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The Woman King: 'African Amazons' Tale Treads Lightly on History and Hard on Action

The Woman King: 'African Amazons' Tale Treads Lightly on History and Hard on Action

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekSeptember 15, 2022African history, "African Amazons", The Woman King, Kingdom of Dahomey, Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John BoyegaComment

Medieval: The History is Weak, But the Violence is Fast and Fierce

Medieval: The History is Weak, But the Violence is Fast and Fierce

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekSeptember 6, 2022Historical action drama, Jan Žižka, Medieval, Petr Jákl, Ben Foster, Til Schweiger, Sophie Lowe, Czech Republic filmsComment

Burial: Sad-Sack ‘Political Thriller’ Awash in Spoilers, Bereft of Chills

Burial: Sad-Sack ‘Political Thriller’ Awash in Spoilers, Bereft of Chills

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 31, 2022London Fright Fest, Thriller, Political thriller, Burial, Ben Parker, Harriet Walter, Tom Felton, Barry WardComment

Honk For Jesus: Save Your Soul - The Bigger the Mega-Church, the Harder They Fall

Honk For Jesus: Save Your Soul - The Bigger the Mega-Church, the Harder They Fall

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 30, 2022Satires about evangelism, Honk for Jesus: Save Your Soul, Adamma Ebo, Jordan Peele, Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown), Prosperity gospel, Conphidance, Religious scandalsComment

The Good Boss: Smart Workplace Satire Soars on Javier Bardem

The Good Boss: Smart Workplace Satire Soars on Javier Bardem

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 24, 2022Spanish language, Spanish Films, The Good Boss, Fernando León de Aranoa, Javier Bardem, Manolo Solo, Almudena Amor, Satire, Toxic workplaces, Comedy, DramaComment

Three Thousand Years of Longing: Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton Make Magic in a Story About Storytelling

Three Thousand Years of Longing: Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton Make Magic in a Story About Storytelling

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 24, 2022Stories about storytelling, Stories about genies, Three Thousand Years of Longing, George Miller, Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, The Queen of ShebaComment

The Territory: Documentary Chronicles Sadly Familiar Fight for Nature in the Amazon

The Territory: Documentary Chronicles Sadly Familiar Fight for Nature in the Amazon

By Kim Hughes

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 19, 2022The Territory, Documentary, National Geographic, Brazil, Amazon rainforest, indigenous filmsComment

Beast: Hey, If a Shark Can Take Things Personally, Why Not A Lion?

Beast: Hey, If a Shark Can Take Things Personally, Why Not A Lion?

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 18, 2022Man-eating lions, Beast, Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Jeffries, Baltasar Kormákur, When animals attackComment

The Legend of Molly Johnson: Mama's Got a Shotgun and a Double-Barrelled Message

The Legend of Molly Johnson: Mama's Got a Shotgun and a Double-Barrelled Message

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 17, 2022Australian Westerns, The Drover’s Wife, Henry Lawson, he Legend of Molly Johnson, Leah Purcell, The Snowy Mountains, Rob CollinsComment

Orphan: First Kill - This Horror Prequel is NOT What Little Girls Are Made Of

Orphan: First Kill - This Horror Prequel is NOT What Little Girls Are Made Of

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 17, 2022Orphan: First Kill, Onscreen de-aging, Isabelle Fuhrman, Rossif Sutherland, Julia Stiles, Horror prequels, William Brent Bell, Jaume Collet-Serra Comments

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Marvel Finds its Funny Bone, and She's 6'7" and Gamma Green

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Marvel Finds its Funny Bone, and She's 6'7" and Gamma Green

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 16, 2022She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Marvel series that spoof the genre, Stan Lee, John Buscema, Jessica Gao, John Byrne, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Wong Comment

Locke & Key: When the Comic Reader’s Perspective is Dismissed

Locke & Key: When the Comic Reader’s Perspective is Dismissed

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 15, 2022Locke & Key, Comic Book adaptation, Joe Hill, Netflix, Connor Jessup, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Sci-fi horrorComment

Five Days at Memorial: A Lethal Shelter From The Storm

Five Days at Memorial: A Lethal Shelter From The Storm

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 13, 2022Five Days at Memorial, Hurricane Katrina, Sheri Fink, adaptation, Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones, AppleTV+Comment

Emily the Criminal: Smart Indie Actioner a Showcase for Aubrey Plaza

Emily the Criminal: Smart Indie Actioner a Showcase for Aubrey Plaza

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 11, 2022Emily The Criminal, John Patton Ford, Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Thriller, indie, Los Angeles, Petty crimeComment

Fall: White-Knuckle Thriller at Once Silly and Kind of Beguiling

Fall: White-Knuckle Thriller at Once Silly and Kind of Beguiling

By Kim Hughes

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 11, 2022Thriller, Mountain climbing, Fall, Scott Mann, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Virginia Gardner, Grace Caroline CurreyComment

Girl Picture: Love, Skating and Smoothies, Finnish-Style

Girl Picture: Love, Skating and Smoothies, Finnish-Style

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 10, 2022Finland, Young adult, Girl Picture, Alli Haapasalo, Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen, Linnea Leino, Ilona Ahti, Daniel HakulinenComment

Costa Brava, Lebanon: Garbage Comes to Eden

Costa Brava, Lebanon: Garbage Comes to Eden

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 10, 2022Costa Brava, Lebanon, Drama, TIFF 2021, Mounia Akl, Nadine Labak, Saleh Bakri, Liliane Chacar KhouryComment

Bodies Bodies Bodies: Gen Z Murder Mystery a Knock-out Addition to the Canon

Bodies Bodies Bodies: Gen Z Murder Mystery a Knock-out Addition to the Canon

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 9, 2022Murder mystery, Drama, Gen Z, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Halina Reijn, Sarah DeLappe, Kristen Roupenian, Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Pete Davidson, Chase Sui Wonders, Myha’la Herrold, Rachel Sennott Comment

We Are Living Things: UFO Drama a Metaphor (Maybe?) for Aliens in America’s Backyard

We Are Living Things: UFO Drama a Metaphor (Maybe?) for Aliens in America’s Backyard

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 9, 2022UFOs, Aliens, Immigrant experience, We Are Living Things, Antonio Tibaldi, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Xingcheng Lyu, Zao Wang, O-Lan Jones, Paul CooperComment

The Sandman: Neil Gaiman's Magnum Opus May Be the Most Faithful Comic Adaptation Ever

The Sandman: Neil Gaiman's Magnum Opus May Be the Most Faithful Comic Adaptation Ever

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 5, 2022The Sandman, Neil Gaiman, Tom Sturridge, The Endless, Netflix, TV series based on graphic novels, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Charles Dance, Gwendoline Christie, Patton Oswalt, Mark Hamill, Vivienne Acheampong, Mason Alexander Park Comment