Alci Rengifo
‘El Conde’: Pablo Larraín Wickedly Resurrects Dictator Augusto Pinochet as a Wandering Vampire
El Conde • Published on September 2023
The tyrants of history have indeed been bloodsuckers. They take from the people, plunder and tend to leave trails of corpses behind. September 11, 2023 marked 50 years since the elected socialist government…
‘Cassandro’: Gael García Bernal Triumphantly Returns in True Story of Groundbreaking Gay Luchador
Bad Bunny • Published on September 2023
History is full of people who never set out to be pioneers. The circumstances of their dreams dropped them into the role. Such was the fate of Saúl Armendáriz, an amateur gay wrestler…
‘A Haunting in Venice’: Kenneth Branagh Adds Supernatural Spooks to Agatha Christie Chiller
A Haunting In Venice • Published on September 2023
Some movies really push it when selling themselves as adaptations. Kenneth Branagh’s “A Haunting in Venice” is officially “inspired by” by Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel “Hallowe’en Party.” Aside from using the title…
‘The Morning Show’ Season 3: Hilariously Outrageous and Chasing After Headlines
Apple TV Plus • Published on September 2023
Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and some sharp laughs keep pumping oxygen into “The Morning Show.” This remains one of the best original series on Apple TV. In a streamer that specializes in…
‘The Changeling’ Aims for Rich Depths With Dense Mysteries
Apple TV Plus • Published on September 2023
Among streamers, Apple TV+ has been one platform with a truly consistent delivery in its content. Their shows are often slow burners, and are typically moody, in-depth explorations of human melancholy. Whether the…
‘The Nun II’ Repeats the Same Jump Scares in a New French Setting
Features • Published on September 2023
Out of the entire “The Conjuring” franchise, the character of the Nun really functions as nothing more than a jump scare. Like Michael Myers, she works best as an eerie presence that terrifies…
‘The Good Mother’: Hilary Swank Delivers the Emotional Power This Limp Murder Mystery Lacks
Features • Published on September 2023
Casting is everything in “The Good Mother.” Without these talents on screen, there just wouldn’t be much else to this movie. Some films work that way, where the photography and performances come…
‘The Equalizer 3’: Bloodbath Under the Sicilian Sun
Dakota Fanning • Published on August 2023
Denzel Washington returns with that stare that can turn into an easy-going smile, ready to inflict brutal justice. “The Equalizer 3” promises more of the Oscar-winner showing us all the different ways…
‘The Wheel of Time’ Spins a Better Second Season While Still Going Nowhere
Amazon Prime Video • Published on August 2023
What could possibly be the reason to keep “The Wheel of Time” spinning over at Amazon Prime Video? The answer probably lies in how anything on streamers carves out a fan base,…
‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’: Sandler Family Deliver a Cheerful Celebration of Tradition and Young Anxiety
Adam Sandler • Published on August 2023
The beginning of Netflix’s “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” does a colorful rundown of the various ways different communities celebrate a child’s entrance into maturity. It’s a good…
‘Gran Turismo’ Turns a True-Life Tale Into a Breakneck Gamer Fantasy
Archie Madekwe • Published on August 2023
In the glossy trailers and ads, the premise of “Gran Turismo” seems absurd and designed to attract an audience full of gamers. Then its appeal grows when it turns out director Neill…
‘Bottoms’ Goes Back to High School With Bloody Knuckles, Queer Desire and Vicious Glee
Ayo Edebiri • Published on August 2023
Emma Seligman’s “Bottoms” is one of those special anarchic gems that gets it when it comes to looking back at the high school experience. The best movies about adolescence are not the…
‘Ahsoka’: Rosario Dawson Wields the Lightsaber in Latest ‘Star Wars’ Series
Ahsoka • Published on August 2023
Franchises are quickly carving out corners for themselves like exclusive clubs where you need to be in the know to get what’s going on even for the first season. Disney’s “Ahsoka” is…
‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Quietly Satirizes an Alien Takeover
Asante Blackk • Published on August 2023
If extraterrestrials managed to find us, the result might not be a fiery apocalypse or peaceful utopia. If they are as capitalistic as we are, an alien takeover might look more like “…
Josh Greenbaum Tells Us About the Absurd Joys of Directing a Pack of ‘Strays’
Features • Published on August 2023
There is a special glee in the way director Josh Greenbaum talks about the making of his latest movie, “Strays.” It could be because directing this kind of movie leaves an infectious…
‘Strays’: Josh Greenbaum’s Wild Buddy Comedy Goes on the Prowl
Features • Published on August 2023
Getting dirty the right way means putting some heart into it. “Strays” is a movie with plenty of dog poop, pee, penises, and some murder, but by the end credits it might…
‘Blue Beetle’: DC’s Latino Superhero Wins With a High-Energy, Heartfelt Debut
Angel Manuel Soto • Published on August 2023
By now the formula of superhero franchises is so familiar that a hired director walks in knowing the assignment by heart. So it’s much appreciated when the filmmakers make a sincere attempt at…
‘King on Screen’ Sits Down With Filmmakers Who Have Brought Stephen King’s Work to Life
Daphné Baiwir • Published on August 2023
Early in filmmaker Daphné Baiwir’s “King on Screen” documentary, an important point is made that many people familiar with a story by Stephen King might have never read his books. Their likely…
‘Heart of Stone’ Sends Gal Gadot Into an Autopilot Spy Thriller
Features • Published on August 2023
There is a lot of debate going on in the entertainment industry about what AI will mean for the creative process. It’s just one of the motivating factors behind the ongoing writer’s strike,…
‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ Sucks the Lifeblood Out of Dracula
Bram Stoker • Published on August 2023
The ads for “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” emphasize that it is based on a single chapter out of Bram Stoker’s classic “Dracula.” As with most of these movies, that’s just…