★★★★ I Came By is not one's typical home invasion movie. Hell, it isn’t even a real subversion a la 2016’s Don’t Breathe, but I Came By is just as dark. With an excellent cast that includes George MacKay (1917, Wolf), Hugh Bonneville (Paddington, To Olivia), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire, Merida in Brave), and Percelle … Continue reading Film Review: I Came By
Fantasia 2022: Resurrection
★★ Rebecca Hall’s previous film release, The Night House, earned mass critical acclaim even though it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Her first project as writer/director, cloying drama Passing, also released last year, and now, Hall brings her talents to 2022’s Resurrection. In a strange way, Resurrection would make for a perfect double-billing with … Continue reading Fantasia 2022: Resurrection
TV Review: Black Bird
To claim the justice system may be flawed is not totally out of the question, and Apple TV+’s new drama, Black Bird, estimates that people slip through the cracks constantly. Back in the 90s, contamination of evidence and false imprisonment ran rampant, even as the FBI and crime-solving was practically in its infancy. How exactly … Continue reading TV Review: Black Bird
TV Review: Clark
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
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
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