1st Reviews

  With his third feature film, Brady Corbet has achieved what many filmmakers spend their entire career chasing. The Brutalist is a towering film, both intimate and monumental in scope. This is the next great American epic, carving its place in cinema history as one of the best films of the decade.  I refuse to believe this is the work of a director with only two other films under his belt. This feels like the magnum opus of a storyteller decades into their career. It’s a sprawling portrait of the twisted American Dream and the brutal immigrant experience. Its grandeur is something not often captured in modern cinema, but it rarely, if ever loses sight of the beautiful character study at its core. It’s three and a half hour runtime (complete with a perfectly placed intermission) is daunting, but I urge you to experience it in theatres if you’re able to.  The plot leading up to the intermission moves slowly, but it’s paced perfectly for the story being told. The world buil...

  Technology has drastically changed in the past decade. Humans have pushed the boundaries of technology to a point where it has become harmful. With the increase of AI, humans have become more dependent on a quicker way to live. No one wants to work for something and be fulfilled after achieving a goal.   Sadly, this even applies to relationships. Today’s generation thinks they can try and check all the boxes in their perfect significant other, but it doesn’t work that way. You’re dating to fail if you believe that. Relationships require work, whether platonic or romantic.  In Drew Hancock’s  Companion,  he explores the nature of toxic relationships and how humans abuse technology to fit their narrative. Josh (Jack Quaid) and Iris (Sophie Thatcher) seem like the perfect couple. However, Hancock reveals the fate of their relationship at the beginning. Hancock chose to have the audience in the know at all times, yet the minor twists and kills were still unpredict...

  Like a wedding reception without hors d’oevres or an open bar, You’re Cordially Invited provides a decent time, but could’ve been so much better. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon spark a worthy rivalry, even when the movie around them fails to consistently match their energy.  This premise is a lot of fun - a wedding venue on a small island getting double booked, leading to a heated rivalry between the father of one bride (Ferrell) and the sister of the other (Witherspoon). The first act is actually pretty strong, especially watching these two Hollywood icons throwing insults at each other as they attempt to navigate the mess they’re in. From there, however, the movie drags the premise out in ridiculous ways, where much of the conflict feels forced, or is totally ignored. For example, it’s established early on that there isn’t enough room for everyone to stay on the island, but apart from a few characters having to share a bathroom, it’s never really addressed.  Direc...

  Wolf Man  has some impressive shots and performances from brilliant actors Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner that feel serviceable, but feels like it’s doing the bare minimum in inventing and imagining a modern story based on the character. Leigh Whannell’s direction occasionally shines, but despite a few engaging moments, it feels rather standard and predictable, with a script that never really hits deep. Worst of all, the movie is too self-serious for its own good, as if Whannell forgot to have fun this time around, with a premise like a man turning into a wolf. It plays it too safe compared to what we’ve come to expect from the filmmaker, and even fans of the horror genre have seen this too many times before. 2.5/5 Review by: Gal Balaban

  Netflix kicked off its 2024 streaming lineup last January with Lift - a soulless Mission: Impossible wannabe that ended up being the platform’s worst movie of the entire year. Here we are, a year later with their newest original, Back in Action. While certainly a cut above Lift, this also marks a rough start to their annual release calendar. This action comedy stars Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, who play retired spies living in suburbia with their family. When a former colleague appears on their doorstep with a warning, they must uproot their lives and leave the country to try and clear their names. We’ve seen this cookie-cutter framework countless times before, but it’s a formula that makes for easily digestible viewing. I didn’t hate my time spent with this movie, even with all its glaring flaws (there are so, so many). Netflix has this algorithm down to a science, because despite a track record of lacklustre quality with projects like this, it’ll bring in the viewership they wa...

  Easily one of the biggest surprises at the Golden Globes, was Flow winning Best Animated Picture. This indie darling was the underdog (or perhaps undercat would be more fitting) in its category, so beating juggernauts like Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot was a crowning achievement that few could’ve predicted. Now that I’ve seen the movie myself, I can whole heartedly say it deserves the win.  When it comes to animated movies, there’s often this temptation to go over-the-top, filling every frame with hyperactive action to keep younger viewers entertained. Flow resists that urge. It’s calm, measured, and has moments of stillness that allow for reflection, never trying too hard to grab your attention. This isn’t a movie where the characters are constantly spitting out one-liners (or any dialogue at all) or leaping into high energy action sequences to keep the pace up. Instead, it’s a more thoughtful, immersive experience.  The film tells a minimalist yet emotionally impact...

  Out of all the reimaginings of the tale as old as time that is Dracula, none have been quite as chilling and outright transfixing as Robert Eggers’  Nosferatu . Eggers captures beautiful simplicity yet utter darkness in the film’s breathtaking imagery, as well as deeply terrifying sequences of gothic horror. From the jaw-dropping opening scene, the film captures its audience in a sense of heart-stopping fear that never ends until long after the credits roll. Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography wonderfully uses imbalanced lighting, gloomy color schemes, and silhouettes to create something that looks timeless. Every shot evokes a feeling of an ancient evil’s presence that’s about to be awoken and get ahold of what we’re looking at, which is exactly what happens with Count Orlok. Bill Skarsgard is unrecognizable under stunning makeup and changes his voice to create a towering and skin-crawling vampire, whose face we wisely don’t see in close-ups until much later on. Lily-Rose Depp ...

  Nosferatu finds director Robert Eggers in complete creative command of his craft. This stunning  gothic nightmare brings Bram Stoker’s Dracula soaring into the new cinematic age, further cementing Eggers as a master of modern horror.  This film instantly feels more accessible than Eggers’ past horror efforts, but he’s able to keep his distinct voice echoing throughout it entirely. Those familiar with the original, or any of the countless Dracula adaptations over the past century, will find plenty of familiarity. This retelling is anything but a pale rehash of a well worn story, though. Eggers takes the narrative framework and established lore, and shapes it into something that doesn’t compromise on his singular vision. He also doesn’t isolate those unfamiliar with this age old vampiric fable, bringing his version to the screen with enough accessibility to entrance casual audiences too.  When I say this film feels nightmarish, I really do mean it. Much of this adapt...

  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch Peacock’s newest show: The Day of the Jackal. This globe trotting thriller feels like a mix of Bond and Mission: Impossible, but with a unique shifting perspective between protagonist and antagonist.  Eddie Redmayne stars as The Jackal - a cold, calculating assassin whose unparalleled skill with a sniper rifle puts him on MI6’s radar. While he could’ve easily been portrayed as a typical, emotionless villain, Redmayne’s nuanced performance ensures that the character isn’t simply a one-dimensional hitman. The Jackal is a man with his own code, showing hints of vulnerability, emotional depth and occasional compassion, which makes him more human than expected. You might catch yourself rooting for him at times, which is a testament to the show’s ability to blur the line between hero and villain. On the flip side, Lashana Lynch’s MI6 agent brings a fierce intensity to the role of the pursuer. Her character, while similarly ...