★★★★★ Irish filmmaker John Carney is no stranger to pairing music and cinema. Since breaking out with 2007's Oscar-winning Once, Carney has delivered a string of musically-tinged gems, including Flora and Son and Sing Street. With Power Ballad, Carney recalibrates his approach with an intimate and surprisingly fun take on chasing dreams. Paul Rudd and … Continue reading Norwalk Film Festival 2026: Power Ballad
SXSW 2026: A Safe Distance
★★★ A Safe Distance opens as a gunshot echoes through the forest. A blood-splattered woman wonders what she will do next, already knowing there can be no clear-cut answers. A female duo drag a body off, and quickly catch a bus out of there. But are they at a—wait for it—safe distance to avoid being … Continue reading SXSW 2026: A Safe Distance
Blu-Ray Film Review: Regretting You
★★★★ Much can be said about the modern rom-com, and if anyone has hooked a fresh spin, it's author Colleen Hoover. Hoover has a pretty stellar Hollywood track record thus far—both of her adaptations have done stellar box office, though the whirlwind controversy around It Ends With Us may have soured some fans. Regretting You … Continue reading Blu-Ray Film Review: Regretting You
TV Review: 56 Days – Season 1
Based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Howard, Prime Video's horny new erotic thriller series 56 Days arrives just as the genre has been experiencing quite the comeback. It trades pandemic-era Dublin for present-day Boston, but the whole premise would work no matter where it was set. Dove Cameron (Disney's Descendants) and Avan Jogia (Now … Continue reading TV Review: 56 Days – Season 1
TV Review: Bridgerton – Season 4
Dearest Gentle Reader, Lady Whistledown returns for more gossipy hijinks as Bridgerton boldly enters its Cinderella era! That's right—this time, the love story between maid Sophie (Yerin Ha) and hot Bridgerton brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) has been charged with the fairy tale energy of that timeless tale. This will come as little surprise to those … Continue reading TV Review: Bridgerton – Season 4
TV Review: Emily in Paris – Season 5
There's no place like Rome! Emily in Paris returns for a fifth season with a fresh coat of paint and an apt, albeit probably temporary, name change: Emily in Rome! All signs were pointed in this direction. We last left Emily (Lily Collins) relocating to help open a new Agence Grateau office there, also pursuing … Continue reading TV Review: Emily in Paris – Season 5
Film Review: Anniversary
★★★★★ Any movie starring Dylan O’Brien is an automatic must-see, even more so given his powerful performance in this year’s queer masterpiece, Twinless. This has led to a variety of surprises throughout the years having followed O’Brien’s career since day one of Teen Wolf. Even in a worst case, O’Brien’s performance could be a selling … Continue reading Film Review: Anniversary
TV Review: Boots
Inspired by memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, Netflix's 90s-era dramedy, Boots, takes aim at the homophobic realities of being a Marine during that decade. Gay people openly serving in the U.S. military was not legalized until 2011, well after some of the unfortunate events that take place during this compelling series. Undeniably, … Continue reading TV Review: Boots
Blu-Ray Film Review: Materialists
★★★ Having missed writer/director Celine Song's latest romance in theaters, I remained hopeful that I would fall in love with A24's Materialists from the comfort of my own home. Two of the trio of main cast members have done their fair share of genre fare: Dakota Johnson led the trilogy of Fifty Shades movies; Chris … Continue reading Blu-Ray Film Review: Materialists
TV Review: Gen V – Season 2
Welcome back to Godolkin University, a sprawling campus overflowing with unique budding superheroes and a chaotic underground plot to overthrow the power of Homelander. In the interim between seasons, a lot has changed for the denizens of Gen V. Most notably, Chance Perdomo, who played one of the leads, Andre, tragically passed away. This lead … Continue reading TV Review: Gen V – Season 2