Skip to content
The Spool

The Spool

Unraveling Pop Culture One Thread at a Time
Main navigation
  • Podcasts
    • More of a Comment Really
    • Hall of Faces
  • Movies
  • TV
  • Patreon
  • News
    • Awards
  • About
  • Contact

a24

“On the Rocks” is a bitter cocktail to swallow

On the Rocks
T T Read More

Sofia Coppola’s latest is a wry, disarming look at our need for love and the willful ignorance it leads to.

Matt Cipolla Posted on September 29, 2020September 29, 2020

“First Cow” Breezes Through the West with Peace and Patience

First Cow
T T Read More

Kelly Reichardt’s latest is a kindhearted storybook of a film that gracefully balances the sights, sounds, and textures of pre-Gold Rush Oregon.

Matt Cipolla Posted on March 10, 2020July 2, 2020

Sundance 2020: “Zola” Is Trashy, Good-Natured Fun

Zola
T T Read More

Janicza Bravo’s retelling of the 2015 viral Twitter thread boasts great performances and surprisingly solid filmmaking, even if it ends on a shrug.

Matt Cipolla Posted on January 24, 2020August 6, 2020

Uncut Gems Review: Conflict Diamonds

Uncut Gems
T T Read More

The Safdie brothers continue their streak of blending pastiche with mind-cracking abandon while Adam Sandler gives it his all.

Matt Cipolla Posted on December 12, 2019July 2, 2020

In Fabric Review: Say Yes to the Dress… or Die

In Fabric
T T Read More

Peter Strickland’s frigid, Freudian fever dream looks at fetishism and consumerism with a killer sense of style.

Matt Cipolla Posted on December 3, 2019September 28, 2020

Waves Review: Family Drama Propped Up By Cinematic Parlor Tricks

Waves
T T Read More

Trey Edward Shults trots out every filmmaking trick in the book to spruce up an overly-novelistic family drama.

Matt Cipolla Posted on November 20, 2019July 2, 2020

Box Office Report: “Terminator: Dark Fate” Doesn’t Break the T3 Curse

Terminator Dark Fate Box Office
T T Read More

There is no fate but what we make, and Dark Fate‘s middling box office returns paint a grim […]

Douglas Laman Posted on November 4, 2019November 4, 2019

Box Office Report: “Maleficent” Loses Its Magic, “Zombieland” Rises

Maleficent Box Office
T T Read More

The Disney sequel gets a modest #1 spot, while Zombieland: Double Tap scares up a respectable opening weekend.

Douglas Laman Posted on October 21, 2019October 21, 2019

The Lighthouse Review: Madness in the Fog

The Lighthouse
T T Read More

Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe crash upon the ramparts of Robert Eggers’ disquieting followup to The Witch.

Clint Worthington Posted on October 15, 2019October 15, 2019

The Death of Dick Long Review: Fargo Goes South

T T Read More

Daniel Scheinert scales back from his usual absurdist work for an ambitious medley of tones that doesn’t quite land.

Matt Cipolla Posted on September 28, 2019July 2, 2020

Box Office Report: “Good Boys” Prove R-Rated Comedies Aren’t Dead

Good Boys Box Office
T T Read More

The Seth Rogen-produced kiddie-raunch comedy starts strong, in an August that’s been largely underwhelming for the box office.

Douglas Laman Posted on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019

Box Office Report: “Hobbs & Shaw” Stays in Pole Position, “Scary Stories” Makes a Scary Debut

Box Office Report Hobbs & Shaw
T T Read More

The latest Fast & Furious movie maintains a modest hold on the box office this weekend, while newcomer Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark makes a big splash for late-summer horror flicks.

Douglas Laman Posted on August 12, 2019August 12, 2019

Box Office Report: “Hobbs & Shaw” Tops the Box Office But Slows Down Compared to Predecessors

Hobbs & Shaw Box Office
T T Read More

Hobbs & Shaw raced into theaters last weekend and racked up a respectable box office showing, while The Farewell continued its upward trajectory.

Douglas Laman Posted on August 5, 2019August 4, 2019

Share Review: Opening Up About Sexual Assault

Share
T T Read More

Pippa Bianco dives headfirst into the complexities of life after sexual assault in a smartphone-heavy world.

Sarah Gorr Posted on July 24, 2019July 23, 2019

“The Lion King” Is Pride of the Box Office With Record-Setting Opening Weekend

The Lion King
T T Read More

Disney’s latest live-action remake ruled the kingdom, and other kid-friendly fare made a solid showing.

Douglas Laman Posted on July 22, 2019July 22, 2019

Box Office Report: “Spider-Man” Conquers Gators and Uber Drivers

Crawl Box Office
T T Read More

Marvel’s web-crawler predictably holds the box office, while The Farewell puts up a respectable showing for an A24 dramedy.

Douglas Laman Posted on July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

“The Farewell” is A Poignantly Funny Goodbye

The Farewell
T T Read More

Culture clash and end-of-life issues collide in Lulu Wang’s scintillatingly heartfelt drama “based on an actual lie.”

Caroline Siede Posted on July 12, 2019July 12, 2019

“Midsommar” and the Horror of Human Empathy

Midsommar
T T Read More

In Ari Aster’s latest, sharing each other’s emotions is scarier than being alone.

Matt Cipolla Posted on July 10, 2019July 2, 2020

Posts navigation

Previous1 2 Next
© 2021 The Spool. Podcast logo by Josh Hollis. Made with love by Pixelgrade
Footer navigation
  • About
  • Contact
Secondary navigation
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Mail
  • Feed
  • Patreon
  • Search

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.