Universal Pictures has a long history with horror films, so much so that they rebranded their classics under the name Universal Classic Monsters. In this case, Abigail is a reimagining of one of those classic films, Dracula’s Daughter (1936). Objectively, the film is good and features a great cast of characters; the standouts among the …
Dusk for a Hitman is inspired by the true story of Donald Lavoie, a notorious mob hitman turned informant. It’s a crime drama with a ton of edge. Starring Éric Bruneau, Benoît Gouin, Rose-Marie Perreault, Sylvain Marcel, Simon Landry-Desy, and Joakim Robillard, the film is a tale of loyalty and survival in the dangerous Montreal underworld. Director and …
She grows marrows, not swedes. Marrows are a kind of zucchini, which in the UK is known by its French name, courgette, while a swede is called a rutabaga when it’s in the US. But her name is indeed Caroline, and we all know a good vegetable-based pun when we …
Alex Garland has a penchant for mutually assured destruction. His writing and, in recent years, his directing revolve around this theme; the Danny Boyle sci-fi masterpiece and Garland written Sunshine (2006) consists of characters debating the moral repercussions of saving another spaceship at risk of losing humanity; Garland’s Annihilation (2018) climaxes with a symbiotic reflection of …
I consider biographies – better known as biopics – to be one of the most challenging narrative types to adapt for the big screen. From the inevitable bias towards the usually eponymous person, especially if the production involves family members, to the common trap of only telling what best serves …
La Chimera is a complicated film to describe, and not necessarily because the story itself is confounding, but because the occupation of our protagonist, Arthur (Josh O’Connor), bewilders all expectations. We meet him as he is recently released from prison and reunite with Sister Flora (Isabella Rossellini) as they await his …
The Gutter, a bowling comedy from Yassir Lester (Marvel’s Armor Wars) and Isaiah Lester recently had its world premiere at SXSW in Austin. The film stars Shameik Moore, Susan Sarandon, D’Arcy Carden, Jay Ellis, Jackée Harry, and Paul Reiser, just to name a few. Moore plays Walt, a bartender and shoe de-roacher (exactly what you think) at the AlleyCatz bowling alley. Money problems …
Amy Winehouse was arguably one of the greatest singers of the 21st century. Her remarkable voice, combined with her ability to tap into emotional authenticity, made her a force to be reckoned with in the modern music scene. At 27 years old, she left this world far too soon, leaving …
Kristi Shimek is Arcadian’s editor and one of the people responsible for helping to create the post-apocalyptic tension in director Ben Brewer’s horror thriller. Arcadian is a story of survival, where ferocious creatures that go bump in the night are after a father and his twin boys. The film stars Nicholas Cage as the dad, Paul, with Jaeden Martell and Maxwell …
The so-called Wild West is having a fashionable moment: Beyonce’s newly released Cowboy Carter, Almodovar’s Strange Way of Life, Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon – even Barbie’s iconic outfit for the real world in Gerwig’s film – show that cultural collective fascination with the fashion and mindset of the Old West are far from exhausted. The Outside Circle: A Movie of …
Sasha Nathwani’s brilliant coming-of-age film Last Swim is set in London during the sweaty swing of summer, as young astrophysics enthusiast Ziba (Deba Hekmat) has her eye set on experiencing a meteor shower in person. Last Swim chronicles a day with Ziba and her friends as they celebrate their A-level results amongst their fading youth. …
It’s very difficult to portray someone’s mental health in a movie due to a variety of reasons. However, when it comes to talking about the mental health issues of celebrities, things get even tougher. There have been a lot of movies depicting musicians struggling things, but none of them have …
Romantic time travel movies have become a subgenre unto themselves. Recent films like About Time, Midnight in Paris, and The Time Traveler’s Wife are examples of this. Granted, It has been some time since those stories graced the big and small screen. The Greatest Hits hopes to remind audiences why they’re beloved stories in the first …
Who doesn’t love a good revenge movie? Throughout the years, we’ve seen John Wick take out people for killing his dog, Robert McCall takes out people for an old friend, and Cassandra Thomas hunts down the men who sexually assaulted her best friend. The latest comes in the form of …
Dev Patel exploded into global consciousness in Slumdog Millionaire, the 2008 British smash hit that opened the Western world’s eyes to the cinematic possibilities within India. Since then, Mr. Patel’s roles have largely been in Western films with an Indian setting – the two Marigold Hotel movies, the biopic Lion, and a few thrillers. But even in …
The beginning of the MonsterVerse with the 2014 movie Godzilla made viewers realize that the franchise might turn out to be very dark and serious. That’s one of the reasons why the original Godzilla (1954) was so successful and is still considered one of the finest movies of all time. However, the makers soon …
Legendary’s MonsterVerse has made it to the fifth film in its franchise, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is a big accomplishment. Following the events of the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong film, our title characters are living their own lives on separate levels of the Earth; Kong lives in Hollow …
Sardonic humor can be a difficult feat to accomplish in media. Very few feature films or television series have made that humor engaging. HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the only successful examples. Larry David’s unfiltered nature has set a high bar for curmudgeon-leading men. That has made films with those types of …
Religious horror films have carved a niche within the horror genre. These films have scared audiences for years, drawing criticism from the spiritual community. Say what you will about the quality of those films, but they have remained in the cultural conversation. That sort of baggage makes new religious horror …
In Aesop’s Fables, a set of tales told to children to imbue them with socially correct morals, exists the story of “The North Wind and The Sun.” The iconic fable describes how the anthropomorphic entities of the Wind and the Sun argued between themselves on the best method in getting someone …