Movie reviews of Hope Madden

In another filmmaker’s hands, this jarring one-off nuttiness might seem contrived or off-putting, but not on Planet Miike. His profession may be shifting sand beneath some feet, but Takashi Miike flies wherever he wants to go. Review

The enormously likable cast and a tight script elevate the film above its slight story and often borrowed ideas. But the pace is quick, the bowels are spilling, and I’ve never enjoyed Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off more. Review

It’s a deep, immersive dive into how Alien evolved to become the masterpiece that it is and why the film remains as haunting today as it was when John Hurt’s chest first burst in 1979. Review

It’s a fascinating look at the function clowns have served since their medieval beginnings, as well as the internet’s way of amplifying folk tales. Review

The film makes more than a few convenient moves, but it packs a lot of surprises and showcases very solid performances. Review

There’s not a single performance in the film that isn’t a welcome surprise. And underneath it all, Dick Long reimagines small town masculinity, isolation and loneliness. Review

Rambo: Last Blood, on the other hand, is a MAGA fantasy come to vivid, bloody fruition. Weak. Review

Without the needed distraction of a Full On Cage, it’s tough not to notice the narrative inconsistencies, trite dialog, stupid character names. Review

Made sensibly and economically, Haunt sticks to what it knows and focuses on what it came to do. Gaps in logic are few. One or two of the kills offer intrigue and the villains are, if not especially impressive, at least kind of fun. Review

Though this ghost story with tiny dragons and stuffed tigers is darkly fanciful, it’s also surprisingly clear-eyed in its view of the toll the drug war takes on the innocent. It’s Latin American horror at its best. Review

Depraved does offer a glimmer of hope for mankind. Fessenden doesn’t revolutionize the genre or say anything new, though, but you won’t leave the film wishing Shelley’s beast would just stay dead. Review

Variety, laughs, mayhem, blood spatter, romance, cheerleader pot pie—Hellarious is a tasty treat of bite sized horror. Review

Reeder’s peculiar dialogue finds its ideal voice with Grace Smith as Joanna Kitzmiller, a jaded feminist and budding entrepreneur. Likewise, Marika Englehardt and Tim Hopper bring extraordinary nuance and sympathy to what could have been campy characters. Review

The manic comedy proves as infectious as the zombiism on the screen, and much of the reason is the committed cast. Ueda allows each performer the opportunity to grow and discover, and every actor at one point or another takes full advantage of his or her moment to shine. Review

It’s a capably made film that wastes little time, boasts strong performances and offers familiar but creepy fun. Review

A blandly forgettable waste of a truly impressive group of actors. Review

Whether intentional or not, the casting adds an underlying sense of urgent dread—as does Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury’s discordant score. Review

Her tale becomes far more than an indictment of colonization, white male privilege, domination and subjugation. It’s a harrowing and brilliant tale of horror. It’s also our history. Review

Even with the clever turns and cheeky performances, the film lacks substance. Review

Comedic moments are abandoned before they land, emotional messiness is tidied into submission, dramatic moments are undercut before they can generate any tension. The resulting, meandering tale doesn’t go much of anywhere. Review

Beautifully filmed with natural light to create a sort of visual lyricism, Honeyland becomes an allegory for our times. It’s hard not to be invested in Hatidze’s story, in her bees, as if our own future depends on them. Review

Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a charmer and not a bad way to spend some time with the family. Review

An analogy of lost innocence, nostalgic without becoming too sentimental, this is old school scary, as unapologetically unoriginal as its source material and almost as effective. Review

Scene after windy, wet, terrifying scene—the nautical thrills crisply underscored by Rob Manning and Samuel Sim’s score—skipper and crew of the Maiden strategize, tough it out, and risk a watery grave. Review