Monthly Archives: February 2021

A lot of thrillers begin with or feature a prison-bus break-out as a signature scene — “48 Hrs.” and “The Fugitive,” for instance. But here’s one that’s all about the break-out, or break-in depending on your point of view. “Below … Continue reading →

Writer-director Shatara Michelle Ford’s debut feature is as sober a treatment of the “date rape” drug experience as the cinema has ever shown us. “Test Pattern” captures the “how,” immerses us in the “now” and shows us the lives brought … Continue reading →

They don’t hand out Oscars to every casting director, the person who puts pictures and names in front of filmmakers to give them ideas of how to turn their scripted characters into flesh and blood actors. Lynn Stalmaster, “The Master … Continue reading →

Here’s a good measure by how original a film is. How hard is it to come up with analogues, other titles this picture reminds you of? The deftly paranoid indie “Lapsis” had me flashing back to “Brazil” and “Safety Not … Continue reading →

It’d be hard to overstate just how likeable Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” movies are. Cute cast, realistic (if affluent) situations, upbeat messaging and first love-affirming, precisely what a teen rom com should be. And if Netflix … Continue reading →

“Yeah, I’ll do your little movie,” the pitch meeting ended, probably a short one, probably handled by phone. But the Oscar winning actor had one rider he insisted on in his contract. “I’ll do it so long as I don’t … Continue reading →

“Red Dot” is a savage if not wholly satisfying “flip-the-script” stalked in the wilderness thriller whose cleverness comes from its subtext. We’ve seen scads of these “slickers in the wild” stories since “Deliverance” and “Southern Comfort.” Sometimes, they begin with … Continue reading →

March 25 from Shudder.

Folksy Midwestern culotte culture comes to sunny, silly Florida in “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” a not-quite-romp cooked up by “Bridesmaids” breakout Kristen Wiig and the actress-screenwriter who scripted that breakout hit, Annie Mumolo. It’s like a … Continue reading →

Better late than never, right? Yeah, I missed getting a preview screening when Hulu picked up this Neon comedy last summer. But with Valentine’s Day coming up and everybody hunting anew for something romantic to watch, I figured I’d catch … Continue reading →