Movie reviews of Alex Brannan

Fun though the set pieces are, the gaps between them are long and arduous. Review

The best part of this final (until now) film in the series is that it actually attempts to do something new and interesting with its central conceit. Review

This fourth film is the nadir of a franchise that is already fairly mediocre. The script is pure idiocy. The computer effects look horrendous. And the selling point of the franchise, the horror movie kills, are in such desperate need of any creative juice that they are embarrassing. Review

The series fully embraces the comedy of its central premise. The set pieces are adequately tense, but they also are overtly humorous. Review

Final Destination 2 provides a similar level of entertainment value as the first film. It is an inferior sequel, but anyone enjoying the first film will likely find enough to enjoy here, too. Review

The first film in this franchise has good moments and a funny premise. It jump-started a franchise with more downs than ups, but in isolation it is a nice little artifact of Y2K horror. Review

Aside from Ford, the acting is fine and the writing is hackneyed. Nothing new under the sun. But hey, at least there’s a bunch of punchy punches and stabby stabs! Review

Given Todd Haynes already skillfully deconstructed the enigma of celebrity in his kaleidoscopic Dylan film I’m Not There, A Complete Unknown looks all the more boilerplate and skin-deep by comparison. Review

Carry-On does just enough legwork to make the film entertaining and watchable. Review

The selling point becomes gross-out comedy, but the truth is it’s not all that funny. Review

The two performances at the center of this, from relative unknowns Aura and Ventura, are both very good. And the original songs made for the film all do their job in enhancing the period-specific sonic landscapes on display. Review

Girl Internet Show: A Kati Kelli Mixtape adequately curates the experience of this satire and aesthetic. Beyond bringing attention to the underseen artist, though, the film does little to justify its own place. Review

As the film approaches its conclusion, it provides evocative final shots, but it does not do enough to resolve for the audience what this journey meant for Fatso. Review

Armed with a jaunty score and well-shot nature footage, Timpson’s two-hander character study comes packaged with a quality texture. Review

As beautiful as the thing is, Steppenwolf struggles mightily to contend with its nihilistic tendencies, tendencies which definitely do not require such extremity in order to satisfy the finer points of its existential preoccupations. Review

This being an 85-minute shit post (literally) about how bad the song Ebony and Ivory is makes it a greater triumph than, say, Oscar winner Bohemian Rhapsody, even if the central joke of it eventually falls flat. Review

At almost every turn, 7A struggles to replicate the dread of its predecessor. Review

For what it’s worth, the film’s washed out gray aesthetic works well for this more dramatic final tone. And the three young actors — who are asked to carry the film from start to finish — provide fairly strong, emotional performances. Review

Me and My Victim wants to be about the messiness of modern relationships. Instead, it is a messy film, where the potentially potent questions are actively suppressed by the filmmaker. Review

The imbalances make the watching experience of House of Sayuri a strange one, but the film certainly has its strong suits. Review

Thälker should be praised for their striking performance, which is the highlight and the centerpiece of the picture. Review

In any case, The Soul Eater is not nearly as bad as The Deep House or Leatherface, but it also doesn’t impress as a mostly run-of-the-mill crime film. Review

These are minor visual treats in what is otherwise a tedious experience of senseless action-comedy spectacle. The film has the energy but not the substance. Review

The long and short of it is that Cuckoo nails the setup and bombs the punchline. Review