Alci Rengifo
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ Flexes a Great Kristen Stewart and Ripped Katy O’Brian
Features • Published on March 2024
Anyone who has ever been in love or experienced heartbreak knows it is not always an easy road. It can actually be quite brutal. Ross Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding” seems bent on…
‘Damsel’: The Only Fire in This Dragon Fantasy Is Millie Bobby Brown
Angela Bassett • Published on March 2024
The premise of Netflix’s “Damsel” seems to be that fantasies have too many damsels in distress, so we need more strong ones taking names. On that note, it is not entirely wrong.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’: Dreamworks Franchise Delivers a Serviceable New Adventure
Awkwafina • Published on March 2024
As far as animated heroes go, Po of the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise has always been genuinely likable because he is eternally insecure. The whole premise of the original 2008 movie gained steam…
Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Gentlemen’ Colorfully Entertains With Stylish Goons and Capers
Features • Published on March 2024
If you’re searching for tips on how to dress well, then look no further than the recent work of director Guy Ritchie. In particular, Ritchie’s crime thrillers have been strutting like ready-made ads…
‘The Regime’ Puts Kate Winslet on the Throne of Power for a Dark Satire About Dictatorships
Features • Published on March 2024
In the 21st century, dictators aren’t what they used to be. You don’t get the fiery resonance of Fidel Castro or the fashion sense of Mao and Tito. Now they tend to look…
‘Spaceman’ Adam Sandler Taps Into His Melancholic Side in Dreamy Sci-Fi Drama
Adam Sandler • Published on March 2024
Adam Sandler is readily associated with goofball comedy, but when he gets serious his work takes on an admirably thoughtful quality. If one were to read the concept of “Spaceman” on paper,…
‘Dune: Part Two’ Continues the Classic Sci-Fi Saga on a Cosmically Entertaining Scale
Christopher Walken • Published on February 2024
When director Denis Villeneuve released the first half of his adaptation of “Dune” in 2021, after pandemic delays, it arrived with mountains of hype. The anticipation was well worth it and the grandiose…
FX’s ‘Shōgun’ Is a Gorgeous Vision of War and Romance in Feudal Japan
Anna Sawai • Published on February 2024
The term “old-fashioned” isn’t a bad thing when applied to a series like FX’s “Shōgun.” Filmed with the budget and technology of a modern studio, “Shōgun” packs the grandiose feel of a…
‘Ordinary Angels’: Hilary Swank Brings Weight to Otherwise Standard Tear-Jerker
Features • Published on February 2024
There is a certain kind of feel-good film that can be hard to push away, even as it celebrates all those heart-tugging clichés about life turning out astoundingly great if you believe. “…
Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ Hits the Road for a Lesbian Adventure Brimming With Wit and Absurdity
Colman Domingo • Published on February 2024
A film like “Drive-Away Dolls” doesn’t care about the rules. It also doesn’t care about being proper or aspiring for high-browed respectability. Ethan Coen just wants to bask in the fun of…
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Rushes Through a Key Moment in the Life of Reggae Legend Bob Marley
Bob Marley • Published on February 2024
When turning the life of a famous music artist into film, there are always two major, inescapable challenges. One is finding the right story or narrative out of the life in question. The…
‘The New Look’ Stylishly Pits Christian Dior Against Coco Chanel as Fashion Faces Fascism in WWII Paris
Apple TV Plus • Published on February 2024
It’s easy to forget how famous brands have been swept into major historical events. Apple’s “The New Look” explores how a few essential fashion designers dealt with life under the Nazi occupation…
‘Madame Web’ Weaves Itself Into a Tangled Mess With a Better Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson • Published on February 2024
Just like a bug infestation, superhero movies can’t be stamped out. “Madame Web” is the latest attempt by a major studio to assure us that this genre is alive and well. Surely,…
‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Tries To Zap Life Into Its Reanimated Corpse Romance With ‘80s Nostalgia
Cole Sprouse • Published on February 2024
Decent camp knows what it is and lets its freak flag fly. That kind of spirit helps “Lisa Frankenstein” deliver a cute bit of half-baked ‘80s nostalgia that gets edgy in a…
‘Tokyo Vice’: Max’s Yakuza Drama Sharpens the Suspense for a Richer Season 2
Ansel Elgort • Published on February 2024
Just as major newspapers are slashing staff and cutting budgets, Max’s “Tokyo Vice” returns to make journalism look slick and romantic. Here is one of streaming’s underrated gems. It’s both a stylish…
‘Tótem’: Lila Avilés’ Vivid Tapestry of a Family Processing Grief Through Joy
Features • Published on February 2024
A film like Lila Avilés’ “Tótem” can catch an audience off guard. It begins with scenes of familial living that could signal the beginning of any standard, formulaic drama. As it progresses…
Donald Glover’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Is a Sharp and Kinetic Take on Millennial Romance
Alexander Skarsgård • Published on February 2024
Another famous film is getting revamped for streaming as a pricey series, but this time it’s a winning combination. Amazon’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” is a sharp update that fuses chemistry with…
‘The Promised Land’: Scorching Historical Epic Pits a Great Mads Mikkelsen Against a Vicious Aristocrat
Features • Published on February 2024
A film like Nikolaj Arcel’s “The Promised Land” serves as a reminder of what is missing in most historical dramas. Especially in big, expensive productions made in the U.S., there’s little sense…
Leah McKendrick Gets ‘Scrambled’ In Her Zesty Comedy About Adulting Pressures
Features • Published on February 2024
Time is catching up fast with the millennials. Despite being the progressive precursor to Gen Z, a large portion of the first generation to grow up with the internet is moving quickly through…
Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Argylle’ Can’t Outrun Its Self-Sabotaging Plot
Argylle • Published on February 2024
When does a filmmaker run out of something to say? That’s a question worth asking while watching “Argylle,” a new spy movie by Matthew Vaughn that feels like another blender of a…