Latest News and Reviews

Review: The Russo Brothers’ ‘Electric’ Waste of Time

Not often in the modern movie business does one truly surprise its audience and take storytelling through film to a higher summit. The Electric State didn’t do these things. Directed by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: End Game, Avengers: Infinity War, The Gray Man, and other blockbusters), the film, adapted from the novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, is a movie of so little substance it couldn’t leave a trail if it tried.

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Review: ‘Parthenope’: Beauty is Empty

Parthenope is beautiful to look at for some time, but it has nothing substantial to offer. Paulo Sorrentino’s newest film for A24 has flown under the radar since its lukewarm debut at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2024, and now finally receives its US release. Led by Celeste Dalla Porta in the titular role, the film delivers an abysmal portrayal of the archetypal “siren” beauty. 

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Review: Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Mickey 17’

One of the biggest concerns I have about major foreign film directors like Bong Joon-ho is how well they can translate into a Hollywood production given the language barriers and cultural differences. Mickey 17 is not the first Hollywood production that Bong Joon-ho directed, but it is certainly one of his weakest works in general.

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Review: ‘The Gorge’ is a Steep Failure

Apple TV’s newest original, The Gorge, directed by Scott Derrickson, is a financial success, and audiences across the world made this film the service’s biggest premiere yet. With the beloved Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller playing blooming lovers in a dystopic science-fiction tale, how could this film fail? 

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Gavin Amer’s Top 10 Films of 2024

2024 was a very interesting year for film. We saw many box office-smashing sequels to popular movies from the past, but also smaller, independent films that were sometimes even better. This year I made great use of my AMC A-list membership and saw 61 new releases, many of which were in the theater. Narrowing this list down to my ten favorite movies was quite the challenge, as there were many that I felt deserved a spot. The ten I picked are very different, showing just how diverse this year was for movies.  Continue reading “Gavin Amer’s Top 10 Films of 2024” →

Review: ‘The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep’: Disappointment

It is not often that one gets a new animated movie of a famous fantasy series; The Witcher has produced two of them. The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep is the newest of the many pieces of Witcher media from Netflix. Starring Doug Cockle as Geralt of Rivia himself alongside the voices of Joey Batey as Jaskier and Christina Ren as Essi Daven, this animated disappointment based on a short story from The Witcher: Sword of Destiny is sure to mildly depress fans of the books or TV series.

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UW Film Club Podcast #103: After Hours

“What do you want from me? What have I done? I’m just a podcast, for Christ sake!”

Join us as we talk about the worst night of word processor Paul Hackett’s life—from an increase in bus fare to an irate mob. Plus, our own personal ‘After Hours’ stories, our favorite bits from the movie, and lots of interesting trivia shared by production designer Jeffrey Townsend.

 

On this episode: Sofia Geherin, Logan Smith

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW. Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and Spotify, and tune in every week for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

Review: ‘Paddington in Peru’: The Bear is Back!

The third installment of the Paddington film series, Paddington in Peru, has finally arrived, and that means the charm of our favorite marmalade-loving bear is back in full force. The film, directed by Dougal Wilson in his feature-length debut (taking over from Paul King, who directed the first two films), follows Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) as he returns to his native Peru to search for his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton), only to be met with a wild adventure as always.

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Review: ‘Red Rooms’: A Skin-Crawling Ascent into Delirium

The 2024 film Red Rooms is not for the faint of heart. I first watched this film at last year’s Seattle International Film Festival; of all the screenings I’d been to, this was the only one unmarked by audience applause. It left my stomach churning, my mind trying to purge the horrific images merely described in the film, but days later, unable to stop thinking of how good a film it was.

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