Movie Reviews

Under the Shadow is the definition of a slow burn. This Persian horror flick is one of the creepier and tense horror movies I’ve seen in a long time and a perfect addition to the Sundance Midnight section. Set in war torn Tehran in the 80’s, a mother (Narges Rashidi) and her daughter must survive a mysterious evil that haunts there home. This movie is like the Persian version of The Babadook (2014).  Though it…

My first film of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival was as good of a start to the festival that I could ask for. Life, Animated is a movie that brings out every emotion a human being has, which leads to one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had at the festival. Life, Animated is a documentary about Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who overcame his challenges by learning how to read, talk, and understand human…

I wasn’t a big fan of the first Ride Along (2014).  I thought it had a couple funny moments, but the plot was pointless and the movie was saved by the team of Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.  Did we need a sequel?  Of course not.  But the first one made a ton of money, so of course we got one.  And like most sequels, in “Ride Along 2” we get bigger locations, nicer cars,…

It is really hard to get excited for a Michael Bay movie.  For the last few years, Bay has badgered our senses and lowered our IQs with his Transformers sequels and the horrendous Pain & Gain (2013).  So when it came to 13 Hours: The Secret Solders of Benghazi, I can’t say I was too excited, as it had the potential to have the typical Bayhem of his usual films, while also being offensive, since…

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu follows up his 2014 Oscar winning masterpiece Birdman with one of the most brutal and chilling movie going experiences of 2015, The Revenant.  This is a no holds barred, white-knuckle, brilliant movie that plays out like action-horror movie set in the forest. The film is set in the 1820’s, where frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes on an epic journey to seek revenge on the group of men who left him for dead…

Whenever Quentin Tarantino makes a movie, it is an event.  He is one of the best, wildest, most unique directors working in cinema today.  Audiences can’t wait to see his movies, expecting something they’ve never seen before, and most of the time, they are not disappointed. With his eighth feature film, The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino brings everything that he usually does in his films;  expertly written dialog, ridiculous violence, classic cinema homages, great technical…

In 2010, director Tom Hooper undeservedly won an Oscar for Best Director for The King’s Speech over  David Fincher for The Social Network.  Last year, Eddie Redmayne undeservedly won an Oscar for Best Actor for is impersonation of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything over Michael Keaton in Birdman.  Now, both undeserved winners team up in an attempt to both add another Oscar to their mantle in a movie that is tailor-made for the…

Before I get to my SPOILER FREE review, I just want to say that this will probably be the shortest review I write because I don’t want to give away a thing.  I don’t want to tell you the plot, the characters, or anything.  I’m just going to tell you my opinion of the movie.  Nothing more, nothing less. The Force Awakens was my most anticipated movie of 2015 and probably of my life.  After…

I saw Youth almost two months ago at the Chicago International Film Festival.  Due to reviewing other movies and attempting to have a social life, I was unable to review it immediately after I saw it.  Youth is a movie that I have constantly thought about since seeing it.  It is a powerful, funny, tragic, sweet look at aging, friendship, family, and life.  It also features some Hollywood legends doing some of the best work…

Dear Spike Lee, You used to be one of the most electric filmmakers working in Hollywood.  With masterpieces like Do the Right Thing (1989) and 25th Hour (2002), you made movies that mattered.  They spoke to a specific issue with such a passion and were made with such a focused vision. However, you’ve had a rough run as of late, including the abysmal remake of Oldboy (2013).  Chi-Raq was the perfect opportunity for a comeback….