There are few things cinematically that annoy me more than two great actors being in a terrible film. The Rule of Jenny Pen, which stars Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow, is such a project. While the actors give it their all and give good performances, everything else around them is bad, from the plot to the idiot side characters to the lack of scares in this apparent horror film. Rush plays Stefan Mortensen, a lonely…

  Aislinn Clarke’s Fréwaka is a chilling and haunting horror film rooted deeply in Irish folk lore. Siubhán (Clare Monnelly) — known to her friends as “Shoo”, is a home care nurse who is struggling with the recent death of her mother. She is assigned to the home of Pieg (Bríd Ní Neachtain), an elderly woman who lives in an isolated cabin far away from civilization. Pieg’s home is covered in wards and charms to…

  Known more for his work as a documentarian, director Joshua Oppenheimer makes his feature directorial debut with The End, a musical about the last family on Earth. Deep inside an underground bunker lives a family comprised of Mother (Tilda Swinton), Father (Michael Shannon), Son (George McKay), Friend (Bronagh Gallagher), Butler (Tim McInnery), and Doctor (Lennie James). The world ended years ago, and they have been living in this bunker since, despite having a part…

  Sasha Rainbow’s Grafted is a familiar body-horror movie elevated by its excellent direction and lead performance. Wei (Jess Hong) is a blossoming scientist continuing the controversial, yet innovative research on skin grafting begun by her late father so that she can “fix” the hereditary facial disfigurement. She gets a scholarship to study in New Zealand where she stays with her aunt and mean-girl cousin Angela (also played by Jess Hong). Wei catches the attention…

  Amy Adams gives one of the best performances of 2024 in Nightbitch, Marielle Heller’s uneven horror dramedy about the superpowers and stress of being a wife and mother. Adams stars Mother, a once-promising artist who puts her career on hold after she gets pregnant and becomes a stay-at-home wife and mother. Her husband (Scoot McNairy) has a job that sees him traveling throughout the week and only being home on the weekends. The stress…

  I enjoyed watching Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night. I found it funny, energetic, and overall entertaining. But something was missing for me as I left the theater, and I couldn’t put my finger on it right away. It then came to me that watching Saturday Night was like watching the finale of a TV show or mini-series where I hadn’t watched any of the previous episodes. I’m not the biggest TV watcher, but if I…

You are not prepared for The Substance. I could tell you everything that happens in this movie and it still would not prepare you for what happens in the film. It is an epic, fearless, gross, shocking film featuring two dynamic performances. It’s as visceral a filmgoing experience as I have had in 2024. Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging celebrity whose star has diminished since she peaked in the 80s. After getting…

  Alien: Romulus was a conflicting watch. I love the Alien franchise. It is one of my all-time favorite franchises. The world Ridley Scott built, and the unique sequels have made it one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time. But Alien: Romulus is not a great Alien film. It’s a fine Alien film that had some cool moments but didn’t expand the world as much as it could have nor did anything original….