★★★ 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
Film Review: The Threesome
★★★★ Expecting simplicity from the classic rom-com formula and getting surprising depth instead is a rare occurrence, even as a lover of cheesy romance. The Threesome somehow accomplishes exactly that, handling the consequences of such a sexually-charged encounter with an unparalleled level of maturity and character growth. This is the second time this year that … Continue reading Film Review: The Threesome
Film Review: The Map That Leads to You
★★★★ As someone who loves a good tearjerker, director Lasse Hallström comes with serious street cred. Between What's Eating Gilbert Grape, A Dog's Purpose, Dear John, and many more, Hallström certainly knows how to manipulate an audience into full-on weep mode. Enter: The Map That Leads to You, Hallström's newest romantic drama, starring heartthrob KJ … Continue reading Film Review: The Map That Leads to You
TV Review: Wednesday – Season 2
It feels like only yesterday that the first season of breakout Netflix mash Wednesday became a veritable pop culture phenomena. In reality, nearly three years have passed since we last visited the hallowed halls of Nevermore Academy. In the interim, lead star Jenna Ortega has seen monumental success with Scream VI and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and … Continue reading TV Review: Wednesday – Season 2
Fantasia 2025: ChaO
★★★★ Japanese animation is in an entirely different realm than what we see over here from the Western branches. ChaO further proves that originality and bold storytelling come first, with creative visuals following soon after. Its unconventional mermaid romance makes a perfect venue to explore themes of ecological impacts as well as relationship power dynamics. … Continue reading Fantasia 2025: ChaO
Fantasia 2025: Haunted Mountains: The Yellow Taboo
★★★★ Atmospheric and haunting, Taiwanese import Haunted Mountains: The Yellow Taboo tackles one of Taiwan’s most legendary ghost stories in style. For the uninitiated, the urban legend of the Mountain Gremlins—an evil spirit who dons a yellow raincoat and a bamboo hat—has been passed down since the 1970s. For debut director Tsai Chia Ying, the … Continue reading Fantasia 2025: Haunted Mountains: The Yellow Taboo
Film Review: Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires
★★★★ Back in 2018, a little Disney Channel Original Movie debuted featuring adorkable zombie Zed swept up in a forbidden romance with not-so-human Addison. Who would have thought seven years later, we would be looking at one of the longest-running DCOM franchises to maintain the original leads in Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly. The biggest … Continue reading Film Review: Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires
Film Review: Oh, Hi!
★★★★ To call modern dating indescribably frustrating would almost be selling it short. I often thank my lucky stars that I found a serious boyfriend before the era of dating apps took over everything. Poor Iris (Molly Gordon) is unfortunately not so lucky. She seems to have bagged herself the perfect boyfriend. By all accounts, … Continue reading Film Review: Oh, Hi!
Film Review: Something Casual
★★★★ They say that the act of falling in love is like a dance between two people. What if this was more than just a figure of speech? Something Casual takes a literal translation of the concept, weaving stunning choreography from JA Collective into a tender connection between two people. Anchoring the story are Nico … Continue reading Film Review: Something Casual
Tribeca 2025: The Best You Can
★★★★ Real-life married couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon just really love working together, huh? For the first time in twenty years, the duo return to the screen for an unconventional middled-age romance. Putting the age gap relationship under the microscope, director Michael J. Weithorn has a fresh energy in willing to approach these unsung … Continue reading Tribeca 2025: The Best You Can