You know what hey say: when in doubt, shoot it in black and white. “Belfast” is the passion project of director Kenneth Branagh, loosely based on his own experiences growing up in 1960s Northern Ireland. The film stars Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, and Jude Hill, and follows a family… Continue reading ‘Belfast’ Review: A Personal Story Without Much to Set It Apart
Who would’ve thought that the stoic and blank-stared teens from “Twilight” would grow up to become two of the best actors working today? “Spencer” is set over the Christmas weekend of 1991 in which Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) decides that her place in life is not with the royal family. Jack Farthing, Timothy Spall, Sean… Continue reading ‘Spencer’ Review: A Hypnotic Glimpse Behind the Royal Curtain
Someone in Hollywood give Jim Cummings control of a mainstream movie already! “The Beta Test” follows an up-and-coming Hollywood agent (Jim Cummings) who receives an invitation to an “Eyes Wide Shut”-type meetup, only for him to become paranoid about the fallout. Cummings also directs and co-writes with PJ McCabe. I was a big fan of… Continue reading ‘The Beta Test’ Review: A Dark Comedy That Further Raises Jim Cummings’ Stock
Maybe not *everything* in theaters deserves our support… “Antlers” follows a schoolteacher (Keri Russell) who begins to notice one of her young students (Jeremy T. Thomas) is acting strangely, and recruits her sheriff brother (Jesse Plemons) to look into his home life, only to discover a disturbing secret. Scott Cooper directs and Guillermo del Toro… Continue reading ‘Antlers’ Review: A Horror Film With More Snooze Than Scares
I feel a film like this, a big-budget adult drama released to theaters instead of streaming, is something we’ll eventually never see again… “The Last Duel” stars Matt Damon as a 14th-century French knight who challenges his squire (Adam Driver) to a duel after his wife (Jodie Comer) accuses Driver of raping her; Ben Affleck… Continue reading ‘The Last Duel’ Review: A Grand and Epic Whodunit
Kind of crazy to think about it, but Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond (2006-2021) lasted longer than Robert Downey Jr.’s as Iron Man (2008-2019). “No Time to Die” is the 25th installment in the long-running James Bond franchise, and features Daniel Craig in his fifth and final outing as the titular spy, this time… Continue reading ‘No Time to Die’ Review: Latest James Bond Film Is Very Much a Mixed Bag
You know what they say about the road to Hell… “Dear Evan Hansen” is based on the 2015 stage musical of the same name, and features Ben Platt reprising his titular role as a socially awkward high school student who finds himself caught up in a lie involving a recently deceased classmate. Amy Adams, Julianne… Continue reading ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Review: A Hit-and-Miss Musical
Sometimes all the pieces are there, but a film just doesn’t work for ya… “Copshop” stars Frank Grillo as a mob fixer who gets locked in a jail alongside the hitman hired to kill him (Gerard Butler), as the pair and a rookie cop (Alexis Louder) must work together to survive an assault on the… Continue reading ‘Copshop’ Review: Way Less Than the Sum of Its Parts
Phase Four of the MCU may not be the best, but so far it is the most consistent. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is the 25th entry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and stars Simu Liu in the titular role as a young man who is forced to face his past and… Continue reading ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Review: A Fun, Stylish MCU Entry
Another day, another “updated sequel to a classic horror film that ignores the events of previous sequels.” “Candyman” is a sequel to the 1992 semi-cult classic of the same name, and like 2018’s “Halloween” omits the events of the other (less well-received) sequels. The film stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an artist who becomes obsessed… Continue reading ‘Candyman’ Review: Reboot/Sequel a Treat for Horror Fans
The Reel Deal 