catches a glimpse of what might have been, what these men might have truly been like on the inside, which is just enough to inspire you to learn so much more about all four of them. EDIT
Posted Jan 15, 2021
Love Sarah (2020) Gary M. Kramer The cinematic confection, Love Sarah, is like those pastries that look good but are tasteless. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2021
Stars Fell on Alabama (2021) Gary M. Kramer Stars Fell on Alabama is as gentle and likable as the romantic country song that gives this modest, charming film its title.... downright enchanting. EDIT
Posted Jan 8, 2021