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A visually striking but painfully muddled take on the classic fairy tale, Red Riding Hood combines a werewolf mystery, gothic romance, and Twilight-style love triangle without finding a convincing way to make any of them work. Every once in a while I happen upon a movie that probably won’t be good, but I have to…
A speculative drama examining how different choices might reshape the course of a life, The Travellers has an intriguing premise, but it never goes anywhere that you might care about. This last month has included a lot of travel for me. Between a family wedding, a trip with my daughter, and then moving her to…
A crime comedy about an ambitious young woman navigating the cutthroat world of debt collection in hopes of building a better life, Buffaloed is energetic with great performances, but it never finds the depth or focus to make its story satisfying. I first saw Zoey Deutch only recently in the movie Voicemails For Isabelle. She’s…
A coming-of-age drama about four girls navigating the space between childhood and adolescence during one pivotal summer, Summering has an interesting premise and some beautiful imagery, but it never develops into a particularly compelling story. There are some really great films about growing up. Whether you’re talking about My Girl, Stand By Me, or Flipped,…
A romantic drama about an ambitious American student whose carefully planned future is complicated by an unexpected relationship, My Oxford Year is visually appealing and undeniably earnest, but also boring and lacking chemistry. I have never looked into it (and I likely won’t), but as I’ve come across various Netflix original movies, I’ve wondered if…
A light comedy about friends reconnecting at summer camp, Summer Camp is harmless but charmless, with a good cast and a message that takes too long to come together. When The First Wives Club was released in 1996, it sparked a bit of a revolution. Suddenly, middle-aged women were front and center, taking their power…
A moody drama about four criminals laying low in a house together, All the Devils Are Here is stylistically interesting but ultimately dull, never quite making the most of its talented cast. Sam Claflin is one of those actors who can factor into my choosing to watch a movie. He is consistently likable, even when…
A true-crime dramatization of the infamous murder case, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story leans so heavily into melodrama that it becomes difficult to take seriously. I don’t watch many Lifetime movies, but I am a huge true crime lover. If you are willing to share your story, I’m here to watch it, and lots…
A painfully awkward film about selfish humans who keep androids of themselves to do everything they don’t want to do, Robots purports to be a romantic comedy, but it’s just not funny. Every once in a while, you come across a movie that could be cute. You have a gut feeling that it might not…
An odd documentary about the serial murders and attempted murders of over a dozen babies after birth, The Investigation Of Lucy Letby is heavy on the AI and light on participants. I have mentioned before that I am a huge true crime watcher. Documentaries like Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, The Perfect Neighbor, and Memories Of A…
A movie that purports to be a romantic comedy, The Best You Can, about a woman married to an older man who develops a relationship with a local security officer, is empty and disappointing. I am old enough to clearly remember when Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon got married. She was one of the most…
A tedious romantic drama about various people in various relationships, Regretting You is long, drawn out, and the definition of its title. Between Once Upon A Time, Gifted, and Young Sheldon, I feel like I’ve watched McKenna Grace grow up on screen. Most of us have seen her in something – she has already had…
