To say there’s not much new in this story of female super-soldiers is kind of reductive, because major action blockbusters centered around a woman are still unusual in Hindi cinema. Fortunately Alia Bhatt is a major Hindi superstar, who has occasionally also worked in English, and who absolutely has the …
In the Stonewater Kingdom, the Omens are the true rulers. There is a king, but of much greater import is the Abbess in Aisling Cathedral and her Diviners who receive portents from the Omens. The interpretation of these portents decides everything that happens in Stonewater, from the spring planting to …
When someone writes, directs and edits their own film, this can be a promising sign of an expert knowing exactly how to deliver the idea they have in their head. It can also be an exercise in the worst kind of self-indulgence, the kind that brooks no feedback and maintains …
Wasteman follows the great British cinema tradition of bringing no-holds barred, gritty stories to life. Cal McMau’s feature debut casts a sceptical eye on the British prison system and questions how effective it realistically is. The drama follows Taylor (David Jonsson) who is mere weeks away from being released on …
Wow, that was close, but they did it. Carl and Donut have made it down to the Hunting Grounds. Not only do they have to contend with the normal mobs and the other crawlers, but now there are hunters, beings from throughout the universe who have paid for the privilege …
Director Jamie Adams has a no-budget niche. He finds a location and maybe six actors, prepares a concept and character arcs, starts the camera rolling, and allows the cast to improvise their way to the aimed-for ending. Within a week. His shooting schedule for his films lasts approximately a week. …
San Diego Comic-Con is well underway, and there’s been a ton of exciting news. But perhaps nothing has been more anticipated than Marvel’s return to the vaunted Hall H with their last appearance being in 2024. Just look at the line for people trying to get in to see the …
Claire has spent most of her life alone, but all that changed five years ago when she met Elias. Then three years ago they got engaged, and Claire thought she’d finally have a family. But they still haven’t set a date for when Elias suddenly passed away. In one fell …
Dustin Hoffman might not have too many more films in him, but he is winding up his career on a personal high. In Tuner, also released this year, he stole the entire film as the kind and charismatic piano tuner everybody can’t help loving. In The Revisionist he pulls off …
One day Zahara’s twin sister Annica walked out the front door and vanished. Not in the “was kidnapped and never seen again” way but in the “walked right out of existence” way. After Annica left the house on April 16th, 1994, the only person in the world who remembers her …
The title is wrong, but what Deepfake gets right is the sense that, for too many people, life is a performance for the approval of strangers instead of something to please yourself. This movie was clearly made for no money, filmed almost entirely in a single Manhattan apartment, and with …
Amara Jones hates angels. You would too if you’d watched them kill countless humans over the past five years without missing a beat. Demons are just as bad, but at least you expect it out of them; they’re from Hell. But Angels are supposed to be the guardians of humanity. …
For most of my life, I was never what you would call a watch guy; however, once I turned 30, I couldn’t seem to live without one. My smartwatch has become just as important in my life as my computer or phone, as it seamlessly lets me stay on the …
There’s no arguing that the single biggest media phenomenon of the last decade is Netflix’s powerhouse series Stranger Things. This series has crossed age, gender, and racial lines, and all kinds of lines, to connect people around the world. The amazing thing is that it almost didn’t happen at all. …
Let’s face it, we all love bubble wrap. Something about popping those tiny little AirPods is soooo satisfying. Then comes along the Syndicate to destroy everything, even this simple pleasure, because in book four of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, The Gate of the Feral Gods, Carl and Donut (along with all the other …
A strange island of stone has risen out of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine. Everyone is baffled by it, and the area is quarantined until the United States Army can go in and figure out what’s going on. But Edward Beck, Caro’s professor and secret lover, says …
The Four Seasons returns for a second series on Netflix, following the same group of friends throughout the year. The first season was a masterpiece of observation about love, life and middle age. It could be argued that it was so good it didn’t need a second series, and mostly …
Paweł Pawlikowski shared the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes with the directors of The Black Ball, who spoke first. When he finally gained the podium for his own speech, Mr. Pawlikowski laughed and (accurately) said the staging of this moment was terrible. No such mistakes were made for …
The wild success of the mediocre A Complete Unknown has at least opened up a new trend for cinema: a fictionalised exploration of specific albums recorded by specific artists. These stories tend to hark back to the analogue era, not only because young people who can’t imagine making music without …
Oh my god! That was a close one! The end of Carl’s Doomsday Scenario was almost the end of Carl and Donut. But they made it through, right out of the frying pan into the fire. Level four is a crazy maze of trains. If they can figure out the …