Reviews, Discussions, and Interviews – All from Nashville
‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Deserves Nothing Less than Expulsion (Review)
This lazy, unimaginative horror legacy sequel reeks of deceit and boredom. If you add the words “The Exorcist” to the title of any film, chances are you’ll catch the attention of moviegoers. Why? Because even 50 years later, The Exorcist itself remains the gold...
‘The Creator’ is the Best Sci-Fi Movie since ‘Ex Machina’ (Review)
Eerily similar to a feared trajectory by some, The Creator is an original take on what an AI future could look like. Gareth Edwards has always had a good eye for science fiction direction. From smaller films like Monsters to mainstream blockbusters like Godzilla and...
Strong Performances Carry Pleasantly Lean ‘A Haunting in Venice’ (Review)
Third time’s the charm for Kenneth Branagh’s whodunnit franchise. As summer winds down and it finally begins to cool off, we enter a timeframe before we start to see the Oscar contenders make their first impressions. Much like January, this time of the year can be an...
‘El Conde’ is a Dark, Biting Allegory for the Life Cycle of Tyranny (Review)
In this alternate reality, ruthless dictator Augusto Pinoche is an aged, bloodsucking vampire with death on his mind in Pablo Larrain's latest satire. Chilean filmmaking auteur Pablo Larrain has been politically charged throughout his career in cinema; first receiving...
Representation Matters in Fun, Family-Centered ‘Blue Beetle’ (Review)
The first Latino-led live-action superhero film charms thanks to its cast and focus on culture that help shape the insect-named hero. In an era filled with superhero films that come out so often, it’s long overdue that we are finally getting one that's...
‘Scarlet’ is a Lovely Period Fable Brimming with Beautiful Realism (Review)
A young woman yearns for emancipation in the decades between both world wars in this Italian-French co-production from Pietro Marcello. Kino Lorber is a film distributor that prides itself in providing physical copies of silent relics from the medium’s past as well as...
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Deliver Gratification in Gorgeous ‘Mutant Mayhem’ (Review)
Everyone’s favorite turtles finally get their due in this animated reboot that gets everything right. It should come as no surprise that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are a big reason why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the best Turtles film ever...
Great Concept Only Takes ‘Talk to Me’ So Far (Review)
The latest horror film from A24 hits a plateau and then descends for worse. As I sat and watched Talk to Me at a press screening last week, I couldn’t help but wonder how much Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum was kicking himself for not being presented with the...
‘Oppenheimer’ is a Remarkable Achievement by Christopher Nolan (Review)
Perhaps Nolan's best directing of his career, Oppenheimer is told with so much purpose and precision. There is always so much hype around a Christopher Nolan movie, and oftentimes that hype is warranted. In this critic's professional opinion, he hasn't made a bad or...