The Mitchells vs. the Machines, 2021, directed by Michael Rianda – 3.5/5 Stars Fans of animation were excited to hear about the announcement of The Mitchells vs. the Machines this past March. Directed by Gravity Falls creator Michael Rianda and produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, known for their work on The Lego Movie…
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Promising Young Woman, 2020, directed by Emerald Fennell — 2/5 Stars Content Warning: Promising Young Woman addresses difficult themes including, rape, assault and abuse. Promising Young Woman is nothing if not divisive and thought-provoking. Emerald Fennel’s 2020 Oscar-winning directorial debut has divided critics and casual movie fans alike, sparking a conversation around sexual trauma in…
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Zack Snyder’s Justice League, 2021, directed by Zack Snyder – 2.5/5 Stars Zack Snyder’s Justice League, divorced from its actual content, is a fascinating cultural event. When Snyder had to step down from directing the original theatrical cut of Justice League in 2017, Joss Whedon, known for his work on the Avengers series, stepped in…
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Godzilla Vs. Kong, 2021, directed by Adam Wingard – 3.5/5 Stars Warner Brothers’ recent monster films, members of the “Monsterverse” as they are called, are difficult to assess with the usual filmmaking criteria. These bom- bastic, ridiculous romps have little to offer in terms of an emotional core or narrative arc, but somehow successfully work…
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“The Little Things,” 2021, directed by John Lee Hancock — 1.5/5 stars One of the worst things a movie can be is boring. Even the worst films can at least be made entertaining with flashy imagery and an over-the-top plot. “The Little Things” is no such film. Woefully boring, “The Little Things” cannot save itself…
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“Nomadland,” 2021, directed by Chloé Zhao – 4.5/5 stars In the hands of a different director, “Nomadland” could have been very boring. On paper, the film is uneventful and slowly meanders from one depressing set piece to another. “Nomadland” isn’t boring, though, nor does it revel too long in its misery. Thanks to beautiful cinematography,…
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“Judas and the Black Messiah,” 2021, directed by Shaka King — 4/5 Stars True stories are difficult to tell in film. The real traumatic experiences of those who lived through events need to be handled with great care, but the film also needs to be engaging and powerful enough to do the story justice. The…
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“Malcolm & Marie,” 2021, directed by Sam Levinson — 2.5/5 Stars After the success of writer and director Sam Levinson’s HBO series “Euphoria,” expectations for “Malcolm & Marie” were high. Written with stars Zendaya and John David Washington in mind and produced in association with Netflix, the new film was set to be a proving…
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“Sound of Metal,” 2020, directed by Darius Marder — 4.5/5 Stars We all have a fear of unexpected and dramatic change in our lives. We fear our body breaking; we fear losing the ones we love; we fear becoming inadequate. In a time filled with so much unexpected change, “Sound of Metal” has a powerful…
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“Dick Johnson is Dead,” 2020, directed by Kirsten Johnson — 4/5 Stars Kirsten Johnson first made waves in the documentary filmmaking world with “Cameraperson” in 2016, a complex and moving collection of footage that posed questions about war, impermanence and trauma. For the past four years since, Johnson’s work was not present at film festivals…