Impeccably crafted and designed, beautifully filmed, and lovingly executed. Del Toro delivers another singular vision that wraps parts Cold War thriller, social commentary, and moving love story into a dark and mesmerizing fairy tale. Sally Hawkins gives a once in a lifetime kind of performance within a vast sea of standouts. An enchanting and awe-inspiring … Continue reading Review: The Shape of Water →

Gorgeously animated, wildly imaginative, and deeply moving. Coco is Pixar at its very best with a story that masterfully balances laughs, tears, and soaring set pieces with unmatched depth and poignancy. It's a welcome and worthy addition to the studio's upper echelon of animated classics. Grade: A

A darkly comic yet heartbreakingly powerful depiction of human behavior that is at times baffling but always compelling. An incredible ensemble of actors led by a thundering performance from Frances McDormand. Not Martin McDonaugh's most fully realized affair, but striking from beginning to end nevertheless. Grade: A-

An uncommonly authentic and honest portrait of youth with tremendous lead performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. A film that deftly balances themes of growing up, leaving home, and how what we think we hate is actually what we can't live without. It offers no tidy answers to life's tough questions but enough to … Continue reading Review: Lady Bird →

While it finished strong, this season wasted far too much time on meandering and non-impactful plot threads. The cast is always enjoyable to watch, but just as Season 1 couldn't shake off its own inspirations, Season 2 felt too comfortable resting on its laurels from last year. If your story is more or less an … Continue reading Review: Stranger Things 2 →

A mostly entertaining though equally uneven blockbuster. The clean and straight-forward story allows the characters to flourish and is refreshing after slews of overly complicated franchise films. While it all comes down to a wholly unmemorable CG fireworks show with a throwaway villain, seeing these characters in action together is quite a bit of fun. … Continue reading Review: Justice League →

Pure entertainment and a complete blast from start to finish. Every member of this wonderful ensemble is outstanding, particularly Hemsworth, who embodies his superhero alter ego as well anybody. Big and beautiful action, non-stop laughs, and a great story make Ragnarok the best of the Marvel films and one of the most fun and wild … Continue reading Review: Thor: Ragnarok →

A visually dazzling, impeccably crafted, and masterfully executed sci-fi epic. The realization and further expansion of Ridley Scott's world from 1982 is jaw-dropping. The cast is top-notch, particularly Gosling, and Ford is as good as he's ever been. 2049 is a worthy successor that enhances what came before while boldly forging its own path as … Continue reading Review: Blade Runner 2049 →

While it doesn't fully succeed as high drama or as a Scorsese-ian crime epic, it is a wild and endlessly entertaining look at a too-crazy-to-believe true story. Cruise does some of his best and most interesting work since Collateral. After Edge of Tomorrow, Liman and Cruise seem to have found the right ways to tap … Continue reading Review: American Made →