Daily Archives: July 10, 2018

How overfamiliar does a horror movie have to be before even the filmmakers have to wonder, “Why bother?” “The Ritual,” a British eOne/Netflix production, packs a bunch of boy-bonding lads off into the wilds of Sweden. No “found footage,” but … Continue reading →

There’s a reason the romantic conversations here have a wordy/moonstruck, up-the-romantic-stakes feel, even as the world they’re delivered in feels lived-in and real. Dan Fogelman wrote and directed “Life Itself,” and this trailer plays like his more famous creation, “This … Continue reading →

There’s an implicit covenant between filmmaker and audience, one that Tim Sutton, director of “Dark Night” repeatedly violates. You can make your movie an attention-demanding exercise, invite us into your head by under-explaining, telling your story with tone, mournful music … Continue reading →

This one opens in March of next year. There’s zero conflict or the possibility of conflict in this first teaser, so something’s missing. I mean, I don’t expect “Action Point,” heaven forbid. But…something.

  The short answer to that headline question is “No.” Even on Netflix, director Kelly Reichardt’s movies are the ultimate acquired taste. Austere to the point where tiny gestures are magnified into moments of enormous consequence, silent save for the … Continue reading →