Alci Rengifo
‘Dope Thief’ Pairs Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura as Huckster Vigilantes Who Cross the Line
Apple TV Plus • Published on March 2025
Apple TV+ demonstrates versatility within its own brand of television with the entertainingly gritty “Dope Thief.” It features the streamer’s taste for moody lighting and despairing situations, but with morbid humor and…
‘Novocaine’: Jack Quaid Becomes an Oddball Hero in Briefly Entertaining Action Romp
Features • Published on March 2025
We have been here before. “Novocaine” is another action romp about a regular guy who somehow gets pulled into a violent set of challenges, revealing the inner strength he did not know…
‘The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie’ Lets Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Go Wild With Zany Glee
Candi Milo • Published on March 2025
Right now we need a good laugh, even if it entails gags about the world facing potential doom. “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” harkens back to a…
‘Black Bag’: Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender Are a Sizzling Duo in Soderbergh’s Seductive Spy Thriller
Black Bag • Published on March 2025
Lazy spy thrillers turn to large action sequences to resolve everything, or when the plot runs out of gas. It is much more difficult to do something like Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag,”…
Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ Imagines a Future of Disposable Humans and Mad Messiahs
Bong Joon Ho • Published on March 2025
Radical artists continually return to their obsessions because they always retain a stubborn relevance. Korean auteur Bong Joon Ho’s films over the past decade have revolved around dystopian or contemporary visions of brutal…
‘Last Breath’ Goes Underwater for a Riveting True Story of a Marooned Deep Diver
Features • Published on February 2025
Some experiences are so harrowing, they need little embellishment when translated to drama. “Last Breath” recounts a 2012 deep-sea diving incident in the North Sea relying primarily on the basic details. It…
In Its Second and Final Season, Taylor Sheridan’s ‘1923’ Delivers More Thrills on a Sweeping Scale
1923 • Published on February 2025
Depending on your sensibilities, the universe of Taylor Sheridan is either an example of the real ethos of America or a soapy guilty pleasure. Wherever you fall, it is simply hard to deny…
‘The Monkey’: Osgood Perkins Adapts a Stephen King Story Into a Morbid Mocking of Mortality
Adam Scott • Published on February 2025
Laughing at mortality is a natural part of the horror experience. There’s a human appeal to the genre that can feel cathartic. Osgood Perkins’ “The Monkey” combines gore and humor to create…
‘Zero Day’: Robert De Niro Gets Presidential in Chatty Cyber Thriller
Angela Bassett • Published on February 2025
Netflix’s “Zero Day” is one of those zeitgeist thrillers that wants to feel grabbed right out of tomorrow’s headlines. It taps into the fear that in our digital world, cyber terrorism is…
Mike White’s ‘The White Lotus’ Travels to Thailand for Another Great Portrait of American Privilege Going Haywire
Carrie Coon • Published on February 2025
Like a parade of condemned souls, there is a wicked pleasure in watching the latest crop of privileged vacationers land for the third season of HBO’s “The White Lotus.” Creator and director…
‘Captain America: Brave New World’: Another Marvel Throwaway Struggles To Find New Formulas
Anthony Mackie • Published on February 2025
On a purely surface level of pop art history, there is value to what “Captain America: Brave New World” initiates with its famous, patriotic namesake. Anthony Mackie taking on the mantle of…
‘Paddington in Peru’: The Beloved Orphan Bear Returns to South America for an Amazon Adventure
Antonio Banderas • Published on February 2025
Some good franchises have a welcoming feeling when they know what works. “Paddington in Peru” is the latest adventure in the “Paddington” series, bringing pleasing sights with a story perfect for a…
‘Love Hurts’ Turns Ke Huy Quan Into a Strong Action Lead Fighting a Plot That Goes Nowhere
Features • Published on February 2025
A movie riffing on a specific holiday has to stay true to its punchline. “Love Hurts” is advertising itself as some kind of action romp turning Valentine’s Day upside down. On the…
‘Heart Eyes’ Pairs Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding for a Ridiculous Valentine’s Day Slasher Romp
Features • Published on February 2025
Slasher rom-com “Heart Eyes” can be perfectly termed a “seasonal movie.” Its sole purpose for existing is to be a date movie for Valentine’s Day that offers romance with bloodied machetes, corny…
‘No Other Land’: Searing Documentary Chronicles Palestinian Life Under Brutal Occupation
Basel Adra • Published on February 2025
A documentary like “No Other Land” defines everything that is vital about the power of film to be a chronicle. Devastating and full of justified anger, it places the viewer front and…
‘Clean Slate’: Laverne Cox Leads a Delightful Sitcom About Identity and Acceptance
Clean Slate • Published on February 2025
When classic formats are intelligently combined with contemporary moods the result can be a really good time. “Clean Slate” is one of Norman Lear’s final projects, and it’s breezy, corny and easy…
Sophie Thatcher Is a Vengeful ‘Companion’ up Against a Pathetically Menacing Jack Quaid
Companion • Published on January 2025
The weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are known for breezy romance movies. Maybe it is the way this generation is feeling, but now we are getting an offering like “Companion,” which…
‘You’re Cordially Invited’ Relies on Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon’s Slapstick Rivalry
Features • Published on January 2025
Nicholas Stoller’s “You’re Cordially Invited” has the feel of a familiar joke you know by heart but don’t mind repeating at a party. This director’s name teamed with Will Ferrell and Reese…
‘Paradise’: Dan Fogelman’s Heartfelt Sci-Fi Thriller Sends Sterling K. Brown After a Presidential Killer
Dan Fogelman • Published on January 2025
Producer Dan Fogelman has developed quite the reputation as a heart-tugger. Despite a lengthy career, all you need to know is that he is returning to TV following a pause after the end…
Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’ Tells a Clever Haunted House Horror Story From the Ghost’s Point of View
Features • Published on January 2025
The idea of playing around has defined much of Steven Soderbergh’s career over the past decade. At times, the plots he chooses feel like excuses to experiment freely with everything from narrative to…