While this film adaptation of the young adult novel by John Green fails to match the emotional depth of the film adaptation of his widely-praised tearjerker “The Fault In Our Stars,” it is a pleasant film that will cater to young adults. It features an ensemble cast of earnest, likable characters to offset a trite […]
An all-star ensemble spices up John Favreau’s likable story about a famed chef who regains his mojo after a food critic’s blistering review sends his career and personal life into a tailspin. Side-eye stunt casting aside (Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson as his ex-wife and girlfriend… really?!), the otherwise honest and sweet story delivers a […]
A deaf-mute novelist (Kate Siegel) finds her self-imposed life of seclusion in the woods up-ended when a psychotic killer inexplicably appears. With no one around to help her, she must use her wits to survive in this pulse-pounding horror/thriller on Netflix. Despite a healthy dose of horror clichés, co-writer/director Mike Flanagan (Oculus) delivers a straightforward, […]
This remake of the Rudyard Kipling classic is the best combination of live action and CGI that I have ever seen in a film. The leveI of detail and realism in the CGI animals is astounding. That, combined with stunning visuals, a score reminiscent of Out Of Africa and a story more faithful to the […]
The goofy premise, Jane Austen’s classic set during a zombie apocalypse, could have been a comic jackpot if done the right way. But aside from a couple of cute scenes with Lily James (Cinderella, Downton Abbey) leading her dagger-wielding sisters in a zombie battle, the film is a lot more straight up Pride and Prejudice […]
Documentarian Ann Shin risks arrest by Chinese authorities by entering the extraordinary, secret world of a broker, Dragon, who has smuggled dozens of North Korean defectors out of China, this particular mission coinciding with the 2011 death of dictator Kim Jong Il. The film tracks the defectors’ nerve wracking journey across China (where the vast […]
From the first few minutes of this gritty sci-fi thriller, you know you are in for one bizarre road trip. Michael Shannon (who also starred in director Jeff Nichols’ three other films Mud, Take Shelter and Shotgun Stories) is the father of a young boy with mysterious powers, being hotly pursued by federal agents wanting […]
A ridiculously flimsy story and embarrassingly unrealistic dialogue will have you rooting for the aliens in this super lame “teenage girl saves the planet from an alien invasion” young adult film. I hope they paid Chloe a lot to star in this garbage – it was way beneath her acting ability.
An artist discovers his high-rise condo has been cordoned off and surrounded by people in hazmat suits. As the freak out factor among he and his neighbors escalates, human frailties bubble to the surface, making a dire situation even worse. The low budget British thriller, while believable, isn’t very thrilling and is a bit of […]
The premise of this strange, straight-to-DVD horror/comedy is wonderfully topical – the crew for an American home improvement TV show returns to a remote village in Moldova to check on their new homeowner after six months, to discover things have gotten super weird. The story, however, by writers of SpongeBob SquarePants (take a minute to […]