NEW LIFE offers a thrilling ride for its two women leads
by Melissa Strong, Staff Writer
Described as a horror thriller, this movie incorporates mystery, suspense, chase, apocalyptic themes, and social commentary to enrich the results.
HOLLYWOOD PRIDE highlights LGBTQ+ filmmakers that were not only forgotten but erased
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
Within the pages of “Hollywood Pride” author and film critic Alonso Duralde recognizes Tinseltown players dating back to 1894 that have helped us get to the point we are today in terms of LGBTQ+ depiction.
BACKSPOT takes a serious look at cheerleading as a sport
by Megan Bailey, Staff Writer
Backspot shows that giving your all—especially to an unforgiving sport—isn’t always as rewarding as it seems.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE offers a new twist with plenty of kills
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
With his feature debut, Nash reinvents the typical slasher story by giving the audience a different perspective.
PANDEMONIUM feels like a grab bag horror anthology
by Alex Rudolph, Staff Writer
I think the film's three segments are each well made, but any overarching narrative feels created after the fact.
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA is absolutely thrilling
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I gave a damn about this. Blockbusters are not typically my cup of tea, but in this case I can’t stress it enough: see Furiosa on the biggest screen possible with sound so loud that it rattles your bones.
Read MoreBACK TO BLACK is a standard biopic with amazing performances
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
Back to Black left me with questions. It shows Winehouse’s issues with addiction, depression, and desire to perform as a singer. What I feel it leaves out is empathy.
Read MoreCOMA looks to face an uncertain future
by Jo Rempel, Staff Writer
In Coma, director Bertrand Bonello has managed to capture the information age’s endemic paralysis: the overwhelming options leading to deadlock.
NIGHTWATCH: DEMONS ARE FOREVER is stuck in the past
by Joe Carlough, Staff Writer
If you’re into gruesome thrillers, the original film is worth a revival, but, if I were you, I’d leave the sequel locked in the morgue.
I SAW THE TV GLOW connects us all through our own dissonances
by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer
The themes of I Saw the Tv Glow feel equally personal and universal. And if your formative years were the early 2000s there is even more of a chance that this will resonate.
Chicago Critics Film Festival: DANDELION, WHAT YOU WISH FOR, GASOLINE RAINBOW, GOOD ONE
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
The Chicago Critics Film Festival ended as of last night and had a delightful and varied lineup of films. Here are some that will be worth looking out for when they release more broadly.
THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY is an impressive feature debut
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
This film is a breath of fresh air amongst the suffocation caused by Hollywood superhero worlds, universe building, remakes, and rehashes.
Read MoreEVIL DOES NOT EXIST pulls back from language for a change in perspective
by Jo Rempel, Staff Writer
Evil Does Not Exist does not seek to mend the divide between humans and nature. Even if false, the divide is maintained by our actions and trickles down into our words.
FORCE OF NATURE: THE DRY 2 offers little more than nice looking locations
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Force of Nature: The Dry 2 proves more is less.
Chicago Critics Film Festival: SING SING, CUCKOO, ME, I SAW THE TV GLOW
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
The Chicago Critics Film Festival is currently underway, with multiple films scheduled each day through Thursday, May 9. There are plenty of intriguing films still to come, so check out the lineup. I wanted to share some short takes on what I have seen so far!
THE IDEA OF YOU reminds us that Anne Hathaway absolutely has it
by Emily Maesar, Associate Editor, TVJawn
The Idea of You is a really fun and sweet film that should make any rom-com lover happy.
STRESS POSITIONS looks at surviving the mundanity of isolation
by Jo Rempel, Staff Writer
In Stress Positions, beauty is a way of questioning the world. The world in this particular case is the mid-pandemic reality, one of the ultra-mundane.
If nothing else, THE FALL GUY is loaded with charm
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
I want to see Gosling and Blunt team again because, even in a lackluster production, these two are a reminder that the idea of a Hollywood star is not dead.
BOY KILLS WORLD gets a little too goofy but always kicks ass
by Alex Rudolph, Staff Writer
The main problem with Boy Kills World is that we no longer live in a world where studios crank out a half-dozen movies like it every month.
HUMANE shows a glimpse of a horrific future
by Tina Kakadelis, Staff Writer
Humane marks the feature directorial debut of Caitlin Cronenberg who, like the rest of her family, weaves a tangled, chilling, family-drama thriller