Reviews — In Reel Deep

'Spider-Man: Far From Home'

Though the pure innocent joy of Homecoming may be gone, this Spidey sequel is decent enough. But is that the best Marvel can do?

Action and Adventure, ReviewsSteve CiminoJuly 10, 2019

'Toy Story 4'-Ever

Toy Story 4 cements that Pixar’s tentpole series has no equal in the era of franchise films.

Essays and Analysis, Kids and Family, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJune 27, 2019

'Godzilla: King of the Monsters'

No one asked for another Godzilla movie, nor a MonsterVerse, but a superb cast and a few fun fights make this blockbuster somewhat bearable.

Action and Adventure, ReviewsSteve CiminoJune 13, 2019

'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum'

The action is as good as ever; maybe better. But as the John Wick-iverse grows, so does the frustration with an unnecessarily overstuffed plot.

'Avengers: Endgame'

As the rare movie that exists above cinematic law, Endgame is more of a fascinating experiment in fan service than a coherent film. And that’s really all it could ever be.

'High Life'

Plot and dialogue don’t appear to be Claire Denis’s bread and butter, but striking scenes and a fully committed Juliette Binoche make this sci-fi film fairly memorable.

Science Fiction, Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoApril 17, 2019Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Claire Denis, André Benjamin

'Us'

Jordan Peele’s second feature doesn’t have the cohesiveness of his Oscar-winning debut, but Lupita Nyong'o’s masterful performance keeps it afloat.

Horror, ReviewsSteve CiminoMarch 26, 2019Jordan Peele, Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Tim Heidecker, Elisabeth Moss

'Cold War'

Paweł Pawlikowski may have crafted the most compact and yet powerful drama in recent cinematic history.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoFebruary 6, 2019Paweł Pawlikowski, Tomasz Kot, Joanna Kulig

'Glass'

Whatever deal M. Night Shyamalan made with the devil has long since ended; this movie is truly a mess.

Thriller, ReviewsSteve CiminoFebruary 4, 2019Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, M. Night Shyamalan, Sarah Paulson

'If Beale Street Could Talk'

It’s no Moonlight, but Barry Jenkins’s feature followup to that modern masterpiece is still brilliantly heart-wrenching and sadly beautiful.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoJanuary 15, 2019Barry Jenkins, KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Brian Tyree Henry

'Vice'

Though Adam McKay receives a few bonus points for degree of difficulty, his Dick Cheney biopic proves too massive to master.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoJanuary 3, 2019Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Adam McKay, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell

'They Shall Not Grow Old'

Peter Jackson brings the First World War to life in haunting, unforgettable fashion.

Documentary, Military and War, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonDecember 21, 2018Peter Jackson

'Roma'

It’ll soon be trite and lazy to say “Roma is a special film,” but that won’t make it any less true.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoDecember 12, 2018Alfonso Cuarón, Yalitza Aparicio

'Widows'

Steve McQueen’s latest is a dark and desperate heist movie that forgoes “neat and tidy” and is all the better for it.

'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs'

It is very strange to stream a new Coen brothers movie on Netflix, but this six-part collection of short films is as memorable and engaging as anything they’ve released on the big screen.

Westerns, ReviewsSteve CiminoNovember 23, 2018Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Tim Blake Nelson, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, James Franco, Tom Waits

'Dr. Seuss' The Grinch'

It could have been oh-so-much worse. In the end, the 2018 iteration of The Grinch is a pleasant if wholly unnecessary re-imagining of the tale done best by Boris Karloff and company in 1966.

'The Front Runner'

It’s a complicated story to tell in two hours, but ultimately Jason Reitman can’t pin down what makes the saga of Gary Hart so nuanced and fascinating.