Jolt is an ironically-titled dud, its rote thriller stylings utterly unervating. Tanya Wexler’s Jolt is like a fake movie playing on the television in a better, but probably still mediocre movie. It’s a cheap but slick product, nothing but a piece of content used to…
There’s no denying that Val indulges in a bit of hagiography, but it remains a frequently engaging study of its enigmatic subject. Actor Val Kilmer has always been a bit of an enigma. A Hollywood star who has appeared in some of Tinseltown’s biggest blockbusters,…
The Tomorrow War is pure sci-fi cribbing, a regurgitated and ungainly monstrosity without a single novel idea. What do you say about a movie like The Tomorrow War? Its IMDb trivia page notes excitedly that it’s “the first film to be executively produced by Chris…
The Boy from Medellín’s early commitment to emotional and psychological honesty is ultimately subsumed by the doc’s refusal to engage on any political level. With its creeping bass line, its shuffling gait, and of course, J Balvin rolling his r’s through a wide, beaming…
Without Remorse is a delicious throwback to a time when a sturdy shoot-em-up was its own reward. Streaming services have absolutely become a pipeline for direct-to-video offerings, cheap rom-coms, and prestige dramas that would never find a more comfy budget, all to varying degrees…
Coming 2 America is a lifeless detour without any of the humor or incisive critique of the original. John Landis’ 1988 Eddie Murphy vehicle Coming to America is, frankly, justly beloved. Although it’s full of now-dated stereotypes and off-color humor, it’s also — much like…
The Orphanage can be flat and predictable for stretches, but it also tilts its formalism toward a playful character enough to suggest Sadat is worth continuing to watch. The Orphanage is the second feature by Afghani director Shahrbanoo Sadat, and it also happens to be…
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is yet another time loop flick that fails to do anything to energize its exhausted conceit. Note to Hollywood: No more time-loop films. The concept has been exhausted, at least if the last several efforts have anything to say…
Bliss has its moments, but is ultimately far too satisfied with the faux-profundity of its deeply obvious ideas. Writer-director Mike Cahill is no stranger to spinning original sci-fi concepts into deeply felt personal tales that tackle the fragility of human life, as seen in past…
Herself is a well-intentioned but ultimately one-note message film that fails to build any real power. A patron of the British arts, Phyllida Lloyd’s transition from a director of theater to film could hardly have been more conspicuous. Her debut feature, Mamma Mia, set box-office…
