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An intimate coming-of-age story, Mid90s hits hard with a mostly unknown cast and a filming style that captures the awkward, hilarious, and painful moments of a young teenager. I am a huge fan of fly-on-the-wall adolescent and teen stories. Movies like Didi or After Sun make you feel as if you are watching someone’s real…
A strange and fun documentary about the making of an independent film, American Movie has its own real life characters and story that you’re going to get a huge kick out of. One of the reasons that cartoon characters leave an impression is because they are a little bit different from anyone else you’ve met….
A visually nuanced film with a charismatic vibe and a stellar lead, The Outrun is an individual story about alcoholism that I’ve never seen play out so engagingly. There are many films that have been made about alcoholism. It is a struggle that a great number of families have been touched by and seeing yourself…
A fantastic new superhero film, Superman shows the goodness of the man just as clearly as the epic action sequences and exciting characters. There is a lot of heart here! When I first saw the trailer for the new Superman movie, I was not impressed. My son and I exchanged “yikes” looks and I recall…
With staggeringly beautiful cinematography and heightened filming techniques, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a movie that you can’t compare to any other. It’s truly unique and you have to watch it. I have an admission to make: I have never watched the original three Mad Max films. I may get to them one day,…
A slow burn of a movie, Nowhere Special is about a terminally ill single father trying to find the perfect family for his young son to live with before he goes. A great film that will bring the waterworks. A lot of people miss things about children. They think they know what children are thinking,…
A great new film with one banger song after the next, KPop Demon Hunters is the animated movie that you never knew you needed in your life. It is so much fun, believe me, you need it. It is remarkable what studios can do with animation these days. I remember waking up on Saturday mornings…
Covering the child molestation church scandal in Boston in 2001, Spotlight is a fantastic look into the reporting behind what happened along with excellent actors and impeccable storytelling. Remember the days when everyone received a paper newspaper? Newspapers were delivered to your doorstep early in the morning and people spent hours combing through the different…
Full of hidden depths and incredible visuals, First Reformed is not what you think it will be before pressing play. With excellent performances and intense themes, this one is a thinker. There are some movies that you get to the end of and you feel like you need to watch again. The first viewing brings…
A movie about a famous playwright that we barely remember the life of, Wilde is the exceedingly charming and engaging story of Oscar Wilde’s marriage, male lovers, and downfall in society. A really great film. When I was in school, I fell in love with the play The Importance of Being Earnest. It is so…
An unbelievably sweet and funny rom-com, A Nice Indian Boy had me in happy and emotional tears half a dozen times. Such a great film! I love a movie that can display love in its own unique way. It doesn’t have to be a big production with over-the-top effects, it just has to do it…
Focusing on real-life broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and the conflict resulting from challenging anti-communist tactics, Good Night, and Good Luck is a slow burning revelation. Many of you know that I work as a Chicago theater critic in my off hours. I have always been a play and musical enthusiast, so when I heard that Good…
