WONKA– 4 STARS Johnny Depp be damned, the most prominent Willy Wonka film faithful have met has been Gene Wilder’s incarnation from 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Born from Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel
POOR THINGS– 4 STARS LESSON #1: LET’S PLAY “FUCK, MARRY, KILL”– Call this descriptor creative or call it crude. Poor Things is the cinematic equivalent of the forced Q&A game “Fuck, Marry, Kill,” but where
THE IRON CLAW– 5 STARS Let’s just say it now upfront. Folks are going to walk up completely unprepared for The Iron Claw. They’re going to see the old school wrestling setting and the ripped
THE BOYS IN THE BOAT– 3 STARS Look. We all know rowing isn’t exactly the most exciting sport under the sun today. Folks will hear “sculling” and “sweep” and think they’re hearing about Halloween janitorial
Movies can remarkably transport us to different worlds, challenge our perspectives, and inspire change. One recurring theme often takes center stage in cinema is the journey of knowledge and self-discovery. With its transformative potential, higher
AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM– 2 STARS LESSON #1: WE’VE COME TO THE END OF THE ROAD– As the timeline and statistics will tell you, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the 15th and final
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW– 4 STARS There are certain subject matters that have become known deal breakers for audiences. Across the spectrum of moralities, each individual has a list of avoidances of varying lengths and
For me, 2023 was the embodiment of the Ferris Bueller quote: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Yup, that was my year
WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU– 3 STARS Right from the get-go of the opening credits, the romantic dramedy Which Brings Me to You immodestly uses a soundtrack of modern covers of old Great American Songbook
ORIGIN– 5 STARS Defying its basic classification as a biopic with dollops of docufiction and docudrama, Ava DuVernay’s Origin is astounding proof that a filmmaker can put narrative power into material normally fit for a