Gabe Lapalombella 
It’s always exciting to see a popular actor subvert expectations. Not only does it allow the actor to flex different creative muscles, but it also shows audiences that there is more to them than meets the eye. 2025’s The Smashing Machine attempts this feat with its leading star, Dwayne Johnson. …
2004’s Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington (based on a book of the same name from 1980), existed as a seminal film of its time. Twenty-four years after its release, the film has cemented its place in the action movie pantheon. In my younger film-watching years, it existed as a …
Before discussing Hacks season five, I would like to give some context into my relationship with the show. Hacks premiered in 2021 as one of the first highly acclaimed MAX (Known as HBO Max at the time) series. Having started watching the show at the time, it became one of …
A Michael Jackson movie was always going to be riddled with curiosity. With a life and story as extensive as the late singer’s, it certainly was not going to appease everyone. Director Antoine Fuqua was saddled with a difficult task in Michael. How far can he go into the man’s …
The work of Gerard Butler has been interesting to watch unfold. While he is not the most versatile performer, Butler carved a niche. He has existed as an action star akin to someone like Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Known for films like 300 or the Has Fallen series, one …
The world of Peaky Blinders has become a vast achievement in streaming content. Debuting from the BBC and then moving to Netflix in 2014, the show became a landmark property for the streaming service. After six seasons, no one expected Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man to even happen. For diehard …
Films based on true stories are always a difficult prospect for audiences. While most cases are effective portrayals of real events, other “true stories” can be more fabrications. Movies like I Swear operate somewhere in the middle. I Swear follows John Davidson (BAFTA winner, Robert Aramayo), a child diagnosed with …
2025 has been a strong year of Stephen King adaptations. These include It: Welcome to Derry, The Running Man, and The Life of Chuck. One of the darkest would have to go to the adaptation of his story The Long Walk directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise). Set …
Horror films have been one of the most interesting genres to watch in 2025. While not a self-proclaimed horror fan myself, it is hard to deny how enjoyable they have been to watch this year. One of the best films of the year, 28 Years Later (the third film in …
Ron Howard is one of the most prolific directors working today. His films, like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, have stood the test of time. Whereas even with those winners, Howard has delivered misfires like In The Heart of The Sea and Hillbilly Elegy. It’s a varied career that, …
The French New Wave existed as a pinnacle moment in filmmaking. It served as a period of time that redefined “genre” by flipping conventions on their head. A master of that new ground of cinema was filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. Films like Pierrot le Fou, Contempt, and Weekend revolutionized an industry. …
Author and writer Dennis Lehane has carved a niche in the crime and thriller genres. His credits include novels such as Live by Night and Gone Baby Gone, as well as screenplays like 2014’s underrated film The Drop. Lehane has even dipped his toe into television work with series such …
The saying “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” can be applied to a variety of media forms. This can include art, commerce, or even people and important events. Applying that question to the world of the arts can mean a lot of different things. In the ever-evolving movie …
Final Destination was never a franchise that interested me as a viewer. The bloody and gratuitous violence proved an immediate turn-off. The concept of the series alone was enough to make it something that I simply never found interesting. That is what made Final Destination Bloodlines a mystery. Released back …
We are now coming to the final leg of our Superman review journey. Seven years after Superman Returns, another attempt was made for the titular hero on the big screen. Directed by Zack Snyder, this was an attempt to jumpstart a new universe. As many know, that universe never came …
Superman IV: the Quest for Peace was considered a massive failure upon release. With such a poor response, it forced film studios to evaluate the need for more Superman movies. The result of which forced the franchise to remain dormant for years. Nineteen years later, another attempt was made with …
Eight years after Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, it became apparent that a sequel wasn’t going to happen. While financially profitable, neither film (including the 2005 original) was a critical success. That made the prospect of an eventual Fantastic Four remake feel inevitable. That is what intrigued everyone …
Pulitzer Prize-winner David Mamet is no stranger to filmmaking. Besides his iconic writing efforts like Glengarry Glen Ross and Wag the Dog, Mamet is also no stranger to directing. With a focus primarily on short films and TV movies, he has directed relatively few theatrical features. Granted, not all of …
With the success of 2005’s Fantastic Four, a sequel seemed like a rather obvious feat. That is, especially in an era when superhero movies were emerging. Grossing over 330 million dollars worldwide (a massive hit for the time), a sequel was inevitable. Even against lackluster reviews, audiences wanted to see …
2025’s Fantastic Four: First Steps hopes to reignite the love for The Marvel Cinematic Universe. That film aims to continue the larger story at play, while also reintroducing classic heroes into an ever-expanding framework. It’s a tall order due to the history of these characters and their previous lackluster adaptations. …