Is YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING a Real Documentary? Yes. (Spoilers at the end)
You Can See Everything is as honest a representation—of a con artist—as anyone could expect, even with the dramatic license used. That’s the thing about criminals: you’re never going to get the straight story from them. And the idea that you ever will is delusional.
Is VERITY Good? From Commercial Fiction Thriller Novel to Mid Film Adaptation, Ending Explained
I should disclaim: I was always destined to dislike Verity. Plenty of people love the novel, and it seemed like a lot of people in the theater enjoyed director Michael Showalter’s film adaptation. I didn’t like either one, despite significant ways the film is different from the book, but I never really believed that I would like either of them. I have several reasons for my distaste.
What is the Point of PRIMETIME? (the film by Lance Oppenheim)
I thought I was seated here today to hear something new about Chris Hansen, NBC’s Dateline, or To Catch a Predator, to come away with a fresh reflection at least. Primetime is an excellent dramatization… with no clear takeaway.
Best Part about THE END OF OAK STREET? The Time Travel… to 1982. Thank you, Production Design Team!
The best part of The End of Oak Street is the time travel. Not the plot-point, prehistoric time travel. I’m talking about walking through suburban 1982. Because the production design team, art designer, and set designer understood the assignment and aced it.
If you love Anthony Bourdain’s books, then you’ll love TONY, the new biopic movie origin story
Postmortem biopics typically romanticize the subject. This movie does not do that—which is smart, because anyone who’s read his work knows that Anthony Bourdain would have probably hated that revisionism.
The 8 Best Kills on THE SOPRANOS... and Why They Sting
These eight murders on THE SOPRANOS are real stingers because…
visceral emotion is elicited
they comment on a current event or social issue
they challenge both sides of the issue without insulting or boring the audience.
Is Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY Movie Really That Good? Yes, Explained
Retelling the story of THE ODYSSEY for a new audience is the nature of this beast.
THE INVITE Movie: The Apartment Tour Explains the Ending / Everything
The Invite movie depicts the nuance of one flailing romantic relationship by extending the metaphor of a recently renovated and combined apartment. I love it when the form imitates the content, and The Invite really delivers.
Legendary Folk Horror Retribution in THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD Movie (Explained)
I love a folk hero deconstructed, especially in a prestige period drama. I also love hot grizzled old dudes fighting dirty. I love awesome costume, set, and sound design. And, above all this, I love folk horror. But be warned: like the movie poster states, Robin Hood was no hero. He was a murderous brigand.
DISCLOSURE DAY’s Aliens Aren’t as Chill as They Seem. Premise, Explained.
My main questions when I wondered whether to see Disclosure Day:
What is Disclosure Day trying to say about aliens?
How alien-forward is this gonna be?
Will I be too terrified to sleep after this?
What Is Boots Riley’s Film, I LOVE BOOSTERS about? Costume design articulates the ethics of creativity and AI. Let me explain.
The costumes are the most important point of Boots Riley’s movie I Love Boosters because the form doesn’t just imitate the content here: the form is the content. Right down to the ending. Let me explain.
Okay, I’ll try to explain what the “One Wish Willow” is based on in OBSESSION Movie’s Plot
If you’re interested in the concept of the One Wish Willow, it’s not just a one-off novelty gift from a New Age crystal shop. The concept of granting one wish with invariably miserable consequences goes back millennia. Here are some of those tales, explained.
Should I See IS GOD IS? Is It Demonic? How Does the Movie Represent Black Women? All This, and the Ending, Explained.
There are three main questions I’m seeing about Aleshea Harris’ film Is God Is:
1. Is this movie demonic?
2. Does it depict Black people fairly?
3. Should I go see it?
Naturally, the answers are nuanced, but I’ll give you my candid answers as best I can.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2: What Happened to Nigel (Explained)
My biggest hope for The Devil Wears Prada 2 sequel was for Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci) to have already gotten his come-up after the Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) betrayal of the first film….
MOTHER MARY Lacks Plot, but It Does Have a Magical Negro Trope and Divine / Controversial Costumes
I’m MOTHER MARY’s target demographic, the Gothic lover infatuated with high fashion and art history, and yet the only part of this film I adored was the divine costumes, which are shown in such rapid succession that I couldn’t even appreciate them.
Okay, I’ll try to Explain OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’s Ending
The film’s synopsis makes Jorma Taconne’s Over Your Dead Body sound as if it will be a thriller/comedy, but this movie goes into slasher territory.
How I Know WIDOW’S BAY Series does Right by Horror Comedy Fans, based on the Pilot Episode’s Plot
Widow’s Bay island is forty miles off New England. It’s quaint and beautiful, but its industry is dwindling. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) tries to revive the economy by pitching Widow’s Bay as a perfect tourist destination. The locals are against it—but not for the reason you’d expect.
The Nature of the Brotherly Relationships in Richard Gadd’s New Series HALF MAN, Explained
If you’ve seen the trailer for Richard Gadd’s new Half Man series, you might be wondering: are they in a relationship? Or are they brothers? That is the question, and the answer is not simple.
Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory: Why is Mike Teavee bad?
Charlie Bucket shouldn’t have inherited Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. The clear successor, by both Wonka’s measure and mine, was Mike Teavee. So why was Mike Teavee bad? And why did Charlie win the chocolate factory?
THE DRAMA: This Film Is Not a Comedy. This Movie Is a Controversial Drama about Your Darkest Secret.
Despite what the marketing for this movie sells us, Kristoffer Borgli’s new film The Drama is not a comedy. The film is about owning up to what you did to the people who matter, atoning for it, and doing better. Also, secondary thesis: a normal wedding is drama enough without any suddenly-revealed dark secrets causing rifts.