The Marvels is a confounding crossover

tessa thompson Archives - The Spool

The MCU’s latest entry throws the unfamiliar into a murderer’s row of crossovers and Easter eggs, with only a charming Iman Vellani coming out on top. NOW STREAMING: Powered by JustWatch Most films don’t come with homework. The same cannot be said of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new movie, The Marvels. Unless you’re a devoted ... The Marvels is a confounding crossover

Reviews

Creed III rivals Ryan Coogler’s Creed in quality

By: Justin Harrison

Michael B. Jordan makes a strong directorial debut with an intimate, thrilling tale of brotherhood gone bitter—and a stupendous action climax.

Reviews

Thor: Love and Thunder commits too hard to the joke

By: Clint Worthington

Taika Waititi buys too much into his own hype with his followup to Thor: Ragnarok, a scattered farce that grows tiring faster than a bolt of lightning.

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.

CIFF 2021

Rebecca Hall on the dueling binaries and challenging form of Passing

The acclaimed actress and first-time director discusses bringing Nella Larsen's novella about racial identity to the screen.

Festivals

Sundance 2021: “Passing” lingers in the gulf between black & white

By: Clint Worthington

Rebecca Hall adapts Nella Larsen's novella about Black social mobility (and its corresponding resentments) to haunting effect.

“Westworld” season 3 finale questions the nature of its programming

Season 3 finally comes to a shuddering halt, bogged down in the same plotting problems it spent all season fleeing from. Westworld season 3 was supposed to be a return to form — ditch the park, dump the non-chronological storytelling, stop trying to outguess Reddit, and tell a simple AIs-battling-for-the-soul-of-humanity story of the kind that ... “Westworld” season 3 finale questions the nature of its programming

Filmmaker of the Month

“Thor: Ragnarok” was a joyous punch in the face of colonialism

Taika Waititi's irreverent revamp of the Thor series, Thor: Ragnarok, manages to weave some much-needed criticism of imperialism among the gags.

Westworld season 3 episode 7 recap: Poetic Sensibilities

Caleb learns the nature of his reality and graduates to the top of the food chain as the season draws to a close.

Westworld Season 3 Episode 6 Recap: “Decoherence” Clutches Its Pearls

Lines in the sand are drawn (or deepened) as the world crumbles around our heroes.

Westworld Season 3 Episode 4 Recap: We’re in the Endgame Now

The disparate players merge on the chessboard as Westworld starts making some game-changing moves.

Westworld Season 3 Episode 3 Recap: You Are My Sunshine

Both Charlotte and Caleb wrestle with identity crises, and the show spins its wheels.

Westworld Season 3 Episode 1 Recap: A Whole New World

HBO's robot-revolution series reinvents itself and throws Aaron Paul into the mix.

Men in Black International Review: You’ll Pray for a Neuralyzer

Not even the cosmic star power of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson can stop this tired, paint-by-numbers reboot.

Little Woods Review: Suffering the Workin’ Woman Blues

Tessa Thompson and Lily James are two sisters struggling with rural poverty and difficult choices in this gripping, but uneven drama.

Sorry to Bother You Review: Boots Riley Takes On Consumerism, Race in Scorchingly Funny Debut

Boots Riley’s wild feature film debut throws racial politics, consumerism, and magical realism in a blender, making for a comedy that’s as unpredictable as it is hilarious. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Capitalism is a hell of a drug – it lulls you in with the promise of wealth and success, and all ... Sorry to Bother You Review: Boots Riley Takes On Consumerism, Race in Scorchingly Funny Debut

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