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3/5
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Vertical Limit
(2000)
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Patrick Hicks
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Despite an avalanche worth of cliches, the over-the-top nitroglycerin-fueled action and a dramatic rescue attempt premise allow for a big, fun movie experience set on the gorgeous but dangerous snowy peaks of Pakistan.
Posted Jan 16, 2024
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2.5/5
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I.S.S.
(2023)
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Aaron White
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USA vs. Russia – never gets old. Astronaut scientists wrestle for control of the I.S.S. in this paranoid thriller that moves quickly, has strong VFX & features impressive camerawork, but lacks emotional connection & memorable moments to make it stand out.
Posted Jan 14, 2024
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2/5
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The Beekeeper
(2024)
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Aaron White
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Not even a constant flow of puns and occasional body part removal can save this overly silly and unspectacular action flick. THE BEEKEEPER is best enjoyed buzzed with your hive making fun of it MST3K style for any chance at amusement.
Posted Jan 11, 2024
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3.5/5
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Mean Girls
(2024)
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Aaron White
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This theatrical retelling of a familiar story is a worthy companion piece to the beloved original, bringing a new energy with its great musical numbers and vocal performances, a fresh take on body positivity, and welcome diverse school setting.
Posted Jan 10, 2024
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4.5/5
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The Iron Claw
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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Durkin’s melodramatic biopic balances emotion & fact in an impactful way. In-ring choreography feels authentic & respectful of pro wrestling while remaining entertaining, and both heartbreaking & enraging performances bring this tragic story to life.
Posted Jan 08, 2024
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4/5
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Cliffhanger
(1993)
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Patrick Hicks
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Big alpine action with megastar Sylvester Stallone taking on dual thieving villains in a treacherous mountain setting makes this a defining 90s movie thriller, full of quotable one-liners and memorable set pieces and kills.
Posted Jan 08, 2024
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2.5/5
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Night Swim
(2024)
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Aaron White
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A truly interesting supernatural mythology is wasted until after the film has bored you badly & jump scares are more silly than scary, but nostalgia for being in a swimming pool & the feeling of danger bodies of water can have are conveyed fairly well.
Posted Jan 04, 2024
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3.5/5
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Migration
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A surprisingly adorable, funny, family-centric, and affirming adventure story with vibrant animation. The story has meaningful family representation & less constant empty slapstick nonsense than the typical Illumination film, and is refreshingly welcome.
Posted Dec 20, 2023
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4.5/5
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The Color Purple
(2023)
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Aaron White
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An absolutely dazzling and emotionally stirring knockout. Its tremendous ensemble cast, dynamic direction, and musical numbers that soar make for a bold retelling perfect for introducing a new generation to this powerful coming-of-age tale.
Posted Dec 19, 2023
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3.5/5
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Maestro
(2023)
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Aaron White
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MAESTRO is a fascinating, gorgeously shot project, less about the genius artist than it is a playboy in a complicated marriage. Has only one standout musical number, which sadly left me wanting more.
Posted Dec 16, 2023
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2.5/5
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The Boys in the Boat
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A wonderful sporting achievement competently relayed by George Clooney with a disappointing lack of personality. There are moments of genuine inspiration, during boat races for example, but the much more heavily focused on character drama falls very flat.
Posted Dec 15, 2023
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4/5
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The Iron Claw
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Sean Durkin delivers a melodramatic sports biopic that flips the typical genre beats with this powerful, profound story of a family pushing for greatness at a terrible cost. Tremendous filmmaking & Efron's best performance yet fuel this very tragic tale.
Posted Dec 12, 2023
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3/5
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The Boy and the Heron
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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While ripe with stunning animation, a beautiful score, and pockets of creative and amusing fantasy elements, the story lacks cohesion and leaves you emotionally disconnected.
Posted Dec 11, 2023
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3.5/5
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Merry Little Batman
(2023)
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Aaron White
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You've never seen Damian Wayne this cute before! MERRY LITTLE BATMAN is a ridiculously fun holiday romp with classic rogues and Christmas references aplenty with a pitch-perfect Saturday morning cartoon tone. Great for Batman fans of all ages.
Posted Dec 07, 2023
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3/5
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Leave the World Behind
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A solid end-of-world mystery thriller with a strong sense of dread throughout that reflects on how we approach interpersonal relationships and rely on electronic info.
Posted Dec 06, 2023
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4/5
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Wonka
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Delightful and delicious. While Chalamet’s singing isn’t up to par, he still embodies the whimsical nature of the famous candy creator. There’s so much joy and hilarity in this prequel and it feels like a perfect companion piece to Gene Wilder’s original.
Posted Dec 04, 2023
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3/5
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Suzume
(2022)
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Patrick Hicks
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Stunning visuals, a strong exploration of national grief around natural disasters, and some enjoyable coming-of-age and road movie beats make this a fun, fantasy trip, but it's not quite cohesive enough to be special.
Posted Dec 04, 2023
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2.5/5
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American Fiction
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Way more drama than comedy, with satire that can be biting even if it is rendered less effective by coming too late. Underwhelming, but fine.
Posted Nov 30, 2023
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3/5
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Silent Night
(2023)
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Aaron White
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John Woo is back with a revenge film that features no dialogue & a surprisingly emotional story. The action is solid, though unspectacular, but the balance of melodrama & underdog ass-kicking combined with a fantastic score and sound design make it work.
Posted Nov 27, 2023
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2/5
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Saltburn
(2023)
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Aaron White
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At times deliciously campy & twisted, and at others painfully simplistic & melodramatic, the story plays out much how you’ll expect, with provocation after provocation attempting to distract from the obvious lack of substance. But hey, it looks gorgeous!
Posted Nov 22, 2023
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4/5
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Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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This sports biopic disguised as a video game adaptation incorporates many of the tropes we are familiar with, but still manages to succeed at pulling the right heart strings.
Posted Nov 20, 2023
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3/5
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Wish
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Disney’s delightful newest fairy tale pits a teenage girl & friendly wishing star against the controlling ruler of a utopian kingdom. It’s not quite as magical as their best stories, but instead finds its biggest strength in valuable social commentary.
Posted Nov 17, 2023
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3/5
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Napoleon
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Ridley Scott's NAPOLEON, featuring a Joaquin Phoenix who is fully committed to the bit, is a solid epic - equal parts brutal on the battlefield and comedic off it. But it also feels chopped to bits. Bring on the 4-hour Apple TV+ Director's Cut!
Posted Nov 15, 2023
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3.5/5
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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
(2023)
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Aaron White
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The biggest strengths of this prequel are the details and history from The Hunger Games series that it fills in and Tom Blyth shining in the central role of Coriolanus Snow, providing a simultaneously tragic and infuriating villain origin story.
Posted Nov 14, 2023
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4.5/5
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The Holdovers
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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This analog tale with a snappy script and grounded characters provides the warm hug that its audience needs, reminding us that a makeshift family can give a person what they need in the absence of a real one.
Posted Nov 13, 2023
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4/5
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May December
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and at times awkwardly funny. It's a completely melodramatic observation of the family dynamics in a taboo relationship, and yet often campy, too. It's crazy, but it rocks if you vibe with the unique tonal approach.
Posted Nov 13, 2023
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2.5/5
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The Marvels
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Iman Vellani and Goose are the stars here, but an undercooked main plot and maybe the worst villain the MCU has had yet sink this thrown together mixed bag despite it being a refreshingly diverse female-led superhero flick.
Posted Nov 08, 2023
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3.5/5
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Nyad
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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NYAD provides us with an energetic and crowd-pleasing biopic sports film that feels more honest than most, vaulting the story of the holistic individual over the incredible accomplishment.
Posted Nov 06, 2023
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3/5
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Next Goal Wins
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Typical crowd-pleasing sports story with a surprisingly element of inclusion. Tired of the alcoholic coach trope and Taika still makes *everything* a joke to exhausting effect at times, but it's mostly very funny. Kaimana owns the screen.
Posted Nov 01, 2023
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4.5/5
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Origin
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Feels pretty major! This is a heavy, sweeping exploration about the history of caste worldwide in biopic form, with a lot to take in, process, and talk about. But no one blends emotional and informational storytelling as well as Ava DuVernay does.
Posted Nov 01, 2023
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4.5/5
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Priscilla
(2023)
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Aaron White
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This is exquisite, intimate filmmaking from Sofia Coppola that shows us the uneasy and abusive side of an iconic romance. Spaeny is captivating, a tremendous rising star.
Posted Oct 30, 2023
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4/5
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Killers of the Flower Moon
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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Scorsese keeps his audience engaged enough to educate more than entertain, and some things still feel incomplete, even with the 3 hour runtime.
Posted Oct 30, 2023
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2/5
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Five Nights at Freddy's
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Way too much trauma drama for what presents as, and probably should have been, an entertaining slasher-like horror experience. Not scary, not bloody, and despite including plenty of the series' lore, not enough fun moments to off-set the boring majority.
Posted Oct 26, 2023
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4/5
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Killers of the Flower Moon
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Scorsese’s impressive adaptation of Grann’s non-fiction account is an engaging crime story that highlights an insidious historical injustice and encourages reflection.
Posted Oct 17, 2023
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2.5/5
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The Burial
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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Maggie Betts takes a simple and straightforward case and makes a mountain out of a mole hill, amplifying racial undertones of the time period into a place of priority that distracts from what could have been a more compelling courtroom drama.
Posted Oct 16, 2023
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4.5/5
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Flora and Son
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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John Carney has a way of making the ordinary extraordinary. This time he gives us authentic relationships, cautious optimism, and a great soundtrack to tell a story about messy motherhood and the power music has to bring people together.
Posted Oct 10, 2023
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4.5/5
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The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Riveting, fantastic work all-around. Friedkin masterfully explores different perspectives on mental illness, ego, and leadership experience as they relate to a major conflict in decision-making between Naval Officers that results in an alleged mutiny.
Posted Oct 07, 2023
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3/5
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The Exorcist: Believer
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Tying this legacy sequel to the original masterpiece is weakly done and wastes Ellen Burstyn completely, but it's otherwise slick looking, tense, and highly entertaining with a dual possession and multi-faith angle that keeps things fresh.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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1.5/5
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She Came to Me
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Gives tonal whiplash after starting as a quirky rom-com then pivoting to something very serious. Decisions on how to resolve certain relationships are troublesome as is its depiction of mental health struggles. Not fun, interesting, or moving. Just bad.
Posted Oct 02, 2023
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2.5/5
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The Creator
(2023)
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Patrick Hicks
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While certainly nice to look at with neat designs and great action, it doesn’t explore A.I. relationships with humanity in a meaningful way and ends up feeling like a high-budget television movie setting the stage for a series that will never be.
Posted Oct 02, 2023
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3/5
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The Creator
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Ambitious, explosive, and visually stunning science fiction holds the attention well, but a frustratingly derivative and shallow story plus often cringe-worthy dialogue holds it back.
Posted Sep 26, 2023
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3/5
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The King Tide
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A subtly thrilling film with a fascinating premise. Seeing how the community turns to dark means to protect its way of life and watching as the young girl with healing powers struggles to have free will is very engaging. Many thanks to Isla.
Posted Sep 25, 2023
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4/5
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Nyad
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Bening is on another level as the titular athlete in this rousing & inspirational film about never giving up on your dream. Fantastic energy, authentic performances, and a nifty documentary-esque use of archival footage/audio make for an engaging blend.
Posted Sep 25, 2023
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3/5
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Invincible
(2006)
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Patrick Hicks
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Even through the sepia-toned sanitization of the Disney production, you can't help but like and root for Vince Papale. His story gives the economically struggling city of Philadelphia and their Eagles what they needed at the right time: Hope.
Posted Sep 25, 2023
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2.5/5
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Knox Goes Away
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Very ironic when a movie about losing memories is one this forgettable. Not nearly as exciting as you'd expect a ticking clock story about an assassin with dementia to be. Keaton the performer is solid, as a director just far too bland.
Posted Sep 24, 2023
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4.5/5
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Hit Man
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Linklater & Powell's untraditional rom-com about a philosophizing pretend contract killer is so much fun & also smart in its use of roleplay to examine the evolution of identity. Powell is the best he's been & chemistry with Adria Arjona is pure fire.
Posted Sep 24, 2023
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4/5
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The Boy and the Heron
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A perfect swan song for Miyazaki with a story that touches on memory & legacy. Mid-tier for the director but still a fantastic adventure with interesting characters, stunning animation, a fascinating weird magical world, and one of Hisaishi's best scores.
Posted Sep 22, 2023
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5/5
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The Holdovers
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A simple but thoughtful, heartwarming, charming, and very funny teacher/student story about finding connection, encouraging each other, and learning to be more empathetic. Lovely and perfectly made from start to finish. Give Paul Giammati all the awards.
Posted Sep 22, 2023
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3.5/5
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No One Will Save You
(2023)
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Aaron White
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Dever excels in this mostly solo acted & dialogueless film about a loner in a small town who fights against her own anxiety while trying to fend off an alien invasion & protect her home. Strong creepy effects & superb sound design make for taut experience
Posted Sep 22, 2023
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4/5
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Daddio
(2023)
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Aaron White
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A gorgeously shot, expertly performed, riveting two-hander about a woman reflecting on life with her NY taxi cab driver. The stirring naturalistic progression of conversation covers our relationship with tech, power/gender dynamics, sex, loss, and more.
Posted Sep 21, 2023
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