Streaming Movie Recap: August 2020, Part 2

Here is the second part of my list of mini reviews of streaming movies released in August- I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday weekend! “MAGIC CAMP” (Disney Plus) “Magic Camp” was originally slated for theatrical release in summer 2018 before its release was cancelled and it ultimately ended up on Disney […]

Streaming Movie Recap: August 2020, Part 1

Happy almost-fall, movie fans! The month of August started to see some changes for movies, with many theaters across the United States and in other countries reopening for the first time since they shut down in March. I don’t know if or when I will be returning to indoor movie theaters myself, and if you […]

Review: “Babyteeth”

A romance with a terminally ill teen is practically a subgenre within the universe of young adult novels and films, often weepy, often tender, and often dwelling a lot on the illness itself. “Babyteeth,” a new release from IFC Films and the debut feature from director Shannon Murphy, is none of those things. “Babyteeth” centers […]

Review: “Booksmart”

4.5 out of 5 stars. “Booksmart” is the latest entry in a series of contemporary teen movies seeking to bring a fresher, more honest take and modern sensibilities to a genre that over time can easily become dated. But thanks to an incredible cast, smart script, and brilliant direction by Olivia Wilde in her directorial […]

Review: “Eighth Grade”

5 out of 5 stars. “Eighth Grade” is the story of an average girl’s last week of middle school. But there’s nothing average about this film, which is the debut feature from writer/director Bo Burnham. Rather than a quirky and sugar-coated teen comedy, it’s about as honest and unflinching as a portrayal of middle school […]

Review: “Love, Simon”

4 out of 5 stars. “Love, Simon,” has everything you’d expect to find in a teen rom-com: a quirky sense of humor, misunderstandings that complicate friendships, attempts to fit in while navigating the drama of high school, and the search for first love. But the one thing that makes “Love, Simon” not just stand apart […]

Review: “Lady Bird”

4.5 out of 5 stars. “Lady Bird” opens with a close-up of a mother and daughter sharing a bed in a hotel room, sleeping, facing toward each other but not touching. It’s a shot that effectively establishes the connection this pair has that forms the foundation of writer and director Greta Gerwig’s stunning and honest […]

Review: “The Edge of Seventeen”

4.5 out of 5 stars. Awkward people and fans of teen comedies, rejoice. Writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig’s “The Edge of Seventeen” is a wonderful medley of everything that’s great about the John Hughes teen films of the eighties, and the quirky indie comedies of the last decade, a la Juno—in fact, this movie […]