Nick (Leslie Odom, Jr.) and Janine (Cynthia Erivo) are deeply in love – or at least that’s what Needle in a Timestack wants us to believe. The couple lives in a near-future where time travel is not only possible but something the rich do for fun. This leads to so-called “time shifts” that change the […]
Mass
There are few topics more galling and volatile than gun violence, no emotional terrain more ravaging than the murder of a child, and no venue more uncomfortable to explore all of the above than a small, sterile room. In a feat that is equal parts daring and frustrating, Mass centers both its narrative and its […]
The Way
Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. But they can make a smart idea for a pandemic movie. Limited characters, small settings and lots of alone time – what makes incarceration so soul-numbing can also make a script easier to shoot under Covid restrictions. And not only do those limits […]
Another Girl
In the world of social media, it’s all about authenticity – and learning how to fake it. These days online, it’s not the person who matters, but the persona. That’s one of the main messages of Another Girl, a dark drama from Allison Burnett. Who’s the real person at the other end of a tweet? […]
Mayday
The young women at the center of Mayday lure men to their deaths by broadcasting distress calls over the radio of the grounded submarine they call home. However, when the men set off to save them, they quickly find they’re the ones who need help. Their shouts of terror sound over the radio until there’s […]
Dear Evan Hansen
A film adaptation of Broadway sensation Dear Evan Hansen was likely inevitable, but on the basis of the resulting film, perhaps the forthcoming reckoning was just as inevitable. Not only is this particular musical difficult to translate in a cinematic context, its basic story represents such a dangerous tonal balance, regardless of the medium, that […]
Lady of the Manor
Lady of the Manor is the slight but funny feature directorial debut of actor Justin Long (New Girl, Live Free or Die Hard) and his brother Christian Long, who also wrote the script together. A Savannah-set comedy in which willful slacker Hannah (Melanie Lynskey) is forced to change her ways by the ghost of Lady […]
Prisoners of the Ghostland
The work of Nicolas Cage brings to mind a sort of gonzo, off-kilter approach to characters that has solidified him in the hearts of fans everywhere, even when he’s taken parts in movies that aren’t nearly as good as he is. So Cage should be the perfect choice to lead idiosyncratic Japanese auteur Sion Sono’s […]
Seeding Change: The Power of Conscious Commerce
Can a company do well by doing good? According to Seeding Change: The Power of Conscious Commerce, the simple answer is “Yes.” But the way there is a bit complicated. It involves dealing with your suppliers honestly. Respecting the environment, at every stage of the process. And then putting some of your profits to work […]
Overrun
Overrun is an action movie that gets one thing very right. It takes its filmmaking seriously. It doesn’t take itself seriously. Perhaps that’s because a lot of the people making it – behind and in front of the camera – are veteran stunt players. They still remember being kids at recess, and showing off their […]
Queenpins
Based on surprising true events, Queenpins is the story of two women who take control of their lives by launching an illegal coupon scam. It’s a fascinating tale that has compelling built-in themes about the way the system treats average people and wanting more out of life. Unfortunately, the movie, which was written and directed […]
Language Lessons
Once upon a time, unconventional long-distance friendships were nearly impossible to create and sustain, but the digitization of the world has made it possible to circumvent the nagging issue of distance with the onslaught of video chat services like Skype and Zoom. Now, thanks to the last year-and-a-half of intermittent isolation, these connections are more […]
Kate
It seems like almost every other week, a movie about an elite assassin — usually on a mission of revenge — is released. Call it the John Wick effect. Adding to this burgeoning subgenre is an ever-growing set of movies in which the central assassin is female, such as The Protégé, Ava, and Gunpowder Milkshake. […]
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and despite being the 25th film in the franchise, it’s a fresh, exciting introduction to the series’ newest superhero. Unlike the recently released Black Widow, the ostensible kick-off to Phase 4, Shang-Chi feels like it’s all about the future […]
The Year of the Everlasting Storm
In a world so vast and varied, sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us how connected we are. A once-in-a-century pandemic fits that bill. Even as cultures remain divergent, lifestyles vary, and customs clash around the world, the sudden onset and rapid spread of COVID-19 brought us together even as it, quite contradictorily, forced […]
We Had It Coming
We Had It Coming is a film full of lonely places. Wide stretches of empty Canadian highway. No-name motels with equally anonymous occupants. Places you pass through, without looking, without caring. People you don’t really see. We Had It Coming demands we look, though. Look into the eyes of women, especially – women pushed around […]
Candyman (2021)
The conceit behind the legend of Candyman is that it – or “he” – can only survive through the persistent retelling of his story. That terrifying specter can only thrive if he’s permitted to linger in our collective subconscious. But there’s another perspective to the story, a view from the other side of the mirror. […]
Ema
Pablo Larrain’s last film, Jackie, was a film whose ending seemed like an ongoing cascade of concluding imagery, its many blended themes finally untangling, and each given its own singular final flourish. It felt like the film ended for 15 minutes straight, but oh, what an ending. Conversely, Larrain’s latest film, Ema, feels like it’s […]
Behemoth
If you were to take a casual glance at the promotional poster for Behemoth, and you catch a glimpse of the impressively nasty looking creature that figures prominently on that poster, you might get a charge of excitement for what looks like an ornately gruesome creature feature. You’d be wrong. No, Behemoth is not a […]
Rare Beasts
Billie Piper, the writer, director, and star of the black comedy Rare Beasts, is best known to American audiences for playing Rose Tyler, companion to the ninth and tenth Doctors on the revival of Doctor Who. More recently, she co-created and starred in HBO Max’s I Hate Suzie, an engrossing, frequently thought-provoking eight-episode exploration of […]