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: “Bombshell”

2.5 out of 5 stars. “Bombshell,” one of the first big movies to be based on some of the events that spurred the Me Too movement, is simultaneously shocking, and shockingly tame. Directed by Jay Roach, the film revolves around the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News, in which several women exposed CEO Roger Ailes, […]

Review: “Star Wars Episode XI: The Rise of Skywalker”

3 out of 5 stars. How does one even begin to end the greatest cinematic franchise of all time, one that has been going for 42 years strong? It’s a herculean task, but it’s one that with “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker,” director and co-writer J.J. Abrams approaches more with the intent […]

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: “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 […]

Review: “Knives Out”

4 out of 5 stars. On the surface, “Knives Out” looks like your typical murder mystery. But it only takes a few minutes for it to become apparent that this film is anything but. Both an affectionate homage and a twist on well-known tropes, “Knives Out,” written and directed by Rian Johnson, is a wildly […]

Review: “The Irishman”

4.5 out of 5 stars. Everybody talking about “The Irishman” can’t seem to do so without bringing up its runtime, which at just shy of three and a half hours, is exceptionally long. But director Martin Scorsese doesn’t waste a second of it, delivering an epic crime movie that initially just seems clever and entertaining, […]