This is not a shock-monger. It's a slow-dripping brew of dread that builds and builds in it's eeriness until it reaches its nightmarish conclusion. There's an authenticity to this movie that I did not anticipate, and which is quite refreshing in the "horror" genre. The performances are all great too, from top to bottom. And while it was sometimes hard to follow (I eventually tu...
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Micro Reviews
Micro Review – Swiss Army Man
I'm not going to lie, this is a weird ass movie (quite literally). It's so weird, that I don't imagine many people will really understand or appreciate it. To watch this movie is to commit to it's strangeness as much as Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe commit to their bizarre roles. I laughed so hard at this movie, and yet I was also deeply touched by it. Wow. Never thought a mov...
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Micro Review – Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg clarified that he made a movie. Not a film. I think the distinction he wanted to make was that there are some movies that should be taken seriously - almost academically. Then there are movies that are meant to be enjoyed for what they are: a fun escape from the world. A chance to enter a new world and experience something amazing. In that way, Ready Player One...
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Micro Review – Room
A heartbreaking film, with incredible performances from Brie Larsen and young Jacob Tremblay. So many emotions when watching Room. Joy, terror, sadness, excitement, dread. I have a daughter that's Jack's age, so this hit extra hard for me. This is a great film.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review (Re-watch) – Phantom Thread
It's a different experience, watching Phantom Thread for the second time. The first time you watch it, you really have no idea what you're getting yourself into. On the second watch, you THINK you know what you're getting into. But then it hits you that you can watch this movie any number of ways. It can be so many different things, depending on how you want to watch it. It fee...
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Micro Review – Atomic Blonde
Atomic Blonde is flashy and exciting, but the majority of the plot is pretty convoluted. It's hard to follow what's really happening. But it's still a decent enough spy flick I suppose, with a mesmerizing Charlize Theron. On second thought, Charlize Theron may be the reason it was "decent enough."
3.5 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review – The Girl on the Train
An okay thriller.
2.5 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review – Hail, Caesar!
It's the Coen Brothers. Their movies are like pizza. They're never terrible. There's always a baseline goodness. Hail, Caesar! is not my favorite Coen Brothers film. But it's funny, and enjoyable to watch, and there are a lot of my favorite actors in it.
3.5 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review – Hidden Figures
Pretty fascinating "based on a true" story about an oft-overlooked part of the space race. It follows a common formula for biographical, historical feed-good movies. It would have been nice if it had tried to break the mold a bit more. But it's quite charming at times. And it's good family entertainment.
4 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review – Thoroughbreds
Hmm. How to describe Thoroughbreds? A bizarre dark comedy about upper-class suburban malaise? That’s probably the best way to put it. I enjoyed watching it. But I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it was the plain-faced wackiness of it? Maybe it was the performance of Olivia Cooke, who deftly juggles anti-social psychosis with dry, sardonic humor. Or the fact that it’s got Paul Spa...
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