“Deepwater Horizon” Explodes Off the Screen
Behind every headline, there are human beings. In what is deemed the "bigger picture"—whether that involves money, political rhetoric or both—these people are often bundled into a two-digit number. And there is, perhaps, no transaction so lopsided as that of...
“The Magnificent Seven” Settles for Average
Not every film has to have Oscar-caliber performances, a heartwarming message on the unbreakable human spirit or a spiral of philosophical doublespeak, which must be viewed at least 80 times for the optimal experience. Sometimes, you just want...
The “Blair Witch” Strikes Again
"What is" will never be as interesting as "what could be." When a gap in information arises, our imagination will almost always swing across with far more gusto and urgency than necessary. "The Blair Witch Project"...
“When the Bough Breaks,” the Movie Will Fail
Hitchcock famously defined suspense as allowing the audience to see a bomb planted underneath a table, giving them the exact parameters by which it will explode—known only to the audience—and then allowing the unaware characters at the...
“The Light Between Oceans” Goes from Bright to Dull
Watching "The Light Between Oceans" feels something like visiting an old person, and having them insist heavily that you see every picture they've ever taken of their children, despite the fact that you've only just...
“Morgan”: a Familiar, Yet Well-Crafted Thriller
I'm no expert, but anytime a synthetic life-form takes comfort in opera and playing chess with itself, it should be perceived as a major red flag. Nothing that sophisticated can be up to any good....
Nobody Wins in “War Dogs”
Riding the coattails of "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "The Big Short," another entry into the white-collar gangster genre has surfaced. And once again it, it features guys who apparently never made it to the end...
“Kubo” Boasts Mind Over Matter
"Kubo and the Two Strings" is an ode to storytelling. It appreciates that history is not nearly as important as the stories that history inspires, as they fulfill the potential that the truth merely hints at,...
There’s No Party Like a “Sausage Party”
For too long, Pixar has sat upon the sentient throne of animation, and remained unscathed. Throughout history, there have been a number of attempted uprisings, most notably by Pixar's own blood, Disney Animation Studios, but none have yet proved...
