Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

What If …? Season 3: Marvel's Ongoing Punk of its Canon Revives Howard the Duck and More

What If …? Season 3: Marvel's Ongoing Punk of its Canon Revives Howard the Duck and More

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 22, 2024The Marvel Multiverse, What If …?, Alternative Marvel storylines, The Watcher, Jeffrey Wright, Kathryn Hahn, Kumail Nanjiani, Sebastian Stan, Howard the Duck, Samuel L. JacksonComment

Babygirl: Discretion is the Better Part of Adultery

Babygirl: Discretion is the Better Part of Adultery

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 19, 2024Films about adultery, Babygirl, Nicole Kidman, Toronto International Film Festival, Antonio Banderas, Harris Dickinson, Fatal Attraction, Director Halina ReijnComment

Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Franchise Takes One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Franchise Takes One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 19, 2024Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sequel, Children, video game movies, Jeff Fowler, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Ben Schwartz, AnimationComment

The End: A Post-Apocalyptic Drama Wrapped in A Musical

The End: A Post-Apocalyptic Drama Wrapped in A Musical

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 13, 2024The End, TIFF 24, Joshua Oppenheimer, Michael Shannon, Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, post-apocalypse, Musical, DramaComment

Queer: Daniel Craig Continues his Stellar Post-Bond Work

Queer: Daniel Craig Continues his Stellar Post-Bond Work

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 12, 2024Queer, Luca Guadagnino, TIFF 24, Drew Starkey, Daniel Craig, Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, William S Burroughs, Adaptation, 1950s, GayComment

Oh, Canada: Richard Gere Stars as A Filmmaker On His Deathbed, Re-Editing His Past

Oh, Canada: Richard Gere Stars as A Filmmaker On His Deathbed, Re-Editing His Past

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 12, 2024Oh, Canada, Paul Schrader, Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Jacob Elordi, Michael Imperioli, Russell Banks, Adaptation, Cannes, TIFF 24, Drama, End of life issuesComment

Kraven the Hunter: Not the Villain We Expected, Hoped For… or Even Needed

Kraven the Hunter: Not the Villain We Expected, Hoped For… or Even Needed

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 12, 2024Kraven the Hunter, J.C. Chandor, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Marvel superhero films, Comics, Adaptation, Spider-Man, Spider-Man nemeses Comments

Lord of the Rings War of the Rohirrim: The Real Heroes Always Rode Horses

Lord of the Rings War of the Rohirrim: The Real Heroes Always Rode Horses

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 10, 2024Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Anime, Kenji Kamiyama, Peter Jackson, JRR Tolkien, Gaia Wise, Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Shaun Dooley, Luke Pasqualino, Fantasy, Anima, Sc-fiComment

Porcelain War: The Transformative Power of Art… and Bullets

Porcelain War: The Transformative Power of Art… and Bullets

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 6, 2024Porcelain War, Documentary, Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, Andrey Sefanov, Ukraine, WarComment

Werewolves: There Wolves! And There! Oh, and Another Over There!

Werewolves: There Wolves! And There! Oh, and Another Over There!

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 6, 2024Werewolf movies, Busy, indiscriminate actors, Frank Grillo, Werewolves, Director Steven C. Miller, Ilfenesh Hadera, Katrina Law, SupermoonComment

The G: Gripping Social Thriller Says You're Never Too Old to Fight Back

The G: Gripping Social Thriller Says You're Never Too Old to Fight Back

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 5, 2024Exploitation of seniors, Revenge thrillers, The G, Roc Lafortune, Romane Denis, Director Karl R. Hearne, Women reclaiming their agencyComment

The Return: Fiennes and Binoche Reunite in an Ancient Tale with Modern Resonance

The Return: Fiennes and Binoche Reunite in an Ancient Tale with Modern Resonance 

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 5, 2024The Return, Uberto Pasolini, Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer, TIFF 24, Greek mythology, Odysseus, Drama, Historical film, Ancient times, Ancient GreeceComment

Your Tomorrow: A Reminder of The Fragility of Forever

Your Tomorrow: A Reminder of The Fragility of Forever

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 5, 2024Your Tomorrow, Ali Weinstein, Documentary, TIFF 24, Toronto in the movies, Toronto films, Ontario PlaceComment

The Girl With The Needle: Post-WWI Drama Lays Bare The Precarious Lives of Women

The Girl With The Needle: Post-WWI Drama Lays Bare The Precarious Lives of Women

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 4, 2024The Girl with The Needle, TIFF 24, Magnus von Horn, Line Langebek Knudsen, Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm, Besir Zeciri, Joachim Fjelstrup, Danish, Drama, WWI, Black and white, Women's issues, Women in peril, Women's livesComment

Y2K: Sorry To Party Poop Like It’s 1999, But Y2K Ain’t Lit

Y2K: Sorry To Party Poop Like It’s 1999, But Y2K Ain’t Lit

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 4, 2024Y2K, Kyle Mooney, Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Comedy-horror, Comedy, Horror, End of the world storiesComment

La Cocina: Whirlwind Resto Drama with Exploited Illegals in a Times Square Hell's Kitchen

La Cocina: Whirlwind Resto Drama with Exploited Illegals in a Times Square Hell's Kitchen

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 4, 2024Movies about restaurants, Movies about illegal workers, La Cocina (The KitchenLa Cocina (The Kitchen), Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios, Anna Díaz, Playwright Arnold Wesker, Rooney Mara, Raúl BrionesComment

Drive Back Home: Goin’ Down the Road in Reverse Meets Green Book

Drive Back Home: Goin’ Down the Road in Reverse Meets Green Book

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 3, 2024Drive Back Home, Michael Clowater, Alan Cumming, Charlie Creed-Miles, Claire Coulter, Guy Sprung, Canadian director, Canadian, Drama, Comedy, 1970s, Hayden Desser, Themes of homosexualityComment

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew - For Kids, But Take a Break From Adulting and It May Be For You

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew - For Kids, But Take a Break From Adulting and It May Be For You

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 3, 2024Star Wars TV franchises, Sci-fi for younger audiences, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Jude Law, Robert Timothy Smith, Kiriana Kratter, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Wannabe Jedi KnightsComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Alan Cumming on the Canuck Trauma-Drama Drive Back Home

Original-Cin Q&A: Alan Cumming on the Canuck Trauma-Drama Drive Back Home

By Bonnie Laufer

Jim SlotekDecember 2, 2024U.K. actors in Canadian movies, Alan Cumming, Drive Back Home, Director Mike Clowater, Charlie Creed-Miles, Road trip movies, Dysfunctional families, The Traitors, Reality TVComment

Ernest Cole Lost and Found: Remembering a Forgotten Photographer of Apartheid

Ernest Cole Lost and Found: Remembering a Forgotten Photographer of Apartheid

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekDecember 2, 2024Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, Raoul Peck, Lakeith Stanfield, Documentary, TIFF 24, South Africa, United States, PhotographyComment