Jesse Hassenger

11/23/21

Close out the year in movies with <i>Spider-Man</i>, <i>The Matrix</i>, and a slew of Oscar hopefuls

Close out the year in movies with Spider-Man, The Matrix, and a slew of Oscar hopefuls

Plus: West Side Story, The King’s Man, Nightmare Alley, and more in our December movie preview

11/16/21

Will Smith knows best as the father of Venus and Serena in <i>King Richard</i>

Will Smith knows best as the father of Venus and Serena in King Richard

It's more interesting than the average sports biopic, but still plays perilously close to hagiography

11/16/21

No laughing matter: How 7 comedy giants fared during their dramatic turns

Here’s what happened when stars like Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, and Robin Williams turned to weightier material

11/7/21

<i>Clifford The Big Red Dog</i> gets smaller on his trip to the silver screen

Clifford The Big Red Dog gets smaller on his trip to the silver screen

Still, for pet-averse and/or apartment-dwelling parents, this might play more like a horror show

10/28/21

This November serves up Eternals, Ghostbusters, and Paul Thomas Anderson

Plus: Spencer, King Richard, and a new Resident Evil movie, all before Thanksgiving

10/22/21

Every Wes Anderson movie, ranked from worst to best

Where do Rushmore, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch land in the hierarchy of Wes Anderson?

10/9/21

<i>Ghostbusters: Afterlife</i> is a dispiriting nostalgia exercise

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a dispiriting nostalgia exercise

If you’ve always wanted a Ghostbusters with maximum reverence and minimum comedy, this one’s for you!

10/7/21

How Pierce Brosnan pushed James Bond forward—and paved the way for Daniel Craig

Brosnan may not have been as brutish or soulful, but his version of 007 seeded some much-needed doubt

10/4/21

<i>Lamb </i>is as much a strange domestic drama as an A24 horror movie

Lamb is as much a strange domestic drama as an A24 horror movie

Noomi Rapace is excellent in yet another genre-movie exploration of grief and parenthood

9/30/21

October gets spooky at the movies with Michael Myers, the Addams Family, and Venom

Plus: Dune, No Time To Die, The Many Saints Of Newark, and more

9/30/21

Venom returns in the faster, funnier, still underwhelming <i>Let There Be Carnage</i>

Venom returns in the faster, funnier, still underwhelming Let There Be Carnage

Tom Hardy gives his all to the Spider-Man antihero, but it doesn't add up to much

9/28/21

Goodbye to Beck Bennett, who quietly became one of <i>Saturday Night Live</i>’s best

Goodbye to Beck Bennett, who quietly became one of Saturday Night Live’s best

Bennett filled roles similar to classic SNL players like Phil Hartman and Will Ferrell.

9/9/21

The aspiring drag queen of <i>Everybody's Talking About Jamie </i>is an accidental throwback

The aspiring drag queen of Everybody's Talking About Jamie is an accidental throwback

This well-meaning musical has plenty of empowerment but not much depth

9/8/21

Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste turn to a life of coupon crimes in the mildly amusing <i>Queenpins</i>

Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste turn to a life of coupon crimes in the mildly amusing Queenpins

Ultimately, this watchable crime comedy falls between Bad Moms zaniness and Hustlers commentary

8/26/21

<i>Shang-Chi</i>, <i>Cry Macho</i>, and 20 more movies coming this September

Shang-Chi, Cry Macho, and 20 more movies coming this September

This month's other new films include Malignant, a new Cinderella, and Prisoners Of The Ghostland

8/24/21

James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan are stuck <i>Together </i>in another damn COVID movie

James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan are stuck Together in another damn COVID movie

Both stars excel at acting out feuding-couple material that might have played better on stage

8/19/21

Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, and slick direction elevate the assassin boilerplate of <i>The Protégé</i>

Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, and slick direction elevate the assassin boilerplate of The Protégé

It's a silly throwback of an action thriller outfitted in high-quality costume changes

8/16/21

Ethan Hawke and Jude Law brought human frailty to the polished sci-fi of <i>Gattaca</i>

Ethan Hawke and Jude Law brought human frailty to the polished sci-fi of Gattaca

Writer-director Andrew Niccol mixes sci-fi empathy with the stylish trappings of film noir

8/12/21

<i>Don’t Breathe 2 </i>goes full <i>T2</i>, turning a memorable monster into some kind of hero

Don’t Breathe 2 goes full T2, turning a memorable monster into some kind of hero

It’s less suspenseful than the well-wrought original, but true to that movie’s B-movie absurdity

8/9/21

The interminable <i>PAW Patrol</i> movie will make parents howl for release

The interminable PAW Patrol movie will make parents howl for release

As a feature film, the unsettling children's television phenomenon is well outside its jurisdiction

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