“The Bleeding Edge isn’t as laser-focused as [director Kirby] Dick’s most accomplished efforts, yet it’s certainly effective at bringing out the natural anger of its topic.”
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Souvenir — Review
Isabelle Huppert in a scene from Bavo Defurne’s Souvenir
“It’s a trifle, though not one without limited delights.”
Disobedience — Review
Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz in a scene from Sebastián Lelio’s Disobedience
“If you think this movie is lacking in feeling, you’re not watching closely enough.”
Every Day — Review
Angourie Rice and Owen Teague in a scene from Michael Sucsy’s Every Day
“Considering the limitless possibilities of its logline, Michael Sucsy’s Every Day stays disappointingly close to the safe and expected.”
Tau — Review
Maika Monroe and Ed Skrein in a scene from Federico D’Alessandro’s Tau
“There’s this creeping feeling that you’re watching the unrefined assembly of a killer sci-fi short.”
Mom and Dad — Review
Nicolas Cage in a scene from Brian Taylor’s Mom and Dad
“It tries to placate its audience with sporadic violent bursts while struggling to press forward.”
Thoroughbreds — Review
Olivia Cooke (background) and Anya Taylor-Joy (foreground) in a scene from Cory Finley’s Thoroughbreds
“Is it enough for a movie to be shallow because it’s ostensibly trying to make a point about its environment?”
The Wound — Review
Nakhane Touré in a scene from John Trengove’s The Wound
“[Director John] Trengove is at his most effective as a filmmaker when addressing the audience through subtextual lines.”
BLOG: What Makes the Kids Alright
I’m about to talk about two recent coming of age movies, and neither of them are Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. Though I do mention it a few times, it’s not the primary focus of this column, and the sole purpose of this image and caption is to remind you to watch Lady Bird if you have not already.
by Ken Bakely
I’ve recently caught up with two of 2018’s most discussed coming of age films – Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon and Vince Marcello’s The Kissing Booth – and, beyond the notion that the quality of the two films are intensely disparate, it provides a point of interest in the contemporary thematic and aesthetic expectations of movies about teenagers.
There’s a misconception that movies about, and made for, teenagers are a one-size-fits-all proposition. Looking at them from a more literal level, yes, they’re mostly set in high school, about tumultuous social relationships, and carry a gentle set of problems; depicting the low-stakes, high-tension rapid gossip spread through locker-clad hallways that anyone who’s graduated thanks God that they no longer have to deal with. And when Lady Bird, a classically molded coming of age movie which carries the format to such ecstatic heights that it rode its way to a Best Picture nomination, has caused such a splash in the film world, perhaps there’s a bit of subconscious attention directed to what this subgenre means.
Game Night — Review
Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman in a scene from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s Game Night
