The Script Lab

The Script Lab is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Nguyen Le, Valerie Kalfrin
Rating Title/Year Author
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) Valerie Kalfrin The cinematography, editing, and sound pack a surprising amount of suspense, no small feat considering audiences know the outcome. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
La La Land (2016) Valerie Kalfrin [Stone and Gosling] might not have the fancy footwork of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but they're radiant together nonetheless, zinging through their rapport as well as their steps. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
Passengers (2016) Valerie Kalfrin The considerable charisma and chemistry of Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence keep the sci-fi adventure Passengers afloat, even if the script easily fixes its most fascinating problems. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) Valerie Kalfrin [Keanu] Reeves's Zen-like cool serves him well here. He's like an athlete resorting to muscle memory, lethal and lightning quick as he automatically falls into what he's done best. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
Captain America: Civil War (2016) Valerie Kalfrin It's also packed with stellar action sequences, flashes of humor, and chemistry among the characters that are sheer fun to watch. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Valerie Kalfrin It's a wonderfully rollicking adventure populated with beloved, familiar characters and intriguing new ones, all with earnest performances and striking chemistry. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
Spotlight (2015) Valerie Kalfrin The script... is a marvel of conveying a dense amount of information and characterization with intelligence, grace, and a surprising amount of tension. EDIT
Posted Jan 14, 2020
Kong: Skull Island (2017) Nguyen Le With a banquet of beasts, stylish beasts-versus-humans set pieces and gruesome deaths on both sides, Kong: Skull Island is a creature feature hell bent on thrilling its audience. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Logan (2017) Nguyen Le Bless director James Mangold and crew ... [for understanding that] for Logan's journey to end on an appropriately high note, all leashes must be taken off. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
The Red Turtle (2016) Nguyen Le The finest love letter imaginable to what is quickly becoming an obsolete art. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
A Cure for Wellness (2016) Nguyen Le In spite of the self-indulgent length, audiences are unlikely to find themselves dozing off - not when Verbinski is serving the imagery. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) Nguyen Le It's strange to see Cage here ... parading around in action sequences that feels so detached from the franchise's roots. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Silence (2016) Nguyen Le It's through this simplicity that depictions of love for Jesus ... subtly stir while the shoguns' brutality ties knots in stomachs. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Passengers (2016) Nguyen Le There is a rush to get to Imagine Dragons' new song and the accompanying nebula-laden credits. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
The Jungle Book (2016) Nguyen Le A jungle that honors Kipling's work (and Disney's adaptation) to the fullest extent and translates it into the most visually lush film of 2016 so far. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Nguyen Le [An] exercise that revels in thwarting expectations and turning knuckles white. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
The Finest Hours (2016) Nguyen Le Like the sea itself, [the film] is uneven and choppy at certain points, and it's at its worst when it's ashore ... Even the direction seems eager to get to the ocean. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Chi-Raq (2015) Nguyen Le By seemingly sidelining narrative coherence to bring forth its themes, the film offers an experience that is both special and irritating (and often at the same time). EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
In the Heart of the Sea (2015) Nguyen Le The film could have been more, given the talent involved, but tough it is to control a ship with a poorly-designed rudder. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Brooklyn (2015) Nguyen Le An ode to homesickness and longing that also serves as an essential destination for theater-goers this Holiday season. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Crimson Peak (2015) Nguyen Le Gorgeous, if unsurprising, waltz of crime and blood courtesy of Guillermo del Toro. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Goodnight Mommy (2014) Nguyen Le The experience is slow, but every dose of discomfort will seep into your skin. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) Nguyen Le We're taken it upon ourselves to warn travelers that this hotel has become the sort of soulless castle Dracula fears. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Southpaw (2015) Nguyen Le There's a heavy suggestion that a list with every cliché of sports dramas and personal dramas might have been within arm's reach at all times. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Dope (2015) Nguyen Le A coming-of-age tale as vibrant and whimsical as it is overstuffed and fragmented. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Jurassic World (2015) Nguyen Le To realize that [Jurassic Park] has humans interacting with dinosaurs and [this] is all about the creatures, one can't help feeling rather incomplete despite being constantly entertained. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Spy (2015) Nguyen Le Bond, Bourne, Hunt and Bauer, time to back off and watch out. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Maggie (2015) Nguyen Le Maggie has the necessary ingredients to draw itself away from being a typical undead outing, but they turn out to be the very thing that wounds it. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Freetown (2015) Nguyen Le As a film with a religious message, Freetown scores. As a film, this genuine effort has a few rough edges. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Run All Night (2015) Nguyen Le Think of Run All Night as an average prime-time boxing match: two recognizable fighters, an elaborate venue, but not all that exciting fighting. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Nguyen Le The material might be fantastical, yet due to the universal themes of womanhood and true happiness, Princess Kaguya's story is exceptionally grounded. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Jupiter Ascending (2015) Nguyen Le This is a crash landing of the most mesmerizing kind. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
A Most Violent Year (2014) Nguyen Le Though this classily directed and compellingly acted film won't be everyone's cup of tea, what it's trying to communicate about success ... is definitely worth thinking about. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Predestination (2014) Nguyen Le In a way, Snook is the heart of Predestination... and by the time the film ends, you'll realize it is a strong and beautiful one. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Big Eyes (2014) Nguyen Le Margaret [Keane] might have experienced her awakening, but those expecting for Tim Burton's have to wait for the next round. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Into the Woods (2014) Nguyen Le After an hour or so being spoiled by the light-speed storytelling when we go through the tales, the film drags a little bit. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Foxcatcher (2014) Nguyen Le As with the approach settled on by Miller, the writers and the performers, the fancy and the high-strung have no place in Foxcatcher. Just raw, as is, cold served style. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) Nguyen Le Controversy and constant déjà-vus aside, the latest telling sure is gorgeous but can leave you feeling empty. Might be acceptable, if all you need is pretty sights. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) Nguyen Le With better projects in the future - not another Need for Speed or the studio-botched Robocop remake - I'd say Birdman is the start of a "Keatonaissance." EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Ouija (2014) Nguyen Le Don't wait for the planchette to move, form questions or play it - go ahead and burn the damn thing. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Fury (2014) Nguyen Le Fury displays bravery and an unyielding attitude towards being an excellent war film - but certain drawbacks park it at some miles away from its destination. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Annabelle (2014) Nguyen Le What could have been a companion piece to The Conjuring is instead a yawn-inducing show. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) Nguyen Le Lawrence Block's novel [adaptation] is the most layered and poetic journey for Neeson's tough-guy persona yet, too bad some rough spots have to be there to trip his steps. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
No Good Deed (2014) Nguyen Le The film doesn't even deserve the title 'poor man's Panic Room.' As for the twist - really, that is the surprise Screen Gems is withholding? EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
As Above, So Below (2014) Nguyen Le Dowdle has the skills to bring the best out of an enclosed setting à la Neil Marshall's fantastic The Descent. Shame the similarities end there. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
The Possession of Michael King (2014) Nguyen Le If it isn't the love child of Paranormal Activity and The Last Exorcism! On paper it's interesting, but the end result is anything but. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Into the Storm (2014) Nguyen Le Like tornadoes themselves, the next 89 minutes is jaw-dropping to look at but there's nothing but mess within. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Hercules (2014) Nguyen Le If you really do have a choice, read up the Greek mythology. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Boyhood (2014) Nguyen Le Boyhood may be about Mason's life, but it's also telling mine, and perhaps yours too; it may revolve around a boy, but no child, or adult, is excluded. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018
Snowpiercer (2013) Nguyen Le The right ticket to spend on is the one that will get you onto a train, this train. All aboard! EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2018