2017

RAT FILM: A Singular, Illuminating Look At Baltimore's Social History
RAT FILM: A Singular, Illuminating Look At Baltimore’s Social History

Rat Film delves into the history of Baltimore’s city planning and the bigotry that has perpetrated on the African-American population.

WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY: Caught In A Cultural Crossfire
WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY: Caught In A Cultural Crossfire (#TIFF)

What Will People Say is a brutal yet powerful study of the effects of subjugation on a young woman in a highly patriarchal society.

PATTI CAKE$: Blue Collar Fever Dream
PATTI CAKE$: Blue Collar Fever Dream

Patti Cake$ is the true sleeper hit of the 2017 summer movie season, and here’s to hoping that it continues to build momentum as it makes its way to home video.

SHOT CALLER: A Terrifyingly Accurate Castigation Of White Supremacy
SHOT CALLER: A Terrifyingly Accurate Castigation Of White Supremacy

What Shot Caller lacks for, narratively, it makes up for in its complex character study guised as a prison drama, expertly exposing human nature’s animalism.

CARDINALS: Sin & Sorrow In Small-Town Canada
CARDINALS: Sin & Sorrow In Small-Town Canada (#TIFF)

Cardinals is a tense and subtly effective thriller set in small-town Canada, bolstered by strong performances and complex themes.

IS THIS NOW: Bafflingly Bad
IS THIS NOW: Bafflingly Bad

Is This Now is a perplexingly bad movie, rife with awkward tonal shifts, poor camerawork, unbelievable acting, and a very unfitting ending.

FALLEN: A Ridiculous, Derivative, Yet Somehow Endearing Mess
FALLEN: A Ridiculous, Derivative, Yet Somehow Endearing Mess

Despite a winning performance from Lola Kirke, it looks like Fallen’s destiny is to be assigned to the scrapheap of YA movie history.

BATMAN AND HARLEY QUINN: The Visuals Are Classic DC Animation, The Content, Not So Much
BATMAN AND HARLEY QUINN: The Visuals Are Classic DC Animation, The Content, Not So Much

Batman And Harley Quinn’s lack of action and poor voice acting for the character of Harley Quinn make for a disappointing film.

THE HOUSE: Nothing To Cash In
THE HOUSE: Nothing To Cash In

Despite two talented leads, The House suffers from a script that doesn’t utilize their talents, ultimately becoming forgettable as a result.

VALERIAN & THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS: Visually Astonishing But Narratively Exhausting
VALERIAN & THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS: Visually Astonishing But Narratively Exhausting

Though visually enticing, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is bogged down by a bloated script and poorly written characters.

GHOST HOUSE: An Exhaustingly Loud Horror Dud
GHOST HOUSE: An Exhaustingly Loud Horror Dud

Predictable, overbearing, and generic, Ghost House is a film that is lacking in all the essential ingredients that make up a great horror.

THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD: Reynolds And Jackson Are Game, But That's About It
THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD: Reynolds & Jackson Are Game, But That’s About It

Despite committed, enjoyable performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is tired, cliched and overlong.

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY: A Gritty Twist On The Stereotypical Coming Out Story
GOD’S OWN COUNTRY: A Gritty Twist On The Stereotypical Coming Out Story

God’s Own Country, a unique coming out story, is an amazing directorial debut for Francis Lee despite some minor, forgivable missteps.

THE EVIL WITHIN: Andrew Getty’s Bizarrely Original Passion Project Is A Sight to Behold

Though choppy and unfocused, with campy and cringeworthy acting, The Evil Within it has a certain charm behind its bizarre facade.

INGRID GOES WEST: A Great Social Commentary But Only A Good Dark Comedy

Ingrid Goes West is a great commentary on our obsession with social media but while it is a good comedy it fails to be truly remarkable.