Ari Aster makes films that fuck you up. After only two films, ‘Hereditary’ and now ‘Midsommar’, he has proven to be an auteur of abject terror, writing and directing pieces of art that work on multiple levels to deeply unsettle. If ‘Hereditary’ showed audiences the potential for a film to worm its way into the… Continue reading ‘Midsommar’ – A Deeply Unsettling, Sun-Bleached, & Somehow Beautiful Nightmare?
The sequel to Tom Holland’s first full outing as Spider-Man, subtitled ‘Far From Home’ to represent its European vacation setting, addresses the ramifications of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ head-on in both cheeky and emotional ways. By doing so, it deftly weaves the winning characters and friendly, neighborhood stakes of 2017’s ‘Homecoming’ with Peter Parker’s new status in… Continue reading “Spider-Man: Far From Home” – Having the Most Fun in the MCU?
The above question is a very valid one after the wistful, emotional conclusion to Pixar’s original (and rightfully beloved) ‘Toy Story’ trilogy. ‘Toy Story 3′ was a masterful capper to a franchise that basically unfolded in real time, tackling heady themes of relevance and aging, under the auspices of a hilarious and ingenious prison break… Continue reading ‘Toy Story 4’ – Was This Sequel Necessary?
The X-Men franchise has been one of the most inconsistent since its start in 2000. While it may claim to be the grandparent of the modern superhero boon, it has never been able to claim to be the best in the genre. Tonally it’s been all over the place, but interestingly enough it’s one of… Continue reading ‘Dark Phoenix’ – The X-Men Franchise Flames Out?
‘Avengers: Endgame’ is the culmination of over a decade of a film series that has truly captured the imagination of the entire world. In an era of increasingly segregated ploys for popular attention, streaming services and cord cutting, can anything really claim the same sustained attention paid to the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?… Continue reading ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – A Perfect Finish?
At this point the DC comic book universe seems to be taking the approach of throwing everything against the wall and seeing if anything sticks. ‘Shazam!’ is their idea of quirky fun, a tone that to this point has been foreign territory for the studio. It’s an unapologetic superhero version of ‘Big’, that succeeds when… Continue reading ‘Shazam!’ – The Softer Side of DC?
Could expectations be any higher for writer/director Jordan Peele’s follow-up to his social satire/horror/thriller, ‘Get Out’? His new film ‘Us’ is also firmly planted in the genre, and similarly contains overarching allegories for the country we live in, notably income disparity (it’s by design that the title has a ‘U’ and an ‘S’). It’s very… Continue reading ‘Us’ – Is This America?
‘Captain Marvel’ has been a long time coming. As the first female-led superhero movie set in the MCU and possible deus ex machina for Thanos’ apparent victory in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, it also carries a lot on its shoulders. These expectations are perhaps a bit too much for what is ostensibly a prequel of the… Continue reading ‘Captain Marvel’ – Marvel’s Powerhouse Suffers a Bit of Prequel-itis?
‘Fighting With My Family’ is a movie based on true events surrounding the discovery of WWE (that’s World Wresting Entertainment for the uninitiated) wrestler Paige. She was the first to hail from across the pond in England, but what is most notable about her backstory is that she came from a whole family of amateur… Continue reading ‘Fighting With My Family’ – An Oft-Told Tale Done Right?
A science fiction movie about an alien invasion titled, ‘Annihilation’, conjures up thoughts of a Michael Bay action extravaganza, not a heady, deliberate think-piece with lofty ambition and moments of abject terror, but that’s exactly what Alex Garland’s film is. This is the follow-up to his heady, deliberate sci-fi thought provoker, ‘Ex Machina’, although this… Continue reading ‘Annihilation’ – A Meditative, Disturbing, Sci-Fi Wonder?
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