Kevin Costner: The Last of the Cornball American Directors
The three previous movies the Oscar-winner directed suggest a filmmaker whose unabashed earnestness is his greatest weakness and secret superpower.
Features
Sundance x Chicago Brings Film’s Premier Festival to the Windy City
A preview of the three-day Chicago extension of the Sundance Film Festival, running this weekend.
The Best Films of 2024 So Far
The staff picks for the best films of the first half of 2024.
The Most Intriguing Festival Films Still Seeking U.S. Distribution
Lily Gladstone’s Fancy Dance took more than a year to secure a theatrical release. Here are six movies still waiting for a buyer.
Furiosa Doesn’t Feel Like Any Other Mad Max Film, and That’s What’s Wonderful About It
George Miller’s fifth and presumably final “Mad Max” movie reimagines the world he created.
DC/DOX — Washington DC’s Documentary Film Festival in its Second Year
In its second year, Washington DC’s documentary film festival DC/DOX showed 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries.
It’s Too Bad That Audience Pictures Like Ultraman: Rising Will Barely Be Seen in Theaters
Once again, Netflix leaves money on the table by limiting theatrical screenings.
The Brat Pack Movies, Ranked
In honor of the new documentary Brats, we look back at the 1980s actors’ finest onscreen moments—and the films that found them way out of their depth.
What If a Movie Called IF Found an Audience?
Critics were mostly ho-hum about “If,” but it’s a sneakily powerful dream-logic movie
The Presumed Innocent Movie Was a Highlight of Hollywood’s Page-Turner Era
Before watching the new Apple TV+ limited series based on the blockbuster Scott Turow book, let’s look back at a bygone age when quality airport reads regularly got turned into classy big-screen dramas.
How Cold War Thrillers Expressed Presidential Campaign Concerns
Four films with common denominators helped define the public and Hollywood mindsets during the 1964 U.S. presidential campaign in varying ways.
The Actors Rumored to Star in the Beatles Biopics Look Nothing Like Them. Good.
Too often, we overvalue actors who expertly imitate their iconic real-life subjects. A great biopic performance often requires more than mimicry.
Everybody Wants Some!! Told Us Everything We Needed to Know About Glen Powell
Years ago, this overlooked 2016 comedy hinted at the Hit Man actor’s movie-star potential.
The Future of the Movies, Part 3
For all the hemming and hawing about how kids these days don’t engage with movies anymore, I choose to give myself reasons to hope.
Expecto Patronum: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban at 20
On the franchise-defining entry to the Harry Potter franchise, two decades on.
When ‘Bad Boys’ Began, Martin Lawrence Was the Top Dog
People forget that the ‘Martin’ star got top-billing over Will Smith. Here’s a look back at how big he was back then.
Short Films in Focus: The Year of Staring at Noses
A new short film for your viewing pleasure, along with an interview with the director.
At the Movies, It’s Hard Out There for a Hit Man
Richard Linklater’s new Netflix comedy is just the latest illustration of how we idolize and idealize big-screen assassins—even though the characters rarely live up to our image of them as super-cool killers.
Far, Far Away: How to Get People Going to Movies Again
What’s broken in moviegoing, and some ideas for fixing it.
