I Saw the TV Glow

I Saw the TV Glow; Bizarre, off kilter allegory that will confuse and confound some, while speaking truth to others. Solid performances that don’t play to one note characters but rather nuanced complexity. A tale that uses the trappings of a past time to illustrate a very current feeling for some; B

Inside Out 2

Inside Out 2; Presents a deeper story on account of its more fully realized and previously established roots, similar to the way Frozen 2 expanded into darker, more mature themes. Voice cast continues to blend beautifully while the depiction of abstract intangibles provides a gamut of emotions; A

Love Lies Bleeding

Love Lies Bleeding; Time capsule of an 80s noir that feels like it was truly shot in that era and not just recreated. Leads play to the slummy lows the script provides with brave confidence. Raw, sexy, violent and sad with a bit of the bizarre to boot; B

Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla Minus One; Full disclosure. Watched this in the dubbed version because reasons. It is ridiculously serious while coming across laughably silly. Anticlimactic, telegraphed and syrupy melodramatic, the fervent appreciation for this film is a complete head scratcher. Give me a rubber suit; C
 

I.S.S.

I.S.S.; The Among Us susness premise is not overly drawn out, and the key pieces and relationships are quickly established enough for us to believe in the individual character motivations and to care about these people in space orbit. Nicely paced bit of creepiness and tension on a budget; B
 

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero; Nicely ping pongs btwn his real life family & behind the scenes moments & stage performances that reveal how each element relates/ties into songs’ content or themes. Nicely spotlights tour’s supporting team of artists while still focusing on the burgeoning musician; B+

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Bodies Bodies Bodies; Enticing cast goes overboard in increasingly ridiculous ways which makes me wonder what was in those drugs they did. Playing werewolf at a party is interesting but the face slapping is a questionable choice. Mood & energy over actual intrigue & suspense. Ludicrous yet fun; B-

Problemista

Problemista; A hilarious yet sad story that reflects and exposes the dichotomy of privilege by birth right versus the immigrant experience and all the injustices that entails. Swinton in a maddeningly Anna Wintour from literal hell turn, the sweetness of Torres counterbalances her wonderfully; A-

Batman Begins

Batman Begins; An origin that leans heavily into the comics & the psychological aspects of the Batman mythos. Plays characters and world as if it were real, grounding it in what would most logically replicate the fiction in reality. Cleverly uses two rogues new to the films to serve Wayne’s story; A

Argylle

Argylle; Give in to absurdity of this premise & enjoy the ride. Ignore the horrible casting of Howard & relish in Rockwell & rest of cast executing this work to a level Vaughn is envisioning. Hilarious, preposterous & fully in on the joke, by the time the skating happens, you’re either in or out; B

The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!

The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage; Apart from sheer joy in the lunatic absurd show/songs, this filmed Broadway musical is a let down, as cuts to great songs & moments are made to fit a runtime instead of highlighting the best bits fully. Poorly shot on a budget does not do justice to the show; B-

Sherlock Jr.

Sherlock Jr.; Visionary, exploratory filmmaking w/romantic plot at its core, there’s something for everyone to enjoy & thrill at in this feature. From the brilliant dreamlike “entering the movies” conceit to high stakes parlour tricks that seem like magic, Keaton threads it all to amazing effect; A+

One Week

One Week; Filled w/physical stunts & sight gags galore, the dynamic between the two leads & the quickly established villain is exploited w/great comic effect. The genius of Keaton is all on display here early in his career, w/4th wall breaking and many more audience expectation smashing tricks; A+

Aespa World Tour in Cinemas

Aespa World Tour in Cinemas; The allure of K-Pop lies in tight choreography paired w/driving beats & vocal gymnastics across slightly uniquely tailored personalities. Aespa is no exception, clearly fleshing out each individual performer through brief vignettes between bops. Well done, great fun; B+

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver; Snyder knows how to visually construct worlds & stage elaborate action sequences. The attempts to make main characters likeable and more than just cool assassins is less successful. Undeniable artistry happening across departments in service to a tired story; B+

Monkey Man

Monkey Man; A more brutal John Wick (if that’s possible) revenge style action film. The fights hit hard while the emotional through-line gives it added oomph with each blow the Monkey Man dishes out and takes in. The scenes simply refuse to cut away at the points where one wants to look away; A-
 

The Great Mouse Detective

The Great Mouse Detective; Short, sinister and slightly surreal. Taking Sherlock Holmes into mouse mode with high stakes and high adventure is a bold choice for the House of Mickey Mouse. It pays off, as a dark tale surprisingly capped off by a slick soundtrack and silly little lines; B
 

Cars 2

Cars 2; Setting the Cars characters in a James Bond/M:I spy genre is an inspired choice. Too bad Mater’s stupid schtick is the driving force of the film, as his annoying dumbness is infuriating to watch. Some good jokes, some great animation but the clueless guy mistaken for suave spy falls flat; C+

An Extremely Goofy Movie

An Extremely Goofy Movie; Feels like Rodney Dangerfield’s Back to School with more heart and animated angst borne out of father/son anxiety and weirdness. It’s crazy how straight to DVD era Disney gave us this lower quality tier silliness compared to the ambitious feature films of the 2010s; C
 

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar; Russian doll story within a story within a story climbing back out of itself is expertly performed by a most exquisite cast. Dahl’s clever and fun prose is hard to transfer to the screen but the way Anderson uses sets and framing to unfold it all is perfection; A