‘Scream’ Is a Meta, Mostly Fun Bloodbath
The world has changed in the 25 years since the release of the first “Scream” film, and the fifth and latest in the franchise, also titled “Scream,” pays tribute to its roots…
‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ Closes the Franchise With a Ghoulishly Sweet Lesson About Fitting In
Animated films can sometimes deliver some surprising lessons for its young audiences. “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” has a standard message about being yourself but within the greater challenge of pleasing your in-laws. If…
Vanessa Kirby Is Lost Between Worlds in Dreamy ‘Italian Studies’
A young woman who temporarily loses her memory in New York City may seem like a set up for disaster, but Adam Leon’s drama “Italian Studies,” which centers on a thirtysomething…
‘Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America’ Urgently Confronts America’s History and Ongoing Inequality
To say that the United States was founded on white supremacy might seem like an intensely loaded statement for some. “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” convincingly argues that…
‘The 355’: Jessica Chastain Leads a Stellar Cast of Spies in a Less Than Stellar Caper
There are movies that are clearly meant to be one thing but try too hard at being something else. “The 355” is a spy thriller that has all the makings of a…
‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’: Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand Bring Sound and Fury to Joel Coen’s Rich Shakespeare Adaptation
For decades, film and stage have demonstrated that if William Shakespeare were alive today, he would undoubtedly be the world’s most in-demand playwright and screenwriter. There is not a single genre that has…
‘The Lost Daughter’: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Directorial Debut Is a Searing Portrait of a Mother’s Angst
What was supposed to be a relaxing getaway turns into entirely something else when a college professor, Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley as a young woman), is reminded of her…
‘Being the Ricardos’: Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem on Becoming Lucy Ball and Desi Arnaz
Amazon’s absorbing biopic “Being the Ricardos,” takes the viewer inside the world of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and her husband and “I Love Lucy” co-star Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), showing…
‘Parallel Mothers’: Pedro Almodóvar Casts His Eye on Ghosts of the Spanish Civil War to Powerful Effect
In a sense all lives are a part of history. We live our own intimate experiences while being influenced by events or past memories. Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers” bridges these two…
‘The Matrix Resurrections’: Keanu Reeves Gets Plugged Into a Nostalgic, Self-Mocking Franchise Reboot
We live in the age of sequel overkill. The studios continue mining every hit from any decade to find an excuse for a follow-up. “The Matrix” remains one of the defining films of…
‘Sing 2’ Is a Musical Delight for the Whole Family
The lovable animal gang is back for “Sing 2,” the sequel to the 2016 animated musical centered around a singing competition. A few years after his theater reopens, koala Buster Moon (…
‘The King’s Man’ Throws a Few Good Punches Before Getting Lost in the Fog of War
“The King’s Man” has the strange distinction of featuring a very funny, entertaining idea for about its first 20 minutes. As with most new action movies these days, this is yet another…