Crime
Film Review – Self Reliance
Jake Johnson takes on the triple threat role of writer, director, and star of Self Reliance (2023). His feature-length directorial debut is equal parts absurdist thriller and sweet romance. Like that of The Most Dangerous Game (1932), the film uses the concept of humans being hunted down for sport. In…
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Film Review – The Killer
“Do not improvise. Stick to the plan. Forbid empathy. Trust no one. Breathe.” These sayings are repeated again and again by the main character of The Killer (2023). This unnamed assassin goes by these rules like self-help mottos, using them as a guide to be as efficient…
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Film Review – Pain Hustlers
Pain Hustlers (2023) is a good example of a movie unsure of what kind of story it wants to tell. It starts off as a rags-to-riches tale, in which a determined character does whatever they have to in order to move up the economic ladder. We…
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Film Review – Killers of the Flower Moon
It is remarkable that Martin Scorsese – now entering his ninth decade of life – continues to push the art of cinema in new and interesting ways. Since 1976, with the release of Taxi Driver, Scorsese has stood at the top of the filmmaking world – a title…
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Film Review – Reptile
On paper, Reptile (2023) checks off all the boxes of your classic murder mystery: a twisty, convoluted plot with plenty of wrong turns and dead ends, a detective doggedly pursuing the case just as the rest of his life is on the brink of collapse, a mounting…
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Film Review – Sympathy for the Devil
If there is one thing Nicolas Cage cannot be accused of, it’s taking a role for granted. Whether it’s a big budget blockbuster or a straight to video indie, Cage cannot operate at any level other than 200%. That’s what makes him so compelling – he takes…
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Film Review – To Catch a Killer
Have you ever listened to a band perform a cover to a song, and while they get all the notes right the feeling isn’t there? That’s the effect we get from the crime thriller To Catch a Killer (2023). It follows the familiar blueprint almost beat for…
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Film Review – Mafia Mamma
On paper, I can see why Toni Collette would be interested in a project like Mafia Mamma (2023). It allows her to flex her comedic chops, visit beautiful Italian locales, drink wine, eat good food, be a boss and kick some ass along the way. For an actor who…
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