THE OLD GUARD would have made a better TV show than movie
The Old Guard had a lot of potential to be something special as a longer-form, character-based form of storytelling, with an intriguing core concept and stellar cast.
Author: Hannah Lodge
YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT feels like a parody – but isn’t
Could this be my House of Leaves ripoff in film format, at last?
Kickstart? Comeback? Either way – THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND is worth rooting for
Studio comedies like The King of Staten Island are becoming an endangered species these days. It’s even harder to find one that actually has heart.
THE HUNT can’t live up to its reputation
When The Hunt revels in its absurdity and violence, it’s far more entertaining than when it’s trying to be mysterious.
GREED succumbs to its own sin
Greed could’ve been great if it’d trimmed some of its broader ideas down, honed in on a clearer tone, and functioned as a ruthless takedown of capitalism and the billionaires who exploit it. But much like a tragic hero, it’s devoured by its own ambition.
2019 was the Year of Stress Films
The year is 2019, and the world is falling apart.
Movies reflect real-life events, societal trends, politics, and more. Sometimes, like a mirror, they do this with surprising immediacy. In other cases, like a shadow, films shortly follow behind reality’s wake. I’d argue 2019 wasn’t a singularly particularly devastating year for the country and the world as much as it is a bookend to a set of several taxing, tension-filled years.
QUICKTAKE: Love, Antosha
Love, Antosha does a lot with very little time, which is nothing if not fitting. Through a series of interviews with his family, his friends, and colleagues, the film chronologically explores the chapters of Anton Yelchin’s life.
LONG SHOT somehow makes it work
At first blush, Long Shot looks like exactly that. Political rom-com? Is that a thing anyone really wants right now? But somehow it has emerged as one of the better romantic comedies to get a theater release in the last year.
HEREDITARY haunts with grief, guilt, and ghosts
Movies and sitcoms often throw around the term “dysfunctional family” like a sort of cute tagline to describe a quirky, semi-likable bunch of characters who occasionally don’t get along; the relatable sort of family strife you can digest along with your dinner. But Hereditary uses horror and the supernatural as a springboard for a more disturbing portrayal of dysfunction.