Tag: Social Commentary

Joker: Folie à Deux’s Meta Commentary Boring Rather Than Poignant

Joker was a controversial hit in 2019, using the iconic comic book villain as a conduit to explore real world, grounded themes in a gritty, Scorsese like world. Director Todd Phillips defied the odds and created a billion…

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Megalopolis Is…a Bizarre Swan Song for a Cinematic Legend

Francis Ford Coppola bet a lot on his newest release in theaters. The director of multiple legendary films that stand as the best ever produced sold part of his stake in his winery empire to self fund the…

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Strange Darling Subverts Expectations in Entertaining, Enlightening Fashion

Every year, an indie darling emerges in the film scene to near universal acclaim and hype among cinephiles. For 2024, an indie horror thriller seems to have taken the title. Strange Darling is set in the Pacific Northwest…

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Blink Twice Has Interesting Visuals, Less Interesting Story

Actress Zoe Kravitz makes her directorial debut with a new thriller in theaters. Blink Twice introduces us to cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) who has a massive crush on tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum). King holds a…

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Maxxxine and the Fame Monster

Writer/director Ti West and actress Mia Goth captured lightning in a bottle with the release of instant cult favorite horror film X in 2022. Following a prequel film entitled Pearl released that same year, the final entry in…

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The Bikeriders Feels Like a Missed Opportunity

The Bikeriders has been building up buzz since last year, mostly based around the reported performance of Austin Butler coming off the heels of his Oscar nominated turn in 2022’s Elvis. Now, the film finally hits theaters. The…

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I Saw The TV Glow Too Opaque, Niche For Its Own Good

I Saw The TV Glow introduces us to young teen named Owen (Justice Smith) who is shy and timid, living a typical suburban life with his mom Brenda (Danielle Deadwyler) and strict father Frank (Fred Durst). When accompanying…

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Continues The Legacy, Quality of The Franchise

The Planet of the Apes is a beloved sci-fi franchise that was rebooted and reinvigorated beginning in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes and culminating with 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes after…

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Civil War Is The Best Anti-War Film In Ages and a Stark Warning of The Monsters Conflict Creates

Much has been made about the release of writer/director Alex Garland’s latest film Civil War. Its appropriateness in these challenging times, what it may say about one side of the political aisle or the other and, now that…

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Shirley Documents The Audacity of Self Belief

Forty-four years before Hillary Clinton’s historic run for President, one Congresswoman had the audacity to try her hand at the biggest political office on the planet. Shirley documents the historic 1972 Presidential campaign of black U.S. congresswoman Shirley…

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