Author Archives: Roger Moore

That’s Willa Holland, Dermot Mulroney and Shane West starring in a honky tonks and Chevy Chevelles and small town corruption and cover-ups. “The Dirty South” indeed.

Mesmerizing from its crypto-poetic opening to its drop the mike finale, “Candela” is a thriller as exotic and mysterious as its locale, a brisk and atmospheric tale bathed in drugs, sex and corruption. First-time feature director Andrés Farías and his … Continue reading →

The best survival narratives, from “Robinson Crusoe” through “The Martian” all focus on “work the problem” details. How do you survive a shipwreck or sailboat sinking (“All is Lost,” “Dead Calm”), being trapped in a forest fire, being marooned on … Continue reading →

Oct 13, a bunch of streaming ghost hunters get more than they bargained for.

A lush and savory period piece about a love affair, perhaps unconsummated (Over the consumme? Mon dieu!), this “Best International Feature” submission from France will hit theaters in Feb.

I remember liking the book, about rowing and the 1936 Hitler Olympics that Jesse Owens ruined for the Austrian corporal. I also remember when “George Clooney directs” ginned up a lot of buzz. He’s taken on another history lesson, but … Continue reading →

The most chilling consideration in “The Royal Hotel,” a tense tale of two Canadian 20somethings stuck in a mining town bar in the middle of Toxic Masculinity, Australia, is how nothing that happens there seems the least bit far fetched. … Continue reading →

Phylicia Rashad is his neighbor. Presented without further comment. January.

“Story Ave.” is a Bronx tale about graffiti, growing up and coming to grips with grief. The debut feature of commercial director Aristotle Torres, it’s immersed in street life, a vivid portrait of gangs — “crews” — that spread their … Continue reading →

Perhaps the last thing you’d expect a reboot of “The Exorcist” franchise to botch is — you know — the exorcism scene. But that’s what “The Exorcist: Believer” does. It’s another David Gordon Green (“Halloween” franchise) reboot, so you can … Continue reading →