Is Dark Phoenix the worst X-Men movie? Of course not, Apocalypse and Origins: Wolverine still exist. In fact, its first two acts might even trick you into believing that you’re watching a decent enough film. But the third act is a literal train wreck - a hodgepodge of fight scenes that mean nothing. In the end, this movie is an extraordinarily unsatisfying and lackluster finale to a franchise that should’ve ended with Days of Future Past and Logan.
Read MoreThe Flamboyant Flair of Rocketman Sets a New Bar for Music Biopics→
/Rocketman is a wonderful embrace of sexuality, self-discovery, and learning to love your past, present, and future self. It puts other films like it to shame, and Taron Egerton turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as an extravagant and emotionally tormented Elton John. Really impressed with this one.
Read MoreBesides a Nefarious Octavia Spencer Performance, Ma is a Bit of a Mess→
/Ma has a lot in it that could be really interesting, but every single element that it introduces is too unexplored, so the movie feels like it just abruptly ends without any sort of satisfying conclusion. Buuuuuuut, Octavia Spencer is having a blast and she’s, as always, a delight to watch.
Read MoreBrightburn is More of a Fizzle→
/Brightburn doesn’t ever offer a good explanation or reasoning behind its main character’s insane turn to evil, crippling an otherwise cool concept for a film (what if Superman was evil?).
Read MoreAladdin - Not Quite a Whole New World for Disney Remakes→
/It must be the end times because against all odds I actually...enjoyed this movie a good bit??? The Aladdin remake has some actual good changes from the original, the costumes(!) are amazing, the dancing is fun, but it’s the fact that this feels like it’s own separate entity instead of just a copy of the animated version that makes this thing work. Mostly. The second half drags.
Read MoreJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Doesn't Horse Around→
/It doesn’t connect as much on an emotional level as the first two, but Chapter 3 of John Wick’s violent adventures feature him shooting people while riding a horse, dogs climbing walls and biting crotches, someone getting killed with a book, and a prominent non-binary character - a big win for representation.
Read MoreHer Smell - Elisabeth Moss Goes Off the Rails→
/Elisabeth Moss isn’t just good in literally everything she’s in - she’s downright phenomenal. Here, she plays a drug and booze fueled, narcissistic rock star that’s spiraling out of control. Watch it and tell me she shouldn’t be the next Joker. She should be. You’re wrong.
Read MoreThe Wandering Earth - The Biggest Movie You've Never Heard Of→
/A mix of Armageddon, Gravity, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Independence Day, The Wandering Earth was quietly dumped onto Netflix a couple of days ago. If you look it up, you’ll find it that it’s the third-highest grossing movie of 2019, only being beat by Marvel, and the second biggest non-English film of all time. Why hasn’t this behemoth gotten more fanfare? Couldn’t tell you, but I can tell you that the concept is insane and the movie is kinda amazing.
Read MoreAvengers: Endgame - Sacrifice, Worthiness, & Redemption
/Avengers: Endgame is an explosive victory. A stunning achievement in film history, it will go on to be remembered as one of the greats. The Marvel Cinematic Universe sticks the landing, and solidifies itself at one of the very greatest.
Read MoreThe Curse of La Llorona Clumsily Handles Mexican Folklore→
/The Curse of La Llorona takes one of the most iconic Mexican folktales and presents it from the perspective of a white lady. On top of that, its scares don’t amount to much due to a lack of emotion and substance behind them.
Read MoreUnicorn Store - Wonder, Magic, and Growing Up Without Losing Yourself→
/Unicorn Store, the directorial debut of Brie Larson, resonated with me a lot more personally than it might for others. It’s a surprisingly emotional story of failure, growing up, and staying true to who you are. I liked it a lot.
Read MorePet Sematary Falls Short of Its Potential→
/Pet Sematary is...fine. It feels a little phoned in, and when it comes to adapting Stephen King, mediocrity just doesn’t cut it.
Read More"The Best of Enemies" is This Year's Green Book, and That's Not Good→
/Aaaaand here we go again. Another movie that frames racism as if it were a thing of the past, makes the story about the white man instead of the black woman, and gives audiences the good ol’ “meet them halfway” argument. Bleagh. Enough.
Read More"Shazam!" Packs a Big Punch and a Bigger Heart→
/Shazam! is cheesy and silly, and that’s the whole point. It knows exactly what it is and embraces that, and it’s also just so darn sweet that I can’t help but love it. Zachary Levi has been way overdue for this kind of role. I want five more of these.
Read More"Us" is Unsettling, Bloody, and One Hell of a Thought-Provoking Ride→
/Us is much more of a slow burn than Get Out, and it’s not nearly as focused or streamlined, but its ambitions, creepiness, and ideas are far greater.
Read MoreThe Lobster - Love by Regulation→
/The Lobster is unique and refreshingly original both in concept and style. It’s not just a biting commentary on the state of love and romance in our society, it’s also a philosophical question of what would you be willing to do and how much would you be willing to sacrifice to find it.
Read MoreClimax - Dancing and Descending Into Madness→
/I don’t give out a perfect rating lightly, but this movie blew me away and I think it’s flawless. Here’s the pitch: A group of dancers get together in an abandoned building during a snowstorm to rehearse and party. The fun takes a nightmarish turn when they discover that what they’ve been drinking has been laced with LSD. It’s absolutely insane and I loved every second of it.
Read More"Captive State" Is The Opposite of Captivating→
/Captive State offers some unique and thoughtful concepts but lacks any sense of character or story to back it all up.
Read MoreSwiss Army Man - The Weird, Artsy Farting Corpse Movie→
/In this strange, strange movie, Daniel Radcliffe plays a dead body with a severe and magical case of flatulence that helps a man stranded on a deserted island survive and get back home. Yes, this is real. And it’s on Netflix now.
Read More“Captain Marvel” Flies Higher, Further, & Faster→
/Captain Marvel manages to juggle being several different kind of films at once and is nothing short of a triumph.
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