Manuel São Bento 
It’s inevitable. With every new live-action remake released by Disney, the same cycle of controversy, ridiculous boycotts, and deafening noise from hate groups and internet users who can’t handle any deviation from the established norm repeats itself – even if that “norm” is just their highly romanticized childhood memories. Casting …
I made the mistake of ignoring the release of the Fear Street trilogy in 2021… a blunder I corrected this past week in preparation for the saga’s fourth installment, Prom Queen. It’s essential to highlight just how underrated and overlooked Leigh Janiak’s original three films remain – remarkable examples of …
Hurry Up Tomorrow is directed by Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night), a filmmaker who here collaborates with Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Reza Fahim (The Idol) on the screenplay. Starring Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), with Tesfaye himself playing a fictionalized version …
Alex Garland, known for his thought-provoking storytelling in films like Ex Machina and Civil War, joins forces with war veteran Ray Mendoza to create one of his most ambitious projects to date. Co-written by the two filmmakers, Warfare aims to depict a military surveillance mission with the utmost realism – …
Directed by Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) and written by Craig himself alongside Carter Blanchard (Good vs Evil), Clown in a Cornfield is an adaptation of Adam Cesare’s book of the same name, bringing to the big screen a well-balanced mix of horror and comedy, with a macabre …
Thunderbolts* is the latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), directed by Jake Schreier (Paper Towns) with a screenplay by Eric Pearson (Black Widow) and Joanna Calo (The Bear). At a time when the MCU feels overwhelmed by a seemingly endless ocean of characters, storylines, variants, and multiversal concepts, …
Bullet Train Explosion marks Japan’s return to one of cinema’s most intense rail thrillers, nearly fifty years after the release of Junya Sato’s classic The Bullet Train. This legacy sequel is directed by Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman) and penned by Kazuhiro Nakagawa and Norichika Ōba. While the concept …
Gareth Evans isn’t a filmmaker with an extensive portfolio, but cult classics The Raid and The Raid 2 were enough to cement his legacy in action cinema. Any avid fan of the genre recognizes these movies as a major influence – not just for the intensity of their fight set …
I consider James Hawes’ feature directorial debut, One Life, one of the most memorable films of its release year. Based on the director alone, expectations for his sophomore effort were already high. Add to that The Amateur being a spy thriller starring Rami Malek – whose career-best performance remains his …
Directed by Patricia Riggen (Miracles from Heaven) and written by Caitlin Parrish & Erica Weiss (The View from Tall) and Noah Miller & Logan Miller (White Boy Rick), G20 follows U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) as she tries to prevent a terrorist attack during a G20 summit. When a …
I’ve mentioned this countless times throughout my years of film criticism: not every movie needs to be narratively and thematically profound, impacting audiences so deeply with philosophical messages that their lives are forever changed. Cinema is, among many things, entertainment. So, it’s no surprise when films like Freaky Tales emerge, …
The number of underrated actresses in today’s industry is so vast that any cinephile can bring a different name to the table and present solid arguments. Personally, one of the names at the top of my list is none other than Ash‘s lead, Eiza González. From Baby Driver to The …
Samara Weaving has become a recurring presence in horror, thriller, and action flicks with a touch of dark humor. From The Babysitter to Ready or Not, along with Guns Akimbo and Azrael, the Australian actress has cemented herself as a modern-day final girl, embracing roles that balance stylized violence and …
Bong Joon-ho is one of the most fascinating filmmakers of the century. From The Host to Parasite, not forgetting Snowpiercer or Okja, the writer-director jumps from genre to genre, blending distinct tones with remarkable balance and efficiency. Joon-ho fits into that special category of filmmakers who simply cannot make a …
Directed by Osgood Perkins (Longlegs), produced by James Wan (Aquaman), and based on yet another work by Stephen King (It), The Monkey had all the right ingredients for a memorable horror viewing. Its premise, centered on a toy monkey that causes gruesome deaths whenever someone winds up the key on …
The post-Endgame era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been inconsistent and marked by numerous production issues, so the fact that Captain America: Brave New World is yet another project affected by reshoots and multiple script revisions isn’t at all surprising. It only reinforces the general concern surrounding the …
The art of cinema has room for all kinds of experiences, whether unusual blends of genres, unorthodox storytelling methods, or unique filming techniques. Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) is a pioneer of modern independent cinema, and his movies are often acclaimed precisely for their inventive or distinct perspective. Presence fits into the …
Unless covering a film festival, January is usually not a particularly memorable or busy month. On one hand, it’s a pity not to attend the always interesting week or so of the Sundance Film Festival, but on the other hand, there’s more time to watch films that often go unnoticed …
Several factors build anticipation for a film. Whether it’s the cast, genre, franchise, or director, the reasons why viewers feel more or less excited about a new cinematic release are endless. Personally, my expectations for Wolf Man were naturally high simply because it’s the newest movie by Leigh Whannell, the …
Starting a new cinephile year is always exciting, even knowing that January is far from being a particularly memorable month. In fact, even today, the first month of the year is often dubbed “dump January” precisely because it consists of 31 days studios don’t consider appealing or important for their …