Big blockbusters like Oppenheimer and Barbie encouraged movie-goers to get to the theatres in big numbers and helped make 2023 a magnificent year for movies. At the same time, small-budget independent films such as Past Lives and Polite Society turned out to be some of the best-rated movies of the year. But one movie that has …
Forget roses and grand gestures, Last Call for Istanbul simmers with a forbidden love that’s as intoxicating as Turkish coffee on a rooftop overlooking the Bosphorus, or in this case, New York City. Beren Saat and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ deliver a slow-burn romance punctuated by moments as thrilling as a whirlwind taxi …
Like a mythical quest, Percy Jackson and the Olympians have taken the long road to get to this series. It may have taken time, but Percy Jackson’s arrival is a thunderous, thrilling triumph. When the first book was released in 2005, it created an entirely new fandom. Unfortunately, the 2010 film Percy Jackson …
Reacher Season 2 returns to screens everywhere this week on Prime Video. Alan Ritchson is back as Jack Reacher, a pure force of nature, and he’s not messing around when it comes to people he cares about being threatened. Reacher season 2 delivers blunt force action and a layered brawny mystery worthy of the iconic Lee …
The Iron Claw is different from the type of film I would typically seek out on my own. I have never been a huge wrestling fan; I have nothing against people who love it, but it isn’t for me. But A24’s involvement is a surefire way to pique my curiosity. At …
Each spring in the Mediterranean seaside town of Cannes, France, filmmakers from all over the world gather to explore and discover new films at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. When the film festival ends, they award the top film with a prize called the Palme d’Or. Starting in 2019 with the film Parasite, NEON …
Doctor Who, from the beginning created the perfect element to keep the show going: regeneration. When William Hartnell became too ill to continue playing the Doctor, they introduced the Doctor’s ability to regenerate into an entirely new person upon death. Now, sixty years later, Russell T Davies (previous and current showrunner) has introduced a …
Doctor Who always could turn the ordinary into terrifying: shadows, water, gas masks, even blinking. Though it is still considered a children’s program, it has never shied away from taking the chance to scare its viewers. Doctor Who Special 2: Wild Blue Yonder is no exception when it comes to this risk-taking. Now, …
Doctor Who has been around for a long time, much longer than most people realize. It originally premiered on BBC in 1963 and celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. I managed to get into Doctor Who before the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. This time around, we get three specials featuring the …
Gimmicks. In the dire modern state of cinema, you’re gonna need one to get a movie made. At least if you’re not based on valuable intellectual property. It’s sad when an action film needs a hook beyond Hong Kong filmmaking legend John Woo directing. Even so, Silent Night, his first Hollywood film in …
Merry Little Batman is the latest film from Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios. Originally slated for release on the now-renamed HBO Max, the movie will land on Prime Video tomorrow, December 8th. The main character of this holiday adventure is Damian Wayne, who comic readers will know is the son …
A new piece of cinema from writer/director Raven Jackson, All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt is very much a cinematic work of art. When it comes to art and cinema, tastes will vary as widely and diversely as there are people on the planet. It can be a situation where one man’s trash …
Candy Cane Lane is the latest original film to hit Prime Video, just in time for the holiday season. While this review is coming out a few days after its release, it is currently #1 on Prime’s Top 10, and honestly, it deserves to have that spot. Is it the greatest …
There has never been a better time to be a Godzilla fan. Legendary Pictures’ Monsterverse continues to go strong, thanks to the launch of the critically acclaimed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Sunday’s drop of the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer. Back in Japan, Toho Studios- the home base of the original Godzilla …
As a critic, I try not to pre-judge movies before I watch them, but the truth is, I watch trailers just like everyone else, and it can be challenging to avoid forming some opinions before I see the film. I went into A Man Called Otto with low expectations. I expected it …
Examining the actions of ordinary individuals in extreme situations is a well-worn trope in film. 2018: Everyone is a Hero, a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language survival drama film by director Jude Anthany Joseph, subverts this trope with compelling storytelling that captures human stories and explores human resilience, community, and sacrifice. I went into …
In 2018, the world got to know about Hirokazu Kore-eda’s directing prowess when Shoplifters was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. Meanwhile, in 2022, the director once again showed his impeccable skills with Broker. Since then, avid movie watchers have been waiting for the filmmaker to come forward with a …
In the realm of tabloid scandals, particularly those involving individuals claiming alien abduction to Pluto to meet Abraham Lincoln, most can be readily dismissed as unfounded tales. However, some of the more grounded scandals chronicled in such sensational publications often resemble scenarios reminiscent of a Jerry Springer show, where a …
Reading has been in my blood for as long as I can remember, and because of the movie, A Man Called Otto, I was excited to check out the book the movie is based on, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Well-written stories transport my mind to faraway lands, …
This year continues the tradition of exceptional foreign films with a beautiful new Italian film from directors Felix Van Groeningen, and Charlotte Vandermeersch called The Eight Mountains. Each and every year, there are plenty of foreign films released that end up being among my very favorite movies of the calendar year. Incredible filmmakers from across …