The Martian movie review: life on Mars
An excellent complement to the novel, simplifying the science without dumbing it down yet retaining the suspense and urgency of its interplanetary stranding.
suspense/thriller
Room movie review: the world through new eyes (LFF 2015)
I wish I could have stopped the film — numerous times — simply to give myself a chance to step back from an emotional precipice of horror and tension.
Sicario movie review: lies, injustice, and the American way
The “War on Drugs” has never felt more like an actual war in this brutal, scathing condemnation of the lawlessness of the battle… on the “good guys” side.
The Messenger movie review: voices from the other side
This he-sees-dead-people drama slathers on the moping misery with a trowel, and indulges in a wishy-washy ambiguity that serves no purpose.
Containment (aka Infected) movie review: no place like home
There’s nothing groundbreaking in this low-budget sci-fi thriller, but newbie director Mcenery-West makes excellent use of his claustrophobic setting.
Legend movie review: badfellas
Tom Hardy is fab, but this is GoodFellas-lite, depicting violent sociopaths as glamorous, even amusing, and lacking all understanding of what made them tick.
The Visit movie review: grandma’s house (of horrors?)
Over the river and through the woods to yet another banal, anticlimactic attempt at storytelling from M. Night Shyamalan. And this time, it’s found-footage.
The Gift movie review: give it back unopened
Descends into emotional idiocy and insufficient intrigue to end in a disgusting place that presumes that a woman is an appropriate pawn in games men play.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation movie review: familiar yet fresh
Works for your appreciation with gasp-inducing action sequences and an ethos that has fun with its legacy while moving in a new direction.
Frank the Bastard movie rating: red light
Dreary New England noir soap about a woman uncovering family secrets is like a would-be supernatural thriller that forgot the magic and the chills.
