Curiosity and hope were my personal feelings going into the cinema to see Hamlet (2025). I knew beforehand this would be another transposition of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy into a contemporary context, an exercise that’s always risky in itself. However, the decisive factor in giving the film a chance was, without …
Of all the hype bubbles that form around the first reactions to a new release, One Battle After Another generated some of the most effusive of this century. And I mean that almost literally, since many of those reactions contained the pull-quote-ready taglines that marketing departments love so much — …
Some filmmakers only need their very first feature film to leave an indelible mark. For Zach Cregger, it was his second movie that achieved just that: Barbarian, one of the most refreshing and unpredictable surprises in recent horror cinema. Cregger showed willingness to take creative risks, even if it meant …
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 …
In film criticism, talking about a bad movie is easy. For many, discussing something negative can be enjoyable and cathartic. Breaking down the “why” and “how” a film doesn’t work can be fun. Attacking those aspects can be both an entertaining and educational prospect for film critics, as it enables …
After the juggernaut films of Superman and Superman II, Superman III was inevitable. Coming three years after Superman II, Superman III had a significant challenge ahead. Unfortunately, the film failed to meet the previously established standards. With a smaller budget (and a significantly smaller profit), the results proved that the …
Continuing our rewatch of classic Superman films before 2025’s Superman, we have now reached Superman II. To clarify for those unaware, Superman II had a unique history. The initial theatrical version was released in the 1980s. While warmly received, the behind-the-scenes drama plagued the film with mystery. With the director …
Before James Gunn’s Superman releases in a few days , this review felt relevant. That film hopes to revolutionize the superhero genre when it’s desperately needed. As a hero, Superman has always proven to be an enigma. His powers and abilities make him such a serious opponent; it’s hard to …
At the beginning of Parthenope, the protagonist reflects on the concept of beauty, saying that it lasts only for 10 minutes and all that is left after that is just boredom. Interestingly enough, that is exactly how I ended up feeling about the entire film after the first few scenes. …
There will be no chicanery in this review about what Companion is about, even if the film spends a minor chunk of time attempting to shroud the obvious in double entendres. This obviousness, shall it not be devised from the opening few minutes, the revealing trailer – or from the …
The most anticipated film of the Venice Biennale this year was the epic Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, which landed with something of a whimper instead of the bang it truly deserves. Kevin Costner’s project, the first part of which had its world premiere in Cannes this past …
M. Night Shyamalan’s career is one of the most divisive I’ve seen in the past few decades. While he directed earlier films, such as Praying with Anger and Wide Awake, his horror film The Sixth Sense put him on the map with a twist that people still talk about today. …
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 …
Well, here we are. After being delayed over five months because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two (and its infamous popcorn bucket) has hit theaters worldwide. This second film, an adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, follows immediately after Dune (2021) and continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée …
This cinematic triumph transcends expectations, blending epic action with unforgettable performances. In 2021, Denis Villeneuve stunned the world with the first part of Dune and made everyone believe he is one of the most extraordinary filmmakers of this generation. Since then, fans have eagerly waited for the Canadian director to come forward with the …
Denis Villeneuve’s much-awaited sequel to 2021’s spi-fi epic, Dune, is the first truly great film of 2024. Dune: Part Two’s scope is awe-inspiring, its pacing is electric, and the themes it explores are suspenseful and thought-provoking. While a faithful adaptation to its behemoth-sized source material, the ways in which it inverts the formula of …
The DCEU world has been filled with incredible highs and hellish lows. What began as a strong contender in a battle to compete with the MCU, the DCEU rose quickly before crashing and burning just as fast. Some films, such as Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, and Birds of Prey, stand as testaments …
It’s not every day that you walk away from a movie feeling moved in ways you weren’t expecting when you started it. At least, that’s been the experience for me. However, 2023 was filled with movies that impacted me in ways that I can only begin to describe, which is …
The original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory movie from 1971 was a bit of an anomaly. Sometimes, when a film’s elements come together in just the right time and place, it is something akin to lightning striking. This process cannot be predicted, duplicated, or repeated, at least not easily. The …