Machete Kills review: justice is bloody (hilarious)
Forget about the socially conscious core that fueled the exploitation engine of the first film. This one is flat-out, no-message action comedy, outrageous and hilarious.
crime
All Cheerleaders Die review (London Film Festival)
Twists the high-school revenge story into feminist black magic.
The Frozen Ground review
In a rote cat-and-mouse cop-and-serial-killer story, Vanessa Hudgens’ “victim” is far more compelling than either cop Nicolas Cage or killer John Cusack.
Runner Runner review: yawner yawner
Dull and perfunctory, this is a crime thriller that sets itself up as a revenge story but can’t manage to drum up any excitement or suspense, and precious little revenge, either.
Mystery Road movie review (London Film Festival)
Touched by dry humor and elegant action, this is a marvelous blend of classic detective noir and modern Outback Western.
Metro Manila review: world cinema writ small
One of the most enrapturing experiences I had at the movies in 2013: fiercely, grandly humanist, and almost unbearably tragic.
The Rise (aka Wasteland) review
Smooth, accomplished British crime indie tweaks clichés of the genre in a marvelously satisfying way.
Cold Comes the Night review: eh, lukewarm, anyway
A familiar-feeling crime thriller is enlivened by unexpectedly down-to-earth, hardbitten characters weighed down by the mundane weariness of life on the edge.
The Call review: the call is coming from inside the movie!
The familiar serial-killer flick gets a welcome shakeup, smashing to smithereens the tired trope of woman-as-victim and offering a bracing new perspective on an oft-told tale.
Prisoners review: the unbearable darkness of being
Please see this movie. We need to let Hollywood know that there is, in fact, an audience for sophisticated drama for adults.
