A24’s latest is both far too real and way, way out in left field. — Usually, I walk out of my first-viewing of a movie with a distinct train of thought buzzing along with my sugar high: a solid handle on what it was trying to say vs. what it actually said, its context, its narrative… I rarely struggle at extracting those things, because most…

Daniels’ multiversal romp mines majesty out of our collective mess. — When I was seven, I wanted to be a painter. Later, while accidentally recording skits over my mom’s bootleg cassette of The Big Chill soundtrack, I decided I should be on the radio. On the cusp of preteen years, I hit a short-lived, “Maybe I could be a supermodel?” phase…

Or: Oh No, They Cast an Unbearably Hot Person as the Villain Again. — FYI: This review contains mild spoilers. Whenever I’m on a date and the conversation turns to dating apps, the question that comes up without fail is, “So what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on? Any horror stories?” Fortunately, my answers to this question are pretty mild. No full-tilt harassment…

In the late Wes Craven’s absence, a new chapter puts horror fans in their proper place: feeling bizarrely, delightedly understood. — FYI: This review contains mild, trailer-level spoilers. I love horror movies for the same reason I love a well-designed rollercoaster: I find it deeply, viscerally satisfying to be thrilled and shocked — to have your nerves truly toyed with — and then be guaranteed a release of that tension in…

Lana Wachowski’s sneak-attack sequel is fascinating, uncomfortable, and deliciously subversive. — FYI: This review contains spoilers. You can stream The Matrix Resurrections now on HBOMax. From time to time, I’m re-amazed all over again at the fact that The Matrix was ever green-lit, and that it blew up to such a massive degree. On paper, it is a heavy movie... Its…

His grand adaptation feels both fresh and faithful to the spirit of the Broadway production — Romeo and Juliet isn’t high on my list of favorite Shakespeare works. His language has always been delightful, but this story in its simplest form is something I struggle to take seriously: Two kids from opposite sides of the tracks can’t keep it in their pants long enough to nudge…

Although it falters in tone and precision, Ridley Scott’s latest is an addictive, over-the-top drama that engages where it counts. — In my head, I have a very specific visual definition of “camp.” Camp is Tim Curry leering at the camera underneath a wig and six layers of lipstick, cocking an eyebrow at you with a waggish, “How ‘bout that?” It’s Josephine Baker undulating across the stage in Paris in the…

Pablo Larraín’s fable may not be classified as horror, but it unfolds that way — under a gorgeous torrent of discomfort. — About a week before I turned 9, my mom suddenly started watching coverage of Princess Diana’s death like it was her new soap opera of choice. She even set a 3am alarm for the day of her funeral so she could get up and record it on VHS. I was…

The highly anticipated return of HBO’s drama-comedy promises a feast of further family dysfunction. — This post contains spoilers for both seasons of Succession, available now on HBOMax. I don’t know about you, but I love watching obscenely rich people make terrible choices that come back to bite them in the ass. I also love it when show-runners and writers know that good drama has…