Review: ‘The Beekeeper’: Sweet as Honey

I put off writing about The Beekeeper for a while, mainly because I had a lot going on when I first saw it, but also because I wasn’t sure what I could say about it. Its tense, cleanly shot action had already received much praise; some thought the film’s story was too dumb, others rightly responded, “What’s wrong with that?” This is a film about a beekeeper who’s an ex-agent of a group called The Beekeepers, where characters make various and probably unnecessary comparisons and allusions to bees throughout. If you can’t get on board with that, then this isn’t for you.

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Review: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is Mythic Filmmaking

The brutal churn of state-sanctioned violence beyond America’s borders inevitably takes its toll on the people who make up the armed forces. The original Top Gun can be read as comrades coping with intense, dangerous pressure through fierce competition, though it would require overlooking how it is chiefly a (albeit very fun!) piece of American military jingoism. However, even it acknowledges that service is not without sacrifice and that some will inevitably be put in harm’s way for the sake of protecting a nation’s interests.

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Review: ‘The French Dispatch’ Is a Love Letter to Writers Who Cover the Extraordinary

There is a joy in settling down to read a special newspaper or magazine article, one where you know the writer is cataloging the unordinary. Something about an everyday medium that normally covers topics and records events we consider commonplace (sports, politics, violent crimes, etc.) instead chronicling astonishment and intrigue is uniquely appealing—perhaps because it reminds us that the world is not constantly a cold, dull place. Two of my favorite examples of these are “The ballad of the Chowchilla bus kidnapping,” which recounts the hijacking of a school bus and the nationwide fervor that followed, and “Pellet Ice is the Good Ice,” which takes a deep dive into a kind of ice cube that’s hard to come by and unrivaled in quality. 

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Review: ‘No Sudden Move’ Takes You for a Ride

Before the main caper in No Sudden Move even begins, we’re given narrative elements that imply a crime film of truly epic proportions: two rival gangs, a desperate gangster looking for a way out, a shady job from a mysterious benefactor, and a codebook full of secrets that threatens to bring the criminal underworld of Detroit crumbling down. The movie’s pace matches these expectations as Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle) and Ronald Russo (Benicio del Toro) race against the clock, unraveling a conspiracy while trying to net an even bigger score. By the film’s end,however, once all is revealed, their score is cast in a different, less renegaded light, forcing these criminals—as well as the audience—to reevaluate their expectations.

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Review: ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ Burns Bright

So far in his filmmaking career, Taylor Sheridan has demonstrated that he knows how to do gripping survival situations. His action sequences always feel risky and down to the wire, like one wrong move could end the scene as quickly as it began. Those Who Wish Me Dead should be grand slam for someone like him: a film that leaves behind the fraught portrayals of sexual assault and poverty on a Native reservation in his directorial debut Wind River, but keeps the suspenseful action and sense of overarching danger nature can pose if you’re not careful. Continue reading “Review: ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ Burns Bright” →

Review: ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Taps Out

There’s lots to be said about media that inspires you to make your own art. It can be thought-provoking, inspiring, or just so successful on every level that you can’t help but hold it in admiration. As a hopeful filmmaker, I can say that Godzilla vs. Kong is the movie that makes me want to write my own movies just because of how much I disliked it. Directed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next, Death Note) and written by Max Borenstein (other Monsterverse films) and Eric Pearson (various Marvel films), this fourth entry in Legendary Entertainment’s Monsterverse manages to deliver spectacle where it counts, but just can’t underscore it with any meaningful sense of scale or impact. And, unlike prior entries into this franchise which had deployed actors like Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, and John. C. Reilly, nobody starring here can distract the audience from this movie’s worst moments. Continue reading “Review: ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Taps Out” →

Review: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Is An Enrapturing Look At American History

At some point early in high school, I got into an argument with someone in history class. The topic that day was the Civil Rights Movement, and let’s just say things got a bit heated. To make a long story short, our conversation ended after the bell with him saying to my face, “The Black Panthers were just as bad as the KKK.” One of his friends, who had been backing him up to point, made a grimaced look. Continue reading “Review: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Is An Enrapturing Look At American History” →

Review: ‘Mayor’ is One of the Most Important Documentaries Right Now

How is the role of a mayor in the de facto capital of Palestine different from that of one in any other city? The answer: not much. In fact, the daily routine of Musa Hadid, the main subject of David Osit’s 2020 documentary Mayor, is at most times quite banal. The film opens in a meeting between him and some council members, which becomes heated very quickly. You’d think they were discussing some crucial budget cuts or infrastructure planning, but in reality, they’re talking about consolidating their branding. Continue reading “Review: ‘Mayor’ is One of the Most Important Documentaries Right Now” →

Review: ‘Operation Christmas Drop’ Can’t Get Off The Runway

This year, Netflix expanded their holiday catalogue with a slew of movies, and you’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice any of them. I’m not sure I would’ve even heard of Jingle Jangle or last year’s Klaus if people who watched them hadn’t sung their praises directly to me. On an endlessly scrolling website populated by hundreds of other films that are algorithmically sorted and shown to people who just finished binging an eight season-long show, it’s hard to stand out. Continue reading “Review: ‘Operation Christmas Drop’ Can’t Get Off The Runway” →

Review: ‘Uncle Frank’ is a Feel Good Story That Fails to Make Broader Commentary

New York City, 1976. There’s a party going on in one of the more spacious apartments in Manhattan. Inside, people are drinking, smoking, and having sex, things you’d expect at a party. Outside, on the fire escape, a college professor engages in a discussion with a colleague about the current political state of affairs. Continue reading “Review: ‘Uncle Frank’ is a Feel Good Story That Fails to Make Broader Commentary” →