Some obnoxious ruminations on two decades of being a 'professional movie critic' It’s a strange and privileged thing to be a movie critic, a fact that has never escaped me in the two decades I’ve had this strange privilege. Everyone’s a critic, they…

In a week when “Multiverse of Madness” is probably going to continue to dominate theaters, I’ve got two recommendations that are very different from that experience. This week, two foreign language art-house films centered on children open in…

Wild, sometimes frustrating ride has the director's fingerprints all over it It recently occurred to me that I’ve been a film critic for more than two decades now. In another multiverse, I was a chemical engineer (actually my first college major). I…

The actor is willing to have fun with himself and brings us along I try not to pay much attention to box-office numbers as any kind of reflection of how good or bad a movie is. Opening weekend figures are often a better reflection of hype and…

I recently rewatched Robert Eggers' debut film, “The Witch,” and it’s legitimately impressive this guy gets to keep making the movies he wants to make. A supernatural folk tale set in 1630s New England with period-accurate dialogue didn’t scream…

I spent last week plugging the kind of movie of which I want to see more: the utterly delightful and fantastic “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” I want more movies like this, and the way to get more movies like this is for people to go see it. So,…

Is it too soon to call it my favorite movie of 2022? I don’t think so. I’ve been a professional film critic for a long time now. One thing I think I understand better than a lot of critics? This gig is subjective as hell. What I like? You might not.…

The film reveals the director as a master of his craft but to what end? “It is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” That’s my favorite quote from “Macbeth,” which doesn’t make me especially deep or special. It’s a…

Before I get into this week’s review, a few words about what you won’t find here: spoilers. The invitation for the press screening of the latest “Scream” movie included a note asking critics to “kindly refrain” from revealing plot points in their…

Hey, what a weird year it was, right? Again, right? As someone who spent time in a movie theater at least once a week for the last decade-plus, I’m still adjusting. I’m still not OK with this. I want it to come back in a way I’m quite certain it will…

I’m hitting pause on my planned top 10 films of 2021 list this week, because a) like a test I’m cramming for, I need to check off a few more contenders first and b) there’s one movie on it I need to write more than a blurb about. Any Paul Thomas…

Once more down the rabbit hole, right? It’s been 18 years since the conclusion of “The Matrix” trilogy, and a few more since the original felt so revelatory. The distant memory of the “whoa” moments in the first film are still foggy. Remember the…

First, the good news: This review contains ZERO spoilers for “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The week’s big theatrical release wasn’t screened for Columbus critics, so let me turn my attention to a movie that hit theaters last weekend and starts streaming…

Director Adam McKay gathers a blockbuster cast to make the worst movie of the year I tend to believe that a movie can only be “bad” inversely relative to its potential to be “good.” So a low-budget, direct-to-video movie with a C-list cast is usually…

Professionally, I go into movies with an open mind. Personally, I have to admit that some movies start more in the wheelhouse of what I like. So, when a movie that’s not in that wheelhouse ends up slowly but surely devastating me, I have to give…

Well, they can’t all be winners. A November release from a high-profile director and starring a jaw-dropping cast should scream “Oscar contender.” And “House of Gucci” may well end up with some nominations, but it’s not getting any from me. Director…

Will Smith stars in this entertaining biopic centered on Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams There are some movies where not liking them says more about you than it does the movie. Tastes are subjective, to be sure,…

This is easily one of the most bonkers movies of the year First off, if you are feeling very, very, very adventurous, I recommend you go see “Titane” without knowing anything about it. Emphasis on “very.” For the rest of you, I’ll share the basic…

While the widely panned big-screen adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen” did not screen early for critics, I decided to make this week’s review a movie that everyone can agree upon, no matter their political affiliation. I’m speaking, of course, of the…

The word “socialism” has long been a convenient bogeyman for politicians on the right. I’ve always loved the irony of Republicans who appeal to their older voters by vowing to fight socialism while simultaneously promising they’ll protect Medicare…