Despite problems Aquaman offers fun and color to a drab universe.
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A new Era of film coverage: FilmEra offers cinephiles a platform from which to voice their perspectives on visual media (Film, TV), to challenge the reader’s expectations of what media conveys–regardless of whether that media was released today or decades in the past.
Category: Reviews
Latest reviews from all era of film.
Saturday Night Live – Season 44, Episode 9: Matt Damon/Mark Ronson & Miley Cyrus
Matt Damon hosts the Christmas episode of SNL as the show airs its final episode of the year!
The Favourite
One of the greatest films of 2018 and Yorgos Lanthimos’ best yet
The Wolfpack
An unusual story of six young lives saved by cinema.
Saturday Night Live – Season 44, Episode 8: Jason Momoa/Mumford & Sons
Jason Momoa hosts a successful episode of SNL ahead of his upcoming hit Aquaman
Green Book
Mahersala Ali and Viggo Mortensen hit the road on a tour of the Deep South.
James Bond Retrospective: The Man With The Golden Gun
A film that has everything going for it doesn’t stick the landing; can Christopher Lee redeem the mediocrity?
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season Three
The end comes for the Baudelaire children. It has some issues, but closes out strong.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: “A Midwinter’s Tale”
A fun, if a little familiar, holiday special for Sabrina fans.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is brilliant, full of life, and it is perfect.
Dumplin’: A Love Letter to Dolly Parton
A sweet summer song of rebellion and Dolly Parton drag queens.
She-Ra and The Princesses of Power
Magical girls saving their world.
Mortal Engines
The new dystopian YA movie is a visual feast marred by a forgettable cast and weak script.
Into the Dark: “Pooka!”
Into the Dark goes psychological in its third entry, providing its best yet.
James Bond Retrospective: Live and Let Die (1973)
Moore’s first appearance as Bond may be exciting, but it’s also different than anything you were expecting.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The best of Wes Anderson reviewed!
Vanity Fair
A gorgeous production with an incredible lead performance from Olivia Cooke.
Counterpart: Season Two
Counterpart returns with strong confidence and paranoia.
Saturday Night Live – Season 44, Episode 7: Claire Foy/Anderson .Paak
Claire Foy, star of The Crown, First Man and The Girl in the Spider’s Web hosts, along with Anderson .Paak in promotion of his new album Oxnard
Berlin Station: Season Three
A strong opening to a fresh start.
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Ralph Breaks the Internet, the sequel to the surprise hit Wreck-It Ralph, follows a flurry of cinema that has begun to try to approach talking about the Internet ‘problem’.
The House That Jack Built (Director’s Cut)
Lars von Trier returns with a characteristically morbid film.
The Night Comes for Us
Timo Tjahjanto’s relentless action gorefest contains some wild fight scenes, but is burdened by a bloated running time.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season Two
A marvelous return, just as brilliant and full of purpose.
Dressed to Kill
De Palma gives Hitchcock a morbid makeover.
May the Devil Take You
Timo Tjahjanto’s new horror film is somewhat tired in concept, but buoyed by some thrilling camerawork.
Wayne: Season One
Wayne is a fun but flawed YouTube Original with two great leads.
The Christmas Chronicles
Kurt Russell’s straight-talking Santa highlights Netflix’s new Christmas tale
Exploring Memory and Trauma: The Tale
Unraveling memory is a tedious, heartbreaking thing.
Robin Hood (2018)
Hollywood’s latest take on the classic tale is currently in theatres, and you could go watch it, but why?
FilmEra Presents: The Bond Franchise
I had spent the week in Morocco on a very important assignment. I was to wait for my contact, who supposedly visited this really nice cafe every day at noon. By the third day I […]
Bond Retrospective: Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds are forever, but this movie feels longer. Connery’s last official Bond leaves a lot to be desired.
Jurassic Park
A lesson in finding humanity.
Chungking Express
The camera moves and swirls like a vessel of fate itself. It watches over, takes part in, mourns with, and celebrates.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Life is a fickle thing in the Coen brothers bleak new western.
The Princess Switch
Netflix’s place-switching romp is a derivative mix pot of what’s come before it
Saturday Night Live – Season 44, Episode 6: Steve Carell/Ella Mai
Steve Carell hosted Saturday Night Live this week in promotion of his lead role in Beautiful Boy
The Romanoffs: “The One That Holds Everything”
Stories within stories, The Romanoffs comes to a close with a more personal and effective story.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Gauntlet
MST3K returns with The Gauntlet, a marathon-style nightmare for our heroes to suffer through for our benefit.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
An unnecessary and convoluted addition to the Harry Potter universe
ReelAsian22: One Cut of the Dead
Ueda Shinichiro’s meta zombie comedy is the most resourceful and ingenious indie film of the year.
A Private War
This is Rosamund Pike as you’ve never seen her.
ReelAsian22: Origin Story
Kulap Vilaysack explores her family tree in this messy, painful, wonderful and inspiring documentary.
