‘Persuasion’ review: Jane Austen fans will find full agony

Netflix is no stranger to adapting incredibly popular novels into films and television series, and they usually give fans what they want (see To All the Boys, Kissing Booth, Bridgerton, and one of my personal favorites, The Queen’s Gambit). It…

The 15 Best Movies of 2022 So Far

Just one year ago, the century-long tradition of watching new films in theaters appeared to be in seriously dangerous trouble. Half-measure attempts to reopen theaters amidst the ongoing surges in COVID-19 cases kept a lot of people at home during…

‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ review: The latest from Cooper Raiff is refreshingly in step with its weird masculinity

Cooper Raiff’s sophomore feature film, Cha Cha Real Smooth, is more or less an extended epilogue of his wonderfully, comfortably contained debut, ‌S#!%house. If that coming-of-age film was about the awkward, sensitive kid in all of us trying to adjust…

Sundance 2022: ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ is refreshingly in step with its weird masculinity

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a U.S. Dramatic Competition world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (2022). Cooper Raiff’s sophomore feature film, Cha Cha Real Smooth, is more or less an extended epilogue of his wonderfully, comfortably contained debut, ‌S#!%house. If…

Suspiria Movie Review: A bewitching fever dream that verges on full-on nightmare

Much like Dario Argento’s film, this new Suspiria is meant to be experienced rather than just seen or heard. Suspiria needs to be felt in order to be understood, and that is something that extends beyond sight and sound. One…

Bad Times at the El Royale Movie Review: Drew Goddard’s Neo-Noir Thriller is a Mostly Good Time

There are myriad things to which one could compare Drew Goddard’s Bad Times at the El Royale: a LEGO set, for all its pieces that are meant to come together in the end, a process that usually requires the assembler…

Bad Times at the El Royale Delivers, Expectedly, A Cryptic Trailer

“The El Royale — No Place for a Priest!” Actually, it’s not for anyone, dear Mr. Vacuum Salesman (Jon Hamm). Something is coming for the guests of this declining “bi-state” hotel, so described since it lies between California and Nevada,…