Review: “Midsommar”

3.5 out of 5 stars. In “Midsommar,” very few scenes are set in dark places. The majority of the film takes place in the bright Swedish summer sunshine, as the members of a commune called the Hårga prepare to celebrate the midsummer solstice. But writer and director Ari Aster (Hereditary) finds the terror in this […]

Review: “Yesterday”

2.5 out of 5 stars. It’s difficult to imagine a world without the Beatles. Their music has been an integral part of pop culture around the world for decades, their impact and influence on others seemingly never-ending. But a world without the Beatles is exactly what the movie “Yesterday” tries to imagine, only the premise […]

Review: “Toy Story 4”

3.5 out of 5 stars. “Toy Story 3” brought Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise to a perfect conclusion. The films are important for many reasons. They’re some of the best animated movies ever made, boasting stories that are entertaining, clever, and heartfelt, told by richly drawn characters; in fact, it wouldn’t be too crazy to say […]

Review: “Late Night”

3.5 out of 5 stars. In “Late Night,” Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling both play women who defy those who underestimate. The film may be a workplace comedy—and a very funny one at that—but it has an important and timely message that reaches far deeper. The movie is directed by Nisha Ganatra from a script […]

Review: “Men in Black: International”

2 out of 5 stars. “Men in Black: International” is the latest in a long list of sequels to franchises that no one asked for, but that we got anyway. As unnecessary as the film is, it did have a few things going for it—and it managed to squander them all, resulting in an action […]

Review: “The Secret Life of Pets 2”

2.5 out of 5 stars. Dog photos and cat videos are some of the most popular content on the internet, so it would be difficult for a movie that’s essentially based around bringing these things to life to be unsuccessful. Illumination’s animated feature “The Secret Life of Pets 2” picks up sometime after the events […]

Review: “Dark Phoenix”

2 out of 5 stars. 2019 is the year that many iconic pop culture franchises are coming to a conclusion. But while 20th Century Fox’s live-action “X-Men” series has been around for longer than most of them—almost 20 years, in fact—it feels less like a bittersweet farewell and more like a sigh of relief to […]

Review: “Rocketman”

3.5 out of 5 stars. Biographical movies always play fast and loose with the facts, often shaping and twisting them to fashion a more cinematic story. “Rocketman,” which tells the story of the life and career of musician Elton John, is no exception. But “Rocketman,” directed by Dexter Fletcher (who, incidentally, took over directing duties […]

Review: “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019)

3 out of 5 stars. Exposition is an important aspect of any movie, but there can also be too much of it. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”—the sequel to 2014’s “Godzilla”—somehow gives us both too much and too little story, choosing to spend more time with its human characters rather than its monsters, but also […]

Review: “Aladdin” (2019)

3.5 out of 5 stars. “A Whole New World,” the duet between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine is one of many favorite music numbers that appear in “Aladdin,” the new live-action remake of the animated Disney classic of the same name. It isn’t a great descriptor for the film itself, which in many aspects is inferior […]