Yield
Following in the footsteps of Ron Fricke’s Baraka and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi, Victor Tagaro’s Yield is an experimental film that shifts away from the typical form of the documentary and presents a visceral and enthralling […]
Widows
Widows comes at you hard and fast, hitting you with a highly tense and action packed gut punch. Oh, and that’s just the first five minutes. Strap in, this is the type of adult, star-power-infused, […]
Waiting for the Miracle to Come
Fairytales are stories of wonder and sparkles that grant the viewer a fantastical world with a heartwarming message. They touch people of all ages and unite them under themes of adventure, love, friendship, etc. This […]
ReelAsian22: Inuyashiki
Sato Shinsuke’s manga adaptation stumbles near the finish line, but is an otherwise thrilling ride, superbly directed.
Overlord
The legends of Nazis occultism are a long-standing part of the popular culture that could be traced back to when the Nazi Party was still in power. The most notable examples are two different Indiana […]
CIFF Day 4: Closing Night and Closing Remarks
The festival banners and the red carpet were quiet. Everyone had a very long weekend. I had a long weekend, one of my busiest of the year. Eight films in four days and all while […]
Atlanta: Season Two
The first season of Atlanta saw Donald Glover, Hiro Murai, FX & company premiere a groundbreaking new series set within the black community of Atlanta, depicting a gritty sense of realism while also managing to […]
Texas Cotton
Film festivals often market their hard hitting dramas for obvious enough reasons. With awards season coming up, festivals trade accolades for recognition as an upstanding film festival that promotes quality. Rarely do comedies or pulpy […]
ReelAsian22: Dead Pigs
Cathy Yan’s debut feature takes it sweet time juggling a lot of different plot threads, but the journey is worthwhile.
Saturday Night Live – Season 44, Episode 5: Liev Schrieber/Lil Wayne
Saturday Night Live was back this week with Liev Schreiber hosting and Lil Wayne performing musical duties. An odd pairing to say the least, but SNL never really strives to give their host-to-music combo any […]
The Grinch
Those familiar with Dr. Seuss’ Christmas tale will recognise the opening all too well. We sweep and swoop over the town of Whoville—bustling with Christmas colours and sounds—as the introduction to the place and time […]
CIFF 2018: Day 3 Finds
Day three I saw a stellar pair of films that were not easy to manage together. All in all, the Cinematografo Film Festival is shaping up to be a time filled with films that are […]
The Romanoffs: “End of the Line”
A very strong penultimate episode finds Kathryn Hahn and Jay R. Ferguson traveling to Russia.
Origin: Season One
YouTube’s new series brings incredible sights, but a familiar story stings this promising start.
Kidding: Season One
The first season of Kidding was a wonderful showcase for Jim Carrey, as inventiveness and a downward spiral play out.
CIFF 2018: Day 2 Discoveries
Day two at Cinematografo was filled with a couple stunning, and remarkably different, documentaries along with a delicate experimental film. Following Signal Rock, the festival has kept churning out intimate looks at Filipino culture and […]
The Girl in the Spider’s Web
Are you not Lisbeth Salander, the righter of wrongs? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? The girl who hurts men who hurt women? Those who love the grungy, leather-clad Lisbeth Salander from the well-known novels […]
AFI Fest: Ash Is Purest White
“The bottom line is, we’re all prisoners of the universe.” Director Jia Zhangke has established himself as the greatest Chinese director of the 21st century, but his latest film, Ash Is Purest White, seems at first […]
CIFF 2018: Signal Rock
The Philippines’ official submission for this year’s Best Foreign Language film at the Academy Awards, Signal Rock, was Cinematografo International Film Festival’s opening piece and, boy, did it set the tone for the whole festival in the […]
Outlaw King
Once upon a time, historical epics dominated the cinema screens, but as time progressed audience preference moved towards summer blockbusters and superheroes. Sadly, we are long past the days of films such as Braveheart, Last […]
AFF 2018: Speaking in Tongues
Non-spoiler review There is power in religion: the same way it can save a person, it can also lead them astray. Directed by Nathan Deming and making its world premiere at the 25th annual Austin […]
Bond Retrospective: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
*Editor’s Note: The role of Brogan Chattin shall be played by Geoff Smithey. I saw the guy at my local flea market and knew he was the perfect replacement.* When we last left the Bond […]
AFF 2018: Original Sin
Non-spoiler review Out of all the comedies I have watched at the Austin Film Festival, Original Sin (Pecado Original) is the most deserving to be called a “dark comedy.” Lines are crossed, and sins are committed, […]
Escape At Dannemora
Gorgeously directed by Ben Stiller, this gripping limited series holds standout performances from Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, and Benicio Del Toro.
Private Life
Perhaps the most pleasing thing about Private Life is how lived-in every inch of it feels. Rachel and Richard’s apartment doesn’t ask for an ounce of attention because it looks like so many you’ve stepped […]
Saturday Night Live – Season 44, Episode 4: Jonah Hill/Maggie Rogers
Because of Saturday Night Live‘s nature, one episode can vary greatly from the next. Such was the case with this week’s episode, easily the best since the season premiere. Jonah Hill and Maggie Rogers sparked […]
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms begins with a young girl named Clara (Mackenzie Foy), her siblings, and her grieving father. Having lost her mother, Clara’s family unit is one with broken connections and a […]
AFF 2018: Above the Clouds
Non-spoiler review Every now and then we need a light-hearted comedy that not only brightens our day but brings a smile to our faces. Making its North American premiere at the 25th Austin Film