Putting aside my own personal curiosities about the origins of the term “Stockholm syndrome,” Netflix’s new Swedish dramedy series, Clark, caught my attention primarily for one reason only: Bill Skarsgård. I still remember when Skarsgård originally really wowed me, which also happened to be the first time I ever saw him in anything. One of … Continue reading TV Review: Clark
TV Review: Ozark – Season 4 Part 2
I came to the party very late for Ozark, Netflix’s critically-acclaimed drama that has frequently been compared to the likes of Breaking Bad. I only first watched all previous episodes of the series this year, and found them both compelling and shocking. Par for the course with several television dramas, Ozark’s final season was split … Continue reading TV Review: Ozark – Season 4 Part 2
Film Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
★★★★★ Nicolas Cage is very much a love or hate kind of actor—his fanbase is loud and supportive, while his haters are equally so. I would say I find myself somewhere in the middle, admiring his off-the-wall performances in films like Face/Off and Gone in Sixty Seconds. He has an equal amount of missteps as … Continue reading Film Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
CIFF 2022 Wrap-Up
2022's Cleveland International Film Festival hosted a variety of excellent screenings, both in person and online. Being unavailable to go in person, we covered this one virtually. Check out our full roundup of films that screened this year, including links to those we have previously covered. 1991 Depicting a specific time period (expressly, 1991 Guatemala), … Continue reading CIFF 2022 Wrap-Up
TV Review: Tokyo Vice
I have always wanted to visit Japan, and HBO Max’s crime drama series Tokyo Vice has only further fueled my interest. Based loosely upon journalist Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction book, the series takes viewers deep into the seedy Tokyo underbelly of the 90s. Leading the show as Adelstein himself is West Side Story and Baby Driver … Continue reading TV Review: Tokyo Vice
SXSW 2022 Wrap-Up
As with 2021, this iteration of the South by Southwest Film Festival is wildly varied in tone and consistency, delivering what I assume will be some of our favorite movies of the entire year and we are only in March! After the jump, check out our full coverage from SXSW, including capsule reviews for the … Continue reading SXSW 2022 Wrap-Up
Film Review: Windfall
★★ Windfall is sadly a missed opportunity that collects a trio of fantastic actors—Jason Segel, Lilly Collins, Jesse Plemons—and wastes them. Co-written and directed by Charlie McDowell, I could not shake the feeling that something was missing. Three nameless characters reflect the minimal amount of effort that feels poured into Windfall. This crime thriller is … Continue reading Film Review: Windfall
Film Review: The Outfit
★★★ For some reason, the trailer for Focus Features film, The Outfit, seemed to preview the likes of a satisfying mash-up of Kingsman-style mayhem with Gangster Squad-esque story and character work. Instead, The Outfit is significantly more grounded in its approach to a 50s-era gangster flick. Disappointment from the action not being quite up to … Continue reading Film Review: The Outfit
Film Review: Tollbooth
★★ Tollbooth seems to be attempting an emulation of Guy Ritchie style, but instead ends up feeling like a dollar-bin discount version. Most people’s lives are unremarkable, an opening-movie narration tells us, and that is absolutely the case with the shady individuals we follow in the film. A lack of grit or grime automatically sets … Continue reading Film Review: Tollbooth
SXSW 2022: Shining Girls
Last year’s SXSW Film Festival saw a host of excellent television show premieres, including Them, Made for Love, and the Freeform breakout, Cruel Summer. This year may be decidedly less stacked on the television front; however, a couple of options broke out of the gate early to show promise. Based on the novel by Lauren … Continue reading SXSW 2022: Shining Girls