Review| Aquaman
I have written many film analyses, but I am not a film critic. What I am is a film fanatic, a film creator, a life-long lover of story, and a nerd through and through. My thoughts laid out here come…
Review| Bird Box
In a post-apocalyptic thriller, the same tropes and story beats can make a movie feel wrote. It generally takes something out of the box for it to stand out. Netflix’s latest offering, Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock and an ensemble…
Review| Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
If the year of 2018 in film has a theme, that theme is definitely superheroes. Depending on your definition of “superhero,” there have been between seven and fifteen blockbusters in the genre over the last twelve months, with another one…
Anna and the Apocalypse and Advent
I, like all of you I’m sure, have fond memories of watching the Glee Holiday episodes. And, like everyone, only one thought spoiled all that holiday cheer for me: “I sure wish there were zombies in this episode.” What’s better?…
Review| The Favourite
If you’ve ever watched a Yorgos Lanthimos film you know he likes to defy the conventions of traditional storytelling. Everything from nonlinear story structure to provocative content, his films aren’t exactly a relaxing experience at the theater. His latest film,…
Review| Shoplifters
Shoplifters snuck up on me. It seems as if the film has been surprising audiences since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival when it took the highest honor, the Palm d’ Or, at the prestigious gathering – beating out…
Review| Instant Family
Instant Family is a comedy about a very serious thing: foster care. While the traumas that bring kids away from their birth families and into the foster system are no laughing matter, the messiness that results from imperfect people trying…
Review| Widows (2018)
It has been mentioned by many at this point but considering the type of story Steve McQueen usually endeavors upon, this is not the type of property one might have expected. Lynda La Plante’s 1983 British mini-series doesn’t quite have…
Review| Overlord
J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot studios have surprised with genre movie conventions layering callbacks to their B-movie origins and bigger cinematic influences. 2001’s Joy Ride the first feature-length movie ever produced by Abrams’ studio, mixed thriller pulp storytelling about a mysterious killer…