Chris McCoy
Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:
Chris McCoy is the Film/TV Editor for The Memphis Flyer. He has been writing about film and television professionally since 2001, and also writes travel, science, profiles and general interest articles on a freelance basis. Along with his wife, Laura Jean Hocking, he is the co-owner of the film and video production company Oddly Buoyant Productions. He has directed three feature films, including the award-winning Memphis punk rock documentary Antenna, as well as numerous short films and music videos.
Favorites:
Mad Max: Fury Road Moonlight Us Out Of The Past Faces, Places Close Encounters of the Third Kind Star Wars: The Last Jedi Treasure of the Sierra Madre Man With A Movie Camera The General This Is What Love In Action Looks Like Dolemite Is My Name
TRON: Ares (2025)
53%
EDIT
“The Nine Inch Nails score is brilliant. The rest, not so much.” –
Memphis Flyer
Dec 19, 2025
Full Review
Frankenstein (2025)
85%
EDIT
“Frankenstein is del Toro at the height of his filmmaking powers.” –
Memphis Flyer
Dec 19, 2025
Full Review
Bugonia (2025)
88%
EDIT
“Bugonia is essentially a two-hander between Stone and Plemons, who are both at the top of their game.” –
Memphis Flyer
Dec 19, 2025
Full Review
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
92%
EDIT
“O’Connor steals the show as the tortured true believer who is enraged by the hypocrisy he sees in the institution he takes so seriously.” –
Memphis Flyer
Dec 19, 2025
Full Review
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
66%
EDIT
“Avatar: Fire and Ash plays like a Pandoran hangout movie.” –
Memphis Flyer
Dec 19, 2025
Full Review
The Smashing Machine (2025)
70%
EDIT
“Emotionally stunted and repetitive to the point of tedium, The Smashing Machine never manages to get out of first gear.” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 14, 2025
Full Review
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
86%
EDIT
“But the biggest problem with the MCU is that it has become a conveyor belt of mediocrity. How many times have I written the same review, with different names? “It’s not terrible, just uninspiring and unnecessary.”” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
The Naked Gun (2025)
87%
EDIT
“Yeah, this film is not subtle. If you can’t handle the punny heat, stay out of the Police Squad! kitchen. Or something like that.” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley (2025)
98%
EDIT
“It’s a thoughtful and deeply emotional film about a character who never quite fit in in life, and whose death was yet another Memphis tragedy. ” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
Weapons (2025)
93%
EDIT
“Cregger leads us down each story path in turn, revealing much about how his characters’ inner lives and responses to trauma inform their actions while also dropping details which slowly reveal the bigger picture.” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
Highest 2 Lowest (2025)
83%
EDIT
“Highest 2 Lowest should be a triumphant victory lap for the most potent actor/director combo since Kurosawa and Mfune. Instead, the kidnapping drama plays out like a phoned-in cash grab. ” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025)
65%
EDIT
“This Is Spinal Tap was lightning in a bottle, so it’s no surprise that the legacy act version lacks a certain je ne sais quoi. The sequel is fun for fans, but if you’re new to Tap, do yourself a favor and go watch the original. It goes to 11.” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
92%
EDIT
“The number-one priority is fun — which also explains the worldwide appeal of KPop itself.” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
One Battle After Another (2025)
94%
EDIT
“America is One Battle After Another. ” –
Memphis Flyer
Oct 1, 2025
Full Review
28 Years Later (2025)
88%
EDIT
“As George Romero taught us, the real villains are always the humans” –
Memphis Flyer
Jul 25, 2025
Full Review
Superman (2025)
83%
EDIT
“To paraphrase LBJ, doing the right thing is easy — the hard part is figuring out the right thing to do. And that is how you write a good Superman movie. ” –
Memphis Flyer
Jul 25, 2025
Full Review
Eddington (2025)
68%
EDIT
“ There’s a little bit of Robert Altman’s Nashville in the way Aster introduces a sprawling cast and quickly gives them motivations and flaws which set them on collision courses with both reality and each other.” –
Memphis Flyer
Jul 25, 2025
Full Review
Materialists (2025)
77%
EDIT
“With a better lead, Materialists might have had a chance to make a statement about late capitalist love. But with Johnson droning on for an excruciating 117 minutes, it’s a slowly sinking ship. At least Titanic was romantic.” –
Memphis Flyer
Jun 18, 2025
Full Review
The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
77%
EDIT
“With a fantastic look and a screenplay that keeps the action moving, The Phoenician Scheme is a return to form for one of the 21st century’s best directors.” –
Memphis Flyer
Jun 12, 2025
Full Review
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
48%
EDIT
“The real star of the show, and the only thing that makes A Minecraft Movie something other than an wildly successful corporate branding exercise, is Jack Black as Steve, one of the skins players can choose to represent themselves on the map.” –
Memphis Flyer
May 9, 2025
Full Review
Sinners (2025)
97%
EDIT
“Sinners is one of our great filmmakers exploring the outer limits of his gifts. Let Coogler cook. ” –
Memphis Flyer
May 9, 2025
Full Review
One to One: John & Yoko (2024)
90%
EDIT
“A couple’s therapist would have a field day with the picture of John and Yoko’s relationship Macdonald draws.” –
Memphis Flyer
May 9, 2025
Full Review
Thunderbolts* (2025)
88%
EDIT
“Before we begin, I want to get one thing straight: I hate Bucky Barnes. ” –
Memphis Flyer
May 9, 2025
Full Review
The Monkey (2025)
77%
EDIT
“Perkins is letting his freak flag fly in The Monkey, and it pays off big time.” –
Memphis Flyer
Mar 27, 2025
Full Review
Soundtrack to a Coup d'État (2024)
97%
EDIT
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat’s stylish use of memoirs by people who were there, as well as copious archival footage, seeks to tame the sprawling Congo Crisis.” –
Memphis Flyer
Mar 27, 2025
Full Review
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