The Pale Blue Eye is a genuinely gripping whodunit that also functions as an origin story of sorts for Edgar Allen Poe, played here to perfection by a mesmerizing Harry Melling, who holds his own against the commanding Christian Bale. At points, it can tread into predictable territory, but it’s saved by a terrific twist that contorts this seemingly straightforward murder mystery into something far more morally complex - and memorable, as a result.
Babylon is a brilliant, bombastic, and bewildering ode to the immortality of art and the artists that have struggled against the system since the dawn of time, with two of the year’s most ionate performances courtesy of Margot Robbie and Diego Calva. A true feat of filmmaking and one of 2022’s best.
Wrote about two of my favorite films of the year, Women Talking and She Said - which also happen to be two of the most important films of the year as well, in my opinion - and why it’s essential for the industry that they be uplifted this awards season and not diminished by superficial critiques.
Despite being a conventional coming-of-age story - with production values that feel like more of a fit for a TV film than a theatrical release - Dear Zoe shines when showcasing yet another powerful performance from one of our most talented rising stars, Sadie Sink.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series standout Sofia Wylie gives her all in the lead role, but sadly, The School for Good and Evil is ultimately about as inspired and interesting as its generic title.
Mila Kunis remains as magnetic a lead as ever in Luckiest Girl Alive, but the script is far too scattered - and at times, sensationalistic - to her spunky performance.
Full review over on Next Best Picture ✌🏻
Do Revenge is so fucking fun.
Throw Mean Girls, Heathers, and Strangers on a Train in a blender, and you get this razor-sharp social satire that seemingly resurrects - and reinvents - the teen movie subgenre.
I can’t wait to watch it twenty more times.
(Full review over on Next Best Picture!)
Harry Styles said it better than I could: “You know, my favorite thing about the movie, is like, it feels like a movie. It feels like a real, like, you know, go-to-the-theater-film movie. You know, you kind of, the reason why you go to watch something on the big screen.”
(Read my full spoiler-free review of one of the most audaciously original horror films in years on Next Best Picture!!!)
Even though there's not much in The Invitation that you haven't seen in countless other horror movies (it’s essentially Get Out meets Ready or Not), thanks to a slick production and a solid lead performance from Nathalie Emmanuel, it's still worth a watch - assuming you haven’t already been spoiled by its terrible trailer.
Full review over on Next Best Picture!
Bodies Bodies Bodies fucks.
Read my full review over on Next Best Picture (in which I refrained from turning the entire piece into a tribute to the comedic talents of Rachel Sennott).
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a salve for the soul. Endlessly endearing, overwhelmingly optimistic, and so mightily moving. A simple yet supremely sweet script is elevated by Jenny Slate’s warm and witty voice work. That shell is gonna be the star of the summer.
Full thoughts over at Next Best Picture!