★★★ Picking the laziest movie genre may be a fool's errand. However, a clear winner emerges where structure and predictability are concerned. The rom-com, or romantic comedy, has been around for a very, very long time. Picture This may have good intentions. Starring two romance favorites in Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After … Continue reading Film Review: Picture This
Film Review: A Family Affair
★★★★ Have we entered a new golden age of romantic comedies? It certainly seems that way, with delightful movies such as Upgraded, Anyone But You, and most recently, The Idea of You making a serious splash with worldwide audiences. The potential next big rom-com reteams Zac Efron with Nicole Kidman, both of whom worked together … Continue reading Film Review: A Family Affair
Inside Out 2024: Bonus Track
★★★★ Rarely does a film come with its own built-in mixtape, or carry the same feel-good whimsy as queer favorite, Heartstopper. Co-writer/story creator Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Challengers), I was not familiar with your game. Music aficionados will find plenty of familiar indie rock tunes to blast—Years & Years lead singer Olly Alexander helms the … Continue reading Inside Out 2024: Bonus Track
Film Review: Hit Man
★★★★ After first bearing witness to actor Glen Powell’s formidable talent as Dickie Dollar Scholar, Chad Radwell, in Ryan Murphy’s excellent-yet-short-lived Scream Queens, it instantly became obvious that he was destined for greatness. In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined the breakout star he would eventually be hailed as, leading major summer tentpoles … Continue reading Film Review: Hit Man
Film Review: The Idea of You
★★★★★ Based upon the acclaimed novel of the same name, The Idea of You celebrates boy band obsession in this gold-standard rom-com from co-writer/director Michael Showalter (Spoiler Alert, The Eyes of Tammy Faye). For anyone who has ever had a celebrity crush, imagining the fulfillment of that pipe dream seems only possible in the land … Continue reading Film Review: The Idea of You
Film Review: How to Date Billy Walsh
★★★ The rom-com formula works so well for a very particular reason, with the primary one being the comfort of seeing two people fall in love. In Prime Video's How to Date Billy Walsh, the filmmakers assume that its leads have the chemistry to go the distance, without ever proving it as such. At first, … Continue reading Film Review: How to Date Billy Walsh
Film Review: Irish Wish
★★★★ Lindsay Lohan, once of my favorite actresses, has had a bit of a dry spell for me in terms of movies I have genuinely loved. 2013’s The Canyons was probably the last that I found to be a total blast, though I am definitely in the minority there. Color me surprised that Lohan’s newest, … Continue reading Film Review: Irish Wish
Film Review: French Girl
★★ The modern rom-com has overseen so many different evolutions over the years, and French Girl, starring Zach Braff, Vanessa Hudgens, and Evelyne Brochu feels like it has not learned a thing from any of them. Arriving on the heels of Anyone But You reaching almost $100 million at the box office, French Girl lacks … Continue reading Film Review: French Girl
Film Review: Upgraded
★★★★ It did not take long for Riverdale’s Camila Mendes to find her cinematic sweet spot after the show concluded—just after leading Netflix’s hilariously perfect Do Revenge, Mendes plays another character who tells a big lie. As art intern Ana, Mendes social-climbs her way into a delightful London world brimming with romance and possibility. On … Continue reading Film Review: Upgraded
Film Review: Which Brings Me to You
★★★ Resisting the charms of a great romantic comedy often seems impossible, and as a sub-genre those films are practically critic-proof. The stars of Which Brings Me to You are no strangers to the ins and outs of the rom-com; both Nat Wolff (Stuck in Love, Paper Towns) and Lucy Hale (Puppy Love, The Hating … Continue reading Film Review: Which Brings Me to You