★★ Thunder Force, the fifth cinematic collaboration between Ben Falcone and his wife Melissa McCarthy, tries hard to pass for light superhero fluff. Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer is somehow roped into this crazy universe. Spencer and McCarthy shine together; however, I wish their characters had been even more polar opposite. The superhero spoof angle never digs … Continue reading Film Review: Thunder Force
Cinequest 2021: A Beautiful Curse
★★★★ With the blood of Romeo and Juliet running through its veins and a sprinkling of drama, new fantasy narrative A Beautiful Curse debuted at this year’s Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival. There’s a mysterious island where the inhabitants have completely fallen asleep. Our lead, Samuel (Mark Strepan), is a photographer who’s been sent there … Continue reading Cinequest 2021: A Beautiful Curse
Film Review: Blood Moon
★★ Blood Moon, the newest in Hulu’s Blumhouse Into the Dark horror series, finally tackles something we haven’t seen yet: werewolves. If it’s not obvious from the title, then the lead child being named Luna might clue you in on what horror subgenre we’re tackling. Into the Dark, as a whole, is anything but consistent, … Continue reading Film Review: Blood Moon
SXSW 2021: Witch Hunt
★★★ From descriptions alone, SXSW horror film Witch Hunt sounded like it would be one of the strongest selections. The concept is timely, and provides metaphors for deportation and discrimination. Witch Hunt doesn’t do anything new with either of these concepts, instead letting them take a backseat in favor of obvious character drama and eerie … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Witch Hunt
Film Review: Shortcut
★★ Shortcut is your typical creature feature in every conceivable way. Characters are little more than cardboard cutouts, fulfilling every cliche in the book. These include nerdy girl, goth boy, cute-but-shy artist etc. It doesn’t add anything that we haven’t seen before. A large chunk of the film takes place on a bus, but Jeepers … Continue reading Film Review: Shortcut
Pan African Film Festival 2021: The Water Man
★★★ The satisfying hybrid of fantasy and adventure has been thrilling family audiences for decades, and The Water Man is the newest member of this exclusive circle. Younger audiences especially are sure to get the most out of the film’s whimsical style. I didn't even realize this was David Oyelowo's directorial debut, but he does … Continue reading Pan African Film Festival 2021: The Water Man
Sundance 2021: The Blazing World
★★★★ Wild, ambitious, and unique, The Blazing World is stunning in scope and directed, written, and starring the incredible Carlson Young. The indelible lead of our film, Young's character Margaret, is our anchor through the trauma, metaphors, and trippy visuals, and it's a performance full of hefty emotional weight. The supporting cast around Carlson is … Continue reading Sundance 2021: The Blazing World