2018

OUR HOUSE: Unassuming Horror is in the Middle of the Road Territory
OUR HOUSE: Unassuming Horror Is In The Middle Of The Road Territory

Lacking the dirsired jump scares and trust in itself, Our House is a film that will now be stuck in limbo, too tame for modern horror audiences and not emotionally satisfying enough for others.

LIKE FATHER: Surprisingly Effective Father-Daughter Journey
LIKE FATHER: Surprisingly Effective Father-Daughter Journey

Like Father is not a radical or subversive family comedy, but the cast has good chemistry and the big, tear-jerking moments make an impact.

CASTLE ROCK "Filter" (S1E6): More Buildup Than Payoff
CASTLE ROCK “Filter” (S1E6): More Buildup Than Payoff

Castle Rock’s Filter is an impeccably scored episode, with enamoring performances by Spacek and Holland, that level out the grooves this mixed bag left behind.

DARK TOURIST: Exploring What It Means To Travel (& Interview With David Farrier)
DARK TOURIST: Exploring What It Means To Travel (& Interview With David Farrier)

Dark Tourist transcends its genre and explores what it actually means to travel, making for one of the most remarkable and profound travel shows ever made.

PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH: Gory Slasher Comedy Is An Instant Cult Classic
PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH: Gory Slasher Comedy Is An Instant Cult Classic

For all of its merciless violence, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is a clever exercise in genre thrills and impossibly twisted humor.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS: Is the World Ready?
CRAZY RICH ASIANS: Is the World Ready?

Frank H. Wu reviews and examines Crazy Rich Asians: It already is a phenomenon. May it inspire much more.

WHITNEY: Portrait Of Popstar Is Vivid, Shocking & Essential
WHITNEY: Portrait Of Popstar Is Vivid, Shocking & Essential

Whitney’s monumental accomplishments as a recording artist and harrowing personal problems are sensitively detailed in Kevin Macdonald’s terrific biography.

SNAPSHOTS: Love, Loss and Longing Across Three Generations
SNAPSHOTS: Love, Loss and Longing Across Three Generations

While Snapshots is far from a perfect film, it made with such an admirable degree of earnestness, with so much feeling, that it is easy to overlook the flaws.

TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE: An Endearing Lana Condor & The Evolution Of The YA Genre
TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE: The Evolution Of The YA Genre

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a testament to how far young adult films have come, resisting stereotypes and cliches despite seeming to fall into a gimmicky premise.

THE MEG: A Hefty Splash Of Summer Fun With Jason Statham

The Meg is not a masterpiece, but it is a perfect Jason Statham vehicle: packed with action and still a ton of fun.

TRIAL & ERROR: LADY, KILLER "The Murder Clock" (S2E3) and "A Hole in the Case" (S2E4): A Hilarious Blend of Small-Town Humor and an Engaging Crime Narrative
TRIAL & ERROR: LADY, KILLER “The Murder Clock” (S2E3) & “A Hole in the Case” (S2E4): A Hilarious Blend Of Small-Town Humor & An Engaging Crime Narrative

Every episode of Trial & Error is filled with memorable jokes that makes each episode feel like it doesn’t even last its half-hour running time.

CALLING ALL EARTHLINGS: Not Quite Out Of This World

By bouncing back and forth between too many stories, Calling All Earthlings, while intriguing, doesn’t provide the complete picture of any of them.

WE THE ANIMALS: Coming of Age Drama Trapped In Moonlight's Shadow
WE THE ANIMALS: Coming Of Age Drama Trapped In Moonlight’s Shadow

We the Animals is an undeniably moving film, but one whose emotional power is curbed by its similarity to other notable US indies of recent years, failing to rise out of the shadows.

PROMISE: A Contemporary Take On Biblical Story
PROMISE: A Contemporary Take On Biblical Story

Promise is a terrific short drama that represents another stride forward for director Nev Pierce.

THE COOLEST GUY MOVIE EVER: A Look At An Iconic War Film For Super Fans
THE COOLEST GUY MOVIE EVER: A Look At An Iconic War Film For Super Fans

The Coolest Guy Movie Ever looks back at the iconic war film The Great Escape, examining its production and the legacy it still holds today.