The Man Who Laughs
Veidt becomes the face of Expressionism: this is dramatic self-harm on a scale that defines greatness.
M.C. Myers
Dragonslayer
Here’s a movie with the texture of the old fables. It finds the adventure in a stricken world. Delightful.
Captain Marvel
The Marvel formula can’t save an unappealing heroine from the greatest power in her universe: herself.
Batman
Burton explores Gotham like a house inspector: he’s all about details, and forgets the emotions you need to make them worth it.
Snow White and #MeToo: Reclaiming a Classic
An alternative to the modern rejection of fairytales. Why true love never goes out of style.
Thor: Ragnarok
It’s like a workout — a lot of flexing and then a lot of fatigue. Good movies never have to try this hard.
Alita: Battle Angel
A passionate lead performance can’t save Alita from burying itself in exposition.
His Girl Friday
The Grant/Russell pair could have made a hundred movies if this one didn’t count as all of them.
Enemy Explained
An analysis of Villeneuve’s dreamy horror film. Not for the faint, the arachnophobic, or the easily confused.
In Defense of Star Wars—The Phantom Menace
The Phantom Menace is unformed as a child’s drawing, and sometimes feels as innocent, and many times threatens through sheer force of will to be charming.