★★ A post-apocalyptic rock opera led by Stranger Things breakout Sadie Sink? What could possibly go wrong? Certainly writer/director Jeremy Gasper brings a unique visual style to the bright extravaganza of muchness that is O'Dessa. Unfortunately, almost none of it works, save for maybe the silky-smooth vocals of Sink. In the strange other-world of this … Continue reading SXSW 2025: O’Dessa
Film Review: Chevalier
★★ The not-at-all-surprising popularity of Bridgerton has seen a veritable spike in period-piece filmmaking. As with anything else, quality is often lost in the endless cycle of quantity. 2023’s Chevalier arrives with the greatest intentions in depicting the true story of one of the first known black classical composers and virtuoso violinists. Certainly, the costuming … Continue reading Film Review: Chevalier
Film Review: Gully
★★★★ Sometimes having low expectations is key to finding the biggest surprises. In a movie heavily inspired by Clockwork Orange, three promising young men spiral out of control, fueled by drugs and video game violence. Gully was a selection at 2019’s Tribeca Film Festival, and its delayed release undoubtedly has a lot to do with … Continue reading Film Review: Gully
Film Review: Monster
★★★★ Monster, the new drama from Netflix, originally made its debut at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The searing courtroom thriller based on the novel by Walter Dean Myers follows Steve (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a 17-year old who gets caught up in a drugstore robbery gone bad. Now, he’s viewed as nothing but a “monster” … Continue reading Film Review: Monster