Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan star in this meditative, twisty flick about a synthetic drug that sends people back in time for seven-minute chunks. Part sci-fi, part heavy drama, and completely mind-melting, it’s the latest from writer/directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring, The Endless). Though Synchronic doesn’t quite stick […]
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Herself
Newcomer Claire Dunn stars in (and co-wrote) the story of one woman’s stand against domestic violence in modern-day Ireland. Poignant and touching, it’s an unflinching look at the issue as it presents her story in a way that speaks (volumes) to everyone. Tough to watch at times, sure, but it’s […]
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The 355
Jessica Chastain leads the way in this female-driven spy thriller, written and directed Simon Kinberg, that plays like a ‘Jason Bourne’-meets-‘Ocean’s 8’ mash-up. Co-starring Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz, and Lupita Nyong’o, it’s got all the right ingredients, and they ultimately pay off, despite a bit of an overwrought script and […]
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Pieces of a Woman
Vanessa Kirby will, quite frankly, blow you away in what might just be the finest performance by an actress in the last five years—since Brie Larson’s Oscar-winning turn in “The Room”. Playing a mother who loses their daughter in childbirth and then must cope with the aftermath (including struggles with […]
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Audrey
If not for the luminous actress at its center, this documentary would play like a lazy, Sunday-afternoon episode of A&E’s Biography. Fortunately, the Funny Face star is so captivating and luminous that even a run-of-the-mill doc is saved by her mere presence. There’s not a whole lot presented here that […]
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Shadow in the Cloud
First-time feature director Roseanne Liang has crafted a gonzo bit of filmmaking that imagines what the famous Twilight Zone episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” would look like (in color) on a WWII bomber—with a feminist undertone. Chloe Grace Moretz anchors the proceedings with a solid performance, and though it doesn’t […]
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2020 in Movies: The Last Six Months
THE TOP 5 Promising Young Woman “A mind-blowing and brilliant masterpiece of moviemaking about a woman bent on revenge after her best friend is raped in college. Built on the foundation of a career-best performance by Carey Mulligan, this is the kind of thought-provoking and game-changing film that, by itself, […]
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Sylvie’s Love
Very much in the same vein (though not quite as successful) as 2015’s outstanding “Brooklyn”, this late-50s period piece is a charming love story set to the sounds of bee-bop jazz. Tessa Thompson leads the way in a delicate film that is just what you need to warm things up […]
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Wonder Woman 1984
At first watch, it’s a pretty-okay follow-up to 2017’s “Wonder Woman”, but (as with most DC offerings) it starts to pale with time and thought. Silly plot contrivances, an inordinately long runtime (more than 2 ½ hours), and the most ridiculous “villain” this side of Mr. Freeze combine to make […]
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