Once upon a time, Lin-Manuel Miranda set his prodigious sights on Broadway with an inaugural, autobiographical musical that quickly set him up for New York exposure and (eventually) worldwide attention through his obviously ubiquitous follow-up. In the Heights, however, is…
‘Army of the Dead’ review: Zack Snyder’s return to the zombie genre is a bloody, fun mess
It’s no secret that the most recent stage of Zack Snyder’s directing career has seen the auteur pushing his more serious, objectivist ideologies even more strongly into his film output than ever, leaning away from the schlocky fun of his…
‘Limbo’ review: Ben Sharrock’s dark dramedy explores the true awkwardness of asylum
Films about the refugee experience tend to explore the obvious pain and waywardness of how bleak the situation can be. Mostly because, well, that’s how it really is for a lot of people around the world. So it’s interesting to…
‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ review: An imaginative milestone for animation
Every once in a while, and not often enough, a movie comes along to remind adults what it’s like to sit back and get wrapped up in the pure wonder of animation. “To feel like a kid again” doesn’t really…
‘Mortal Kombat’ review: The best and worst of the video game series enters the fight
As an exercise in pure, shameless fan service, Mortal Kombat (2021) certainly honors not just the 90s video game series it adapts, but also its cinematic predecessors. Shot and lit like a mature TV movie that just happens to be…
‘Yes Day’ review: Families might have a good reason to say yes to this laid-back Netflix comedy
Depending on their life circumstances, many people get to enjoy a wonderful, blissful decade or so of unrestrained adulthood, where they can simply say “yes” to all manner of new experiences and youthful adventures. Yes Day, a new Netflix comedy…
‘Boogie’ review: Eddie Huang’s feature debut examines Asian experiences in America
Love, Basketball, and Boogie. Boogie is Eddie Huang’s isolation play against mainstream Hollywood—an offensive one-on-one strategy that pits his first feature film against a stubbornly traditional entertainment industry. In an environment where name recognition is key to elevating new stories…
