Michael Frank, Author at The Spool - Page 2 of 3 (Page 2) | The Spool

Michael Frank, Author at The Spool - Page 2 of 3 (Page 2)

Only Murders in the Building finds fresh blood in Season 2

By: Michael Frank

Hulu's hit mystery series expands its scope in its second season and hits a darker pattern to its true-crime pastiche.

Adam Sandler learns some Hustle in a surprisingly tactile sports drama

By: Michael Frank

Jeremiah Zager's passion project is an ode to Philly and the NBA that makes tremendous use of Sandler and its supporting cast of NBA all-stars.

The Innocents asks whether the supernatural kids are alright

By: Michael Frank

Eskil Vogt’s gripping second feature gazes at the limitations of childhood experience with clear, unblinking eyes. NOW STREAMING: Powered by JustWatch In the first scene of Eskil Vogt’s sophomore feature The Innocents, a young girl pinches her autistic older sister while riding in the car. Her sister doesn’t react, so she pinches harder. The morality ... The Innocents asks whether the supernatural kids are alright

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

Happening is an all too timely look at a constant threat

By: Michael Frank

Despite its 60s France setting, Audrey Diwan's drama soberingly reflects current events & the possible loss of reproductive freedom

Memory isn’t worth remembering

By: Michael Frank

Latest Liam Neeson thriller is beneath all involved.

Paris, 13th District is an adult look at modern love

By: Michael Frank

Though uneven & trying a bit too hard to appeal to a specific audience, Jacques Audiard breathes new life & color into conventional love stories

The Contractor is an empty exercise in action movie nostalgia

By: Michael Frank

Tarik Saleh directs Chris Pine in a mediocre military conspiracy thriller that checks off all the dad movie boxes.

Nitram brings precision, intimacy to a horrific historical moment

By: Michael Frank

Justin Kurzel’s latest showcases an incredible Caleb Landry Jones performance.

One Perfect Shot chooses careers over craft

By: Michael Frank

Netflix's documentary series inspired by a popular Twitter feed is disappointingly simplified & too focused on empty director soundbites

King Knight needs more magic

By: Michael Frank

Though good-natured and occasionally funny, Richard Bates, Jr.'s supernatural farce falls flat

Home Team fumbles its comedy with its own goal of a script

By: Michael Frank

Kevin James' turn as controversial football coach Sean Payton blocks its own punt through shallow storytelling and its frankly loathsome protagonist.

Asghar Farhadi toys with dramatic moral ambiguity in A Hero

By: Michael Frank

Iran's premiere director pivots away from family stories to take a look at society at large.

Prepare to recognize all the sights in Death Valley

By: Michael Frank

New to Shudder, the genre mashup follows in the footsteps of many better films.

Bruised wastes its shot at the title

By: Michael Frank

Halle Berry's directorial debut fails to satisfy sports movie thrills or push the subgenre anywhere new.

Attica lets the inmates tell their brutal story

By: Michael Frank

Traci Curry and Stanley Nelson's documentary is a brutal, uncompromising take on the 1971 Attica Prison Riot and the inhumanity of the criminal justice system.

Night Teeth is just enough bloody fun

By: Michael Frank

While the new Netflix feature ultimately runs out of steam, Night Teeth pulses with "just sit back and enjoy the ride" fun for a solid hour.

The Many Saints of Newark brings the family back together

By: Michael Frank

The prequel to the landmark HBO series fleshes out the capos who came before Tony Soprano.

Kin’s tremendous cast makes a dance out of its familiar steps

By: Michael Frank

A familiar study of an Irish crime family, Kin gives a host of terrific actors a chance to shine, both individually and together.

Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building layers freshness onto age-old comedy

By: Michael Frank

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez start a true-crime podcast in a New York-set dramedy that offers plenty of charm with room to grow.

Nine Perfect Strangers coasts past a weak script with a stellar cast

By: Michael Frank

Nicole Kidman leads a capable, all-star ensemble through David E. Kelley’s take on wellness culture, even as it struggles to keep your attention. NOW STREAMING: Powered by JustWatch Big Little Lies and The Undoing creator David E. Kelley returns to the small screen for another collaboration with Nicole Kidman with Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, an ... Nine Perfect Strangers coasts past a weak script with a stellar cast

Enemies of the State trudges through murky territory to a half-conclusion

By: Michael Frank

The seeds of an interesting story are planted in Sonia Kennebeck's documentary about the paranoia and espionage surrounding a child pornography trial.

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