Olivia Cooke stars in this Ireland-set Tarantino-esque crime flick complete with violence, bumbling idiots, and botched robberies. It’s nothing you haven’t seen already (much, much better) elsewhere, but Cooke and co-star Ben Hardy hold up their end of the bargain. The same can’t be said of Alec Baldwin, though, who […]
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Over the Moon
A super-splashy, rainbow-bright meditation on the death of a loved one and how kids can learn to cope with loss. Sure, it’s fun to look at (plus, Phillipa Soo!) but there’s little appeal here for anyone else, including adults. Youngsters may sit and be dazzled for 90 minutes, but if […]
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The Place of No Words
If Terrence Malick and Spike Jonze teamed up to direct “Where the Wild Things Are” as a parable about death and dying, you might get something like this. Real-life couple Mark Webber and Teresa Palmer star alongside their eldest child Bodhi in what comes off as a self-indulgent “fictional documentary”. […]
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On the Rocks
Rashida Jones stars as an NYC writer who thinks her husband (Marlon Wayans) may be cheating on her. Enter her philandering dad (Bill Murray) to offer some perspective and his own special brand of detective skills as they work to find out the truth. Sofia Coppola, who always seems to […]
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The Witches
Robert Zemeckis brings Roald Dahl’s clever book to life in splendid fashion, creating a Tim Burton-esque world of nuttiness and fun. It’s best-suited for the pre-teen crowd, but there’s enough here for adults to get on board, too. Not a game-changer by any means, but certainly an entertaining way to […]
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Rebecca
The latest unnecessary and ill-advised remake of a classic is as forgettable as they come. The suspense is non-existent, and the filmmakers seem more intent on making every frame look like a spread from Vanity Fair. Skip it, and watch the 1940 Hitchcock version instead. Or, better yet, read the […]
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David Byrne’s American Utopia
Spike Lee directed this film version of Byrne’s stripped-down show that ran on Broadway last fall. Chock-full of Talking Heads and solo Byrne tunes, it also has a pointed, socially-conscious message, highlighted by Byrne’s cover of Janelle Monáe’s “Hell You Talmbout”—a tribute to victims of police violence. For being two […]
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Love and Monsters
In a post-apocalyptic world, a young man (Dylan O’Brien) braves the monster-riddled countryside to find his way back to his true love. It’s funny, suspenseful, and quite unlike anything you’ve seen before. A clever script co-written by Brian Duffield (“The Babysitter”) injects the largely one-man show with all kinds of […]
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Clouds
This bittersweet look at the all-too-brief life of Zach Sobiech is pretty much what you’d expect from Disney and the director who helmed the similarly-themed (and also above-average) “Five Feet Apart”. It’s sappy and heartstring-pulling, sure, but it’s also a fine tribute to a talent who touched a whole lot […]
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Time
This poignant and superbly crafted documentary about one woman’s struggle against the justice system may just be the best thing I’ve seen all year. Creative and captivating, it’s as much a masterclass in storytelling as it is an eloquent and powerful voice for reform in this country. 5/5 stars
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