“The most detestable habit in all modern cinema is the homage. I don’t want to see another goddamn homage in anybody’s movie. There are enough of them when you’re unconscious.” – Orson Welles, 1982 Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus is a competently made movie. It has some of the most stunning cinematography …
At this point in my life, I’ve seen so many horror films and series that nothing surprises me. There are so many horror films on the scene nowadays, and the twists they attempt to present can be boiled down to the basics of storytelling. They become predictable, which isn’t necessarily …
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice screened out of competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2024. There are few directors in which can truly be accredited with the title of ‘auteur’, but Tim Burton, with his affinity for the macabre, can be called just that. Over a …
The term “Netflix flick” doesn’t usually carry a positive connotation – quite the opposite. It’s typically used to describe yet another generic film lacking creativity or innovation, without even memorable moments through impressive action set pieces, hilarious jokes, or, at the very least, outstanding performances. That said, the streaming service …
Sometimes, you see marketing for a film, and then when you actually watch the movie, something feels off about that marketing. That was the case when I watched Good One, the debut feature film from writer and director India Donaldson. While this film does feature a young person who learns a …
The performances in He Ain’t Heavy are so emotional that it takes a while to notice the movie is essentially a three-hander, between Jade (Leila George), her little brother Max (Sam Corlett), and their mother Bev (Greta Scacchi, Ms. George’s real-life mother). They live in Perth in western Australia and …
Strange Darling is a strange film indeed. I was advised by a colleague of mine to go into my viewing as blind as possible. That’s something I’m rarely able to accomplish with the nature of my job demanding a strong knowledge of upcoming releases and my curious nature leading me …
Horror is one genre that the Indian film industry has struggled with. However, in 2018, audiences got to have a unique experience with Amar Kaushik’s Stree. It was a perfect blend of horror and comedy. Even after being touted as a horror-comedy, it had a pretty story to tell and …
Amy Liptrot’s breathtakingly poignant and unsparing memoir The Outrun has been acclaimed by critics and adored by readers across the world since its 2016 publication. Eight years later, the book loses none of its effect – the description of a very personal journey through familial mental illness, addiction, substance abuse, …
Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece Alien was a tremendous achievement; A low-fi monolith of science-fiction horror that changed the landscape of film as we know it. From Ridley Scott’s lean and elegant direction to HR Giger’s phallic and genitalia-inspired character and set design, one which now feels fused into the very …
It’s a shame when one of your most anticipated films of the year winds up also being one of the biggest disappointments. Unfortunately, that was my experience with Alien: Romulus, the highly anticipated return to the horrors of space from Fede Álvarez. Álvarez has made a name for himself within …
An intriguing premise is the only aspect a film needs to grab attention. That said – and unfortunately, if I may be honest – it’s the names of directors, screenwriters, and especially well-known actors that ultimately become the biggest draw for the general public. Jackpot! truly hits the jackpot by …
Doug Liman is known for kickstarting the Jason Bourne franchise with The Bourne Identity, but perhaps even more for what’s often considered one of the best action films of its decade, Edge of Tomorrow. Unfortunately, since that 2014 release, the filmmaker has been inconsistent with his work, producing reasonably satisfying …
I’ve avoided reading Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us for years now. As an avid reader who is also constantly on social media, the novels of Colleen Hoover have been plastered all over TikTok and Instagram, none with such veracity as It Ends With Us and its sequel, It Begins …
A career woman finds herself unexpectedly pregnant? Snore. Without knowing who the dad is? Seen it. But pregnant with twins, by each of her suitors? Outstanding. Without hyperbole, this is the greatest concept for a romantic comedy in the history of time. Bad Newz then surpasses the excellence of its …
Marvel ended Phase 3 of its cinematic universe in 2019 on a high with Spiderman: Far From Home and promised that Phase 4 would bring new stories along with new heroes. Fans were excited for the new era. However, things didn’t turn out to be as good as fans wanted. …
Fairy tales have always dealt with heavy topics. Children still need to know about complex issues, and sometimes, couching those issues in a fantastical world can make them easier to understand. That remains true for adults. High fantasy stories can cause us to engage with topics that we might otherwise …
An uninspired plot and several phoned in performances makes Borderlands a huge misfire. Adapting a story from one medium to another is tough. Whether the source material is a novel or a comic or a twitter thread or a game, there are many choices that need to made because while …
Musical biopics consistently earn a reputation as a simple path to awards seasons and other accolades. In recent years, there have been examples in Bohemian Rapsody, Maestro, Elvis, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, among others. It is a genre that has been repeating itself constantly and delivering mediocre …
This inspired by true events biopic is crowd-pleasing cinema at its best. An ordinary Joe goes toe to toe with heartless billionaires, conniving moneylenders and unfair bureaucracy all in an attempt to make life better and easier for people like him. Will he succeed?? The set-up answers its own question, …