Festivals Reeling 2021: Jump Darling sends off Cloris Leachman in style By: B.L. Panther The late, great movie star gives a stupendous performance in this winning odd-couple dramedy.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Queens of the Revolution celebrates queer Cubans and the lives they have built By: B.L. Panther With Queens of the Revolution, Rebecca Heidenberg presents Cuba's queer community and their work with care and thought.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Boulevard! A Hollywood Story delves into one of the fascinating shadows cast by a legendary film By: B.L. Panther Boulevard!—Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary on a never-was musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard and its makers—is insightful if scattered.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Silent Night is a joyless, doomed slog By: Peter Sobczynski Silent Night's admittedly intriguing blend of bleaker-than-bleak comedy and holiday spirit is undermined by noxious writing and characters.
Reviews St. Vincent meta-doc The Nowhere Inn offers up deconstruction for its own sake By: Matt Cipolla Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein play with the fuzzy lines between artistic identity and celebrity in ways that both entertain and befuddle.
Reviews In Season 3, Sex Education reaches new levels of maturity By: Reyzando Nawara Sex Education's characters wrestle with regressive sexual politics and communication issues on the way to its most mature season yet.
Anniversaries Mommie Dearest turned the celebrity biopic into a camp delight The “nothing but warts” portrayal of Joan Crawford turns 40, & remains an eye-popping display of pathos, kitsch & unintended hilarity.
Festivals TIFF 2021: The Forgiven offers up yet more rich white people problems By: Sarah Kurchak Despite its top shelf cast & capable direction, this drama about tourists behaving badly is nothing we haven't seen before.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Drive My Car is a dense, lyrical take on life after grief By: Sarah Kurchak Ryusuke Hamaguchi adapts a Haruki Murakami short story & gives it additional depth & soul.
Festivals TIFF 2021: The Gravedigger’s Wife & other highlights in African cinema By: Soham Gadre Three features at the Toronto International Film Festival turn the spotlight on the best and brightest in African filmmaking.
Reviews Best Sellers belongs in the slush pile By: Gena Radcliffe Michael Caine & Aubrey Plaza give far more effort than this saccharine comedy-drama about generation gaps & the publishing industry deserves.
Recap Ted Lasso “Beard After Hours” Recap: The wild night is calling Ted Lasso Season 2 Episode 9 takes viewers on one bizarre night with Coach Beard.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Belfast is a touching, understated historical drama By: Sarah Kurchak Kenneth Branagh directs a moving film about a working class Irish family impacted by the Troubles.
Reviews Lady of the Manor lets its enthusiastic cast down By: Sarah Gorr A lighthearted comedy clumsily attempts to address race, to less than successful results.
Reviews Netflix’s Raimi-inflected Nightbooks fails to cast a spell By: Ashley Lara A talented cast's efforts can't overcome a potion with too many conflicting elements.
Reviews Netflix’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is somehow more dated than ever By: Jon Negroni Netflix's latest attempt at the He-Man IP sacrifices interesting innovation for toyetic changes.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Jane Campion’s neo-western The Power of the Dog is a haunting study of masculinity and repressed desire By: Reyzando Nawara The great director Jane Campion and a stupendous cast dig deep into dread and melancholy in one of 2021's finest films.
Reviews “Da Bears” gags are the height of comedy compared to Chicago Party Aunt’s crummy jokes By: Shannon Campe Chicago Party Aunt, Netflix's new animated comedy, undercuts the strengths of its medium and its cast through sloppy, tired craft and writing.
Reviews Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho is crooked and kind-hearted By: Matt Cipolla Clint Eastwood's latest boasts a strong central performance in a grand step up from his recent works despite its rocky script.
Reviews Ordinary Joe takes a charming spin through alternate timelines By: Tim Stevens NBC's latest drama goes down easy despite some significant flaws.
Festivals TIFF: Unclenching the Fists doesn’t forget its humanity as it delves into its bleak tale By: Soham Gadre Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching the Fists is heavy, but strong performances and craft keep it from being a wallow in misery.