Movie ReviewsSeen a lot of movies, got a lot of opinions.
Let’s get Lily Gladstone her Oscar.
“The Mother and the Bear” Struggles to Capture Connection
There are some warm moments about how food and language can immediately anchor us to a place we miss, how people can fall in love even when they thought those feelings were behind them, and how we may not understand our loved one but we can still support them. Unfortunately, The Mother and the Bear ends with what is still a fundamentally massive gap between mother and daughter.
“Blue Moon” Lacks the Magic of Old Broadway
There’s a way for a wordy, single-location film to use the freedoms of the film medium, look no further than Peter Hujar’s Day, but Blue Moon doesn’t capture the same sense of snapshot of a time and place in a person’s life.
“Night in West Texas” is Long-Fought Justice
Night in West Texas is a condemning piece of filmmaking, but one whose central voice should have been shifted.
“Tapawingo” is the Spiritual Sequel to “Napoleon Dynamite”
Tapawingo will speak to a generation that misses the oddball sincerity of the aughts and potentially win over some Napoleon Dynamite non-believers with its more fleshed-out narrative.
“Pillion” is the BDSM Christmas Movie You Need
Melling and Skarsgård make for a phenomenal pair that wholly sells the goal of Pillion, one that recognizes the many paths that can lead a person to emotional growth.
“The Plague” is an Expertly Paced Teenage Nightmare
The Plague is a cautionary tale of adolescence that’s searingly difficult to watch. It’s a masterful introduction to a new filmmaking voice.
“Song Sung Blue” is a Little Off-Key
Song Sung Blue knows how to carry a tune, but isn’t quite sure how to write its own melody.
“Marty Supreme” Ain’t So Grand
Marty Supreme was never about a guy who dreamed too big for what was possible. It’s a series of loosely-tied-together hijinks that cater to fans of shock-value cinema.
“Sirāt” is a Long Walk Through an Empty Desert
Sirāt is surely a journey of profound proportions, but one that may leave audiences searching for meaning that isn’t found along this path.
A House is Not a Home in “Sentimental Value”
Sentimental Value doesn’t heal the wounds of the past, but it does offer an opportunity for reconciliation, as long as those involved are brave enough to recognize the cracks in their own home.
“El Canto de las Manos” Recontextualizes Beethoven for a New Audience
Passionate, emotional, and transformative, El Canto de las Manos redefines art’s ability to communicate.
“Sorry, Baby” is the Best Movie of 2025 You Haven’t Seen Yet
Sorry, Baby is a gargantuan piece of filmmaking that tricks you into thinking it’s small. What Victor has captured here, in the way trauma freezes you and the unexpected bits of life that thaw you out again, is purely remarkable.
“The Mastermind” is the Anti-Heist Heist Movie
Reichardt’s gently moving, observational camera makes The Mastermind a heist in its own right. It’s a film that uses an as-described-by-J.B. “victimless crime” to demonstrate that the repercussions of an individual’s actions will always be absorbed by the larger community.
“Little Trouble Girls” is a Piercing Look at Desire and Shame
It’s terrifying to be sixteen years old, falling into a crush you can’t begin to put into words, and Little Trouble Girls exquisitely captures that stomach-dropping, butterfly-inducing feeling.
“Dead Man’s Wire” is a Shotgun Blast Waiting to Blow
Dead Man’s Wire walks a tightrope of tension that is a direct line to our current disillusionment with the world around us.
“Zootopia 2” Roars to Life
Zootopia 2 is about compassion giving way to bravery and the pursuit of the truth.
“The Big Scoot! Will Ride Right into Your Heart
The Big Scoot! manages to create the sensation that the viewer is a pillion rider on a slow-moving but emotionally grand journey of a lifetime.
“The Long Walk” Comes Home on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital
The Long Walk comes home on Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital, and an Amazon exclusive 4K UHD SteelBook from Lionsgate.
“Peter Hujar’s Day” is Gentle, Quietly Staggering
The concept of Peter Hujar’s Day is the cinematic equivalent of watching paint dry. It’s in the vein of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, except that instead of actually seeing Peter go about his day, the audience is witness to him as he recounts it to Linda. All this to say, it’s a marvelous little piece of filmmaking.
“Eternity” Asks Who You Want to Spend the Rest of Time With
Perhaps, though, it’s like Joan says — maybe what makes life (and Eternity) special is that it is finite.