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2020

“Minari” lives on the seeds of its inspirations

Minari
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Lee Isaac Chung’s Sundance winner is a well-intentioned and sweet family drama that can’t help but feel incomplete.

Matt Cipolla Posted on February 9, 2021December 7, 2020

“The Night” is dark and full of terrors for an Iranian couple in LA

The Night
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Kourosh Ahari’s psychological thriller mines anxieties of Iranian-Americans living in the States for bone-chilling effect.

Beau North Posted on January 31, 2021January 31, 2021

“Star Trek Discovery” Season 3 Episode 12 Recap: “Die Hard” in space

Star Trek Discovery Season 3 Episode 12
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Action movie antics and rescue missions ensue upon the Emerald Chain’s invasion.

Andrew Bloom Posted on December 31, 2020December 31, 2020

In “To the Ends of the Earth”, a young girl observes, and is observed

To the Ends of the Earth
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Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s state-sanctioned drama elevates itself beyond its cultural mandate to explore more universal notes to the human condition.

Soham Gadre Posted on December 28, 2020December 28, 2020

“Bridgerton” packs its period romance with charm and scandal galore

Bridgerton
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Shonda Rhimes’ latest series is a delightful romp filled with diverse characters (and casting), and more bodice-ripping intrigue than you can shake a corset at.

Beau North Posted on December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

“excuse me, i love you” is a film for the already converted Arianator

Ariana Grande: Excuse Me I Love You (Netflix)
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Netflix drops a glowing, but opaque music doc that does little but throw red meat to her legions of fans.

Sydney Urbanek Posted on December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

Gerard Butler and his family find comet ground in “Greenland”

Greenland
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Shockingly, the long-delayed comet disaster movie finds remarkable pathos and strong performances from Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin.

Sean Price Posted on December 19, 2020December 18, 2020

“Education” caps off “Small Axe” with a quiet, powerful call to action

Small Axe: Education
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Steve McQueen’s incredible anthology closes with a deeply sympathetic probe of the racial deficits of the British school system.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on December 18, 2020December 18, 2020

Scott Adkins has a grand, gamified time in action-comedy “Max Cloud”

Max Cloud
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The action superstar has a little fun in this affectionate tribute to old-school beat-’em-ups, with big colors and tongue-in-cheek humor galore.

Justin Harrison Posted on December 17, 2020December 17, 2020

The Top 25 TV Shows of 2020

The Best TV Shows of 2020
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From BoJack to What We Do in the Shadows, we break down the TV that got us through a hellish year.

The Spool Staff Posted on December 16, 2020January 3, 2021

“The Last Blockbuster” rents out nostalgia for a bygone era

The Last Blockbuster
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Taylor Morden’s documentary is a charming, quirky look back at the demise of the home video store.

Ashley Lara Posted on December 15, 2020December 15, 2020

The Top 25 Films of 2020

The Best Films of 2020
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From The Assistant to Wolfwalkers, we guide you through the cinema that survived a devastating 2020 and made it to our screens — and hearts.

The Spool Staff Posted on December 15, 2020January 3, 2021

“Gunda” is a wordless symphony of the lives of livestock

Gunda
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Viktor Kossakovsky’s deeply anthropological look at the everyday rhythms of farm life bursts with precision and quietly devastating purpose.

Michael Snydel Posted on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

New documentary “Assassins” digs into two unlikely political killers

Assassins Documentary
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Ryan White’s documentary examines the two women who killed Kim Jong-un’s brother, and the complex web of lies and deceptions that got them to do it.

Douglas Laman Posted on December 11, 2020December 12, 2020

Hop aboard and take a bow for “Let Them All Talk”

Let Them All Talk
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Steven Soderbergh goes further back to his indie roots with a boatful of talent, loose style, and delightful improv.

Ashley Lara Posted on December 10, 2020December 9, 2020

“Songbird” is a pandemic thriller that never sings

Songbird
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Adam Mason’s near-future COVID tale is an unnecessary idea made worse by a rushed script and cheap production values.

Matt Cipolla Posted on December 10, 2020December 10, 2020

“Wild Mountain Thyme” gets lost in the fog

Wild Mountain Thyme
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John Patrick Shanley returns with a miscast, disingenuous tale of Irish star-crossed lovers.

Oluwatayo Adewole Posted on December 9, 2020December 9, 2020

“Wander Darkly” doesn’t quite see the light

Wander Darkly
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Tara Miele’s new film is a mismatched metaphysical love story that shows potential for the writer/director but doesn’t land.

Sarah Gorr Posted on December 9, 2020December 9, 2020

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