Alci Rengifo
‘The Lion King’ Is a Familiar Roar That Entertains but Changes Little
Features • Published on July 2019
Disney’s new version of “The Lion King” is the summer spectacle you already know by heart. An almost shot-for-shot remake of the majestic 1994 classic, it delivers the…
‘Suits’ Season 9 Finds the Firm Under Threat While Crushes Finally Connect
Features • Published on July 2019
“Suits” is the latest, long-running series delivering its final season after momentous changes and character exits. A legal drama driven by snappy writing and energetic performances, it has thrived on cliffhangers where much…
The Ghost of Argentina’s Recent History Haunts ‘Rojo’
Features • Published on July 2019
The cinema of the Andes is a haunted art form. “Rojo” is set in the Argentina of the 1970s, plotted and shot like a classic noir, with a…
Awkwafina Shines in Illuminating Family Drama ‘The Farewell’
Features • Published on July 2019
To be the child of immigrants can sometimes mean being pulled between two worlds. “The Farewell,” a thoughtful and absorbing indie drama, uses the simplest yet deepest of…
‘Stuber’ Rides a Hijacked Uber Into Nothing but Missed Opportunities
Features • Published on July 2019
It’s fitting that “Stuber” takes place mostly inside a hijacked Uber ride. Most of it feels like being trapped in a car next to someone sharing endless, annoying…
‘Snowfall’ Season 3 Begins to Focus on the Human Toll of the Drug Game
Features • Published on July 2019
It’s the summer of 1984 as the third season of FX’s “Snowfall” begins, and the tension is rising in this unique saga. Characters are beginning to face moral…
HBO’s ‘I Love You, Now Die’ Documentary Raises Challenging Questions of Whether a Text Can Kill
Features • Published on July 2019
In this cyber age a text can be as damning as DNA evidence. HBO’s riveting new two-part documentary “I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter”…
‘Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love’ Tells the Story of Leonard Cohen and His Muse
Features • Published on July 2019
Leonard Cohen was an acclaimed poet, singer, songwriter, author and mystical icon. Such a figure is formed after years of exploration and experience. “Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love…
The Thrills Get Even Better, Weirder and Deeper in ‘Stranger Things 3’
Features • Published on July 2019
In its spectacular third season Netflix’s “Stranger Things” becomes something more thrilling. Atmosphere and mystery still drive its story, but as it shimmers with ’80s nostalgia the characters…
The Psychological Horror of Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ Will Burrow Into Your Dreams
Features • Published on July 2019
“Midsommar” is a pagan phantasmagoria, full of images that feel like a strange dream you just had last night. Director Ari Aster, who…
Peter Parker Juggles Global Threats and Teenage Love in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’
Features • Published on July 2019
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” understands why we love Peter Parker. He’s both superhero and average high schooler dealing with love, teachers and the jock who keeps getting in…
Moving on Is Fraught With Emotional Minefields in the Final Season of ‘Divorce’
Features • Published on July 2019
As we get older moving on from a relationship gets trickier, especially if we’re talking something that was long term and left much lingering, unfinished business. The third and final season of HBO’s…
‘The Loudest Voice’: Russell Crowe Transforms Into Fox News Overlord Roger Ailes
Features • Published on June 2019
The best way to describe Showtime’s “The Loudest Voice” is morbidly fascinating. More than a biography, it’s a 7-episode, dramatic chronicle of the evolution of TV news over…
‘Maiden’ Recounts a Harrowing Adventure of Women Defying Discrimination at Sea
Features • Published on June 2019
“Maiden” is a documentary, but it is more exciting and intense than most high budget thrillers. It tells a classic story of danger on the high seas while…
‘Annabelle Comes Home’ Offers up ’70s Nostalgia for Enjoyably Trashy Popcorn Spooks
Features • Published on June 2019
In another era “Annabelle Comes Home” would be a favorite for the drive-in movie crowd. It’s the latest chapter in the Conjuring universe, but it’s also a change…
‘Legion’: Time Travelers Float Down Psychedelic Streams in Surreal Final Season
Features • Published on June 2019
FX’s “Legion” remains part thriller and part acid trip. Its final season premiere advances the plot while swimming in pure psychedelia. Trippy but not senseless, for Marvel Comics…
HBO’s ‘Years and Years’ Combines Family Drama With Urgent Warnings of a Dytopian Future
Features • Published on June 2019
If you think the world is going crazy now then HBO’s “Years and Years” has a fair warning for you: it’s only going to get worse. This maniacally…
‘Toy Story 4’ Brings Back Every Bit of Charm While Reflecting on Time’s Passing
Features • Published on June 2019
“Toy Story 4” brings one of the most beloved Disney/Pixar franchises to a new level of maturity while basking in delirious action and humor. Since the first “Toy…
‘Yellowstone’ Season 2: Kevin Costner Still Commands the Land While Vendettas Fester
Features • Published on June 2019
Paramount’s “Yellowstone” returns for a second season where the scope of a western combines with the red-blooded feelings of American melodrama. Drama in the way family feuds, rugged…
‘Euphoria’: The Kids Are Not Alright in HBO’s Feverishly Provocative Teen Series
Features • Published on June 2019
Full of raging hormones, deep feelings and bursting energy, HBO’s “Euphoria” captures the contemporary Gen Z teen experience like nothing else on television. It is a panorama both…