Streaming Recap: May 2020

Normally at this time of year we’d be a month into the summer blockbuster season. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing state of things, that is not the case. But we still have lots of movies to stream at home in the meantime. You can read my reviews of films that debuted on streaming services in […]

Review: “1917”

5 out of 5 stars. “1917” is a war epic brought down to a more personal level, without sacrificing the scale or horror of said war. That is thanks to director Sam Mendes and his crew, who adhere to a vision for this story—based on an anecdote told to him by his grandfather, Alfred Mendes—that […]

Review: “Uncut Gems”

3.5 out of 5 stars. I watched “Uncut Gems” for the first time over two days ago, and I still have a hard time putting my reaction to the film into words. It’s engrossing, but not exactly enjoyable; intense, even though the endgame is rather predictable. None of the characters are likeable, including Adam Sandler’s […]

Review: “Little Women” (2019)

4.5 out of 5 stars. “Little Women” has been the favorite book of many for generations, and the majority of its many film adaptations have been solid as well. But never has the story felt so alive as it does in Greta Gerwig’s new film version, which she wrote and directed. Based on the 1868 […]

Review: “Cats”

1 out of 5 stars. I will never forget where I was when the “Cats” trailer first debuted. It was a warm summer evening, and I was standing in a Starbucks just outside of Dallas, Texas waiting on the latte I’d ordered. Having not been on my phone much all day, I scrolled through Twitter, […]

Review: “The Two Popes”

3.5 out of 5 stars. “The Two Popes” is the story of two men at an intellectual and spiritual crossroads. Adapted by Anthony McCarten from his play “The Pope” and directed by Fernando Meirelles, the film maintains the intimacy of a stage production with some added cinematic flourishes, and is anchored by fantastic performances by […]

Review: “Jumanji: The Next Level”

3.5 out of 5 stars. 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” was a surprisingly imaginative reboot of the 1995 film. But it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that its sequel, “Jumanji: The Next Level,” wouldn’t have anything new and exciting to offer. While it does retain a lot of the same elements that made the […]

Review: “Marriage Story”

4.5 out of 5 stars. Contrary to its title, writer and director Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” drops the viewer into the story of a marriage that it at its end. But even though we don’t see the couple at the heart of the story falling in love, we get a complete sense of what their […]

Streaming Recap: November 2019

With the holiday season in full swing, tons of movies were released on streaming services in November, from Christmas comedies to awards season contenders. You can read my capsule reviews of new movies released on Netflix and Disney Plus in November below. HOLIDAY IN THE WILD (NETFLIX) “Holiday in the Wild,” directed by Ernie Barbarash, […]

Review: “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

3 out of 5 stars. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” isn’t what most viewers will go in to expecting or wanting, but it may end up being just what they needed. In these times where hate is prevalent everywhere, Mister Rogers has experienced a bit of a resurgence these last couple years, first with […]