The excellent filmmaker Cynthia Hill (“Private Violence”) probably presumed that “Burden of Proof” would be a feature film, but the saga stretched out over so many years that it shifted into a series. She spent a great deal of time over seven years with Stephen Pandos, capturing in real time his investigations into the life-shaping … Read more
For you youngsters out there, this was a kind of meme at the time—some stoned so-and-so had discovered that in ways that were actually quantifiable (especially if you were, in fact, stoned), the imagery of “Oz” and the sounds of Pink Floyd synched up in an uncanny way. Like, you know, the twister coincided with … Read more
While it is first and foremost a love story, “Past Lives” ventures beyond romantic yearning and burning questions. For Song, it’s also the chance to express feelings about the immigrant experience. Before leaving her home country, Nora’s mom justifies the couple’s choice to move the family abroad: “If you leave something behind, you gain something, … Read more
“Across the Spider-Verse” opens just over a year after the action of the first movie. Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) is back in her universe, trying to keep her identity secret from her father, George (Shea Whigham). When an alternate version of the villainous Vulture (Jorma Taccone) drops into her reality, the bad guy ends up … Read more
All things considered given how Disney’s live-action remakes have performed lately, The Little Mermaid has gotten pretty good reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 68 percent from critics and a 95 percent from verified fans. On Metacritic, the movie has a 59 percent. Obviously, those numbers are way lower than the ones for the … Read more
The new episode of the Best Horror Party Movies video series looks back at Radio Silence’s 2019 film Ready or Not A new episode of our Best Horror Party Movies video series has just been released, and with this one we’re looking at a relatively recent movie: the 2019 release Ready or Not (watch it … Read more
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first streaming series is a by-the-numbers effort that fails to do much with the spy genre. Plot: A CIA Operative on the verge of retirement discovers a family secret. Forced to go back into the field for one last job, the series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, … Read more
“Elemental,” Disney and Pixar’s latest, feels emblematic of the studio’s struggle to recapture its original magic, making a mess of its world-building in service of a conventional story that fails the talent of the animators involved. Set in a world where natural elements—earth, fire, water, air—coexist in a New York-style metropolis, each representing different social … Read more
Butler’s character in this year’s far superior “Plane” had the same deadline challenge, only in that movie, the daughter was graduating college, whereas this daughter looks like she’s only graduating high school. Well. This development certainly made me sit up and take notice. How many stale ingredients was this script by Mitchell LaFortune to serve … Read more
The problems at the center of “You Hurt My Feelings” may seem insignificant from the outside, but when they happen to you, they’re seismic. In particular, she vividly depicts the insecurity creative people experience when offering something personal to the world. We’re exposing ourselves, and we’re inviting criticism. It’s certainly a subject Holofcener knows well … Read more