Reviews (Page 20) | The Spool

Reviews (Page 20)

Flamin’ Hot never catches fire

By: Peter Sobczynski

Eva Longoria's directorial debut is solidly made but glosses over the interesting and thorny parts of its story in favor of a glossy ad for Cheetos.

Tribeca 2023: Our 15 most anticipated films

From music docs to actors directing to the first time, Tribeca 2023 has plenty of exciting new films to offer. Here are some of our faves.

Shin Kamen Rider skillfully splices love, thrills, and wisdom into a tremendous whole

By: Justin Harrison

The fourth installment of Hideaki Anno's "Shin" project is brainy, moving, and marvelously idiosyncratic. It's my favorite film of 2023 so far.

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.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse spins a stunning web

By: Justin Harrison

Miles Morales' second venture into the multiverse is thrilling, thematically dense, and above all else, a GORGEOUS work of animation.

Come to the Moulin Rouge! where artifice reveals authenticity

By: Tim Stevens

Baz Luhrmann’s mashup musical piles on the spectacle on its way to embracing true love.

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson makes us stay a little longer with sketch comedy gold

Season 3 may not be as consistent, but it still brings plenty of hilariously weird and uncomfortable situations.

A decade on, The Purge series is more frightening than ever

The dystopian portrait of the United States now feels ironically naïve, a reality that makes it more deeply unnerving than when it first hit theatres.

Succession ends as it should, with no one happy

One of the best series of the 20s closes on a realistically somber note, where even winning feels like losing.

Kandahar takes a shot it doesn’t quite land

By: Michael Snydel

Gerard Butler’s CIA-agent-on-the-run thriller aims to be more than a power fantasy, but for all its virtues, it doesn’t stick that landing. There’s an expected cognitive dissonance that comes with watching a man-on-a-mission genre piece set in the Middle East. Whether it’s a glorified shooting gallery or a power fantasy where the hero stops just ... Kandahar takes a shot it doesn’t quite land

Filmmaker of the Month

Traversing Baz Lurhmann’s sonic landscapes

Even when he's not making musical movies, the Aussie auteur's movies are always musical.

CCFF 2023 Shorts Dispatch: Sèt Lam, Troy, & more

By: B.L. Panther

CCFF's second short of shorts explores humanity's need for community.

Mulligan stumbles but eventually finds the funny in a post-apocalyptic Earth

By: Ashley Lara

Netflix’s new animated comedy has some growing pains, but improves as it goes.

The Boogeyman offers some tame but effective scares

By: Gena Radcliffe

Though it strays far from its source material, Rob Savage's newest film manages to tap into the primal fear of the monster in the closet

Keeping it Platonic and chaotic

By: Tim Stevens

Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen reteam for a fun, but uneven AppleTV+ series about friends who may bring out the worst in each other. NOW STREAMING: Powered by JustWatch As a group, humanity has spent entirely too much time asking, “Can men and women ever be friends without sex getting in the way.” Thankfully, Platonic, by ... Keeping it Platonic and chaotic

Meet Ted Lasso’s mom and understand the man

"Mom City" shows how the mother is also the father of the man when it comes to Ted and Jamie.

Be sure to like and subscribe to Influencer

By: Gena Radcliffe

Kurtis David Harder directs a fun, timely thriller about the dangers of social media

You Hurt My Feelings turns a little betrayal into big laughs

Nicole Holofcener finds hilarity in insecurity with this exploration of marriage, creativity, and honesty.

Halle Bailey aside, The Little Mermaid sinks under its own weight

By: Shannon Campe

Rob Marshall's murky remake of the Disney classic drowns in plodding scripting and terrifying character designs, taking away from its luminous lead performance.

Logan is sent off in typical Roy fashion in “Church and State”

Shiv & Kendall are still making deals while Roman falls apart as they bid their father a complicated farewell in the penultimate episode of Succession.

What’s New on DVD/Blu-ray in May: Knock at the Cabin, Petite Maman, and More

Shyamalan's latest and a couple of Criterions about female bonds at different ages highlight this month's new physical media releases.

Secrets of Hillsong paints the trendy church in a sinister light

By: Marshall Estes

The FX series illustrates the dark side of attempting to mix religion with clout chasing.

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