Movie Reviews

      The Shape of Water is a movie that only Guillermo Del Toro could have made.  From the story, to the visuals, to the tone, nobody else in the world could have made this film, let alone make it this good.  This is a truly magical film.  A beautiful, weird, suspenseful adult fairy tale that is one of the best movies of the year. Set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa…

      Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (2003) is the epitome of a movie that is “so bad, it’s good.”  What was supposed to be a serious relationship drama about the human condition turned out to be one of the worst films ever created.  A film of blind ambition and passion with erratic direction, the film has become a comedic cult classic that still plays to sold out midnight screenings around the world.  How in the world this…

      Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a movie of pure greatness.  A movie that is just as funny as it is emotional.  A movie that is filled with themes that resonate today.  A movie that is written, acted, and directed masterfully.  A movie that is one of the best of 2017. Months after her daughter was murdered, Mildred (Francis McDormand) begins to challenge the local police department by placing billboards questioning attacking…

      Justice League is arguably the most important movie for the DCEU.  For fans, it’s the first time ever we get to see these legendary superheroes on screen together.  For the studio, they just had a major hit with Wonder Woman (2017) after a string of less than stellar films to start their cinematic universe and are looking to grow from it. Unfortunately, while the movie isn’t a complete trainwreck and has some fun…

      Before going into Wonder, you need to know one thing: This is a movie strictly for kids.  You’re probably thinking, “well obviously it’s a kids movie, it’s rated PG.”  Well, not all PG movies are kids movies.  All the President’s Men (1976) is rated PG, yet is nowhere near a kids movie.  This movie could have been a deeper, more emotional look at facial diseases and the strain it causes on a family.  Instead, the…

    Murder on the Orient Express is a Hollywood gloss-fest that is all show and no go.  A who’s who of Hollywood A-listers have come together for a murder mystery that looks pretty, but lacks any real depth and suspense. While aboard a lavish train, one of the passengers is murdered and it is up to Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), the greatest detective in the world, to solve the crime. This biggest issue…

No director understands the human condition better than Richard Linklater.  He understands what makes us who we are.  He knows that it isn’t always these dramatic, life changing events, but smaller moments that really make us who we are.  Whether it’s a chance encounter with a stranger on a train, a high school night out with friends, or the first weekend of college, Linklater knows how to portray these moments. Last Flag Flying is another…

    There was a time, around three years ago, where I was worried about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  I was worried that they were falling into a cookie-cutter format of sequels, where every single film is bigger, yet emptier.  During what Marvel calls their Phase 2, films like Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2014), and the mildly overrated Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014) hit a creative low and didn’t look like they were going to…

      The Florida Project is one of those movies that plants a seed in you and keeps growing long after you see it.  I saw this movie a few weeks ago and I am still thinking about it.  Whether it is the themes of the movie, moments in the movie, or even just a single shot or line of dialog, The Florida Project is something that I think about on a daily basis.  Director…

      The Foreigner has been marketed as Jackie Chan’s Taken (2008), where an older, accomplished actor is cast in an action-focused film with a lot of hand-to-hand combat.  They’ve tried to replicate this kind of film with a number of actors like Kevin Costner (Three Days to Kill), John Travolta (From Paris with Love), Sean Penn (The Gunman), and Pierce Brosnan (November Man).  It also seems that this is the only kind of movie Liam Neeson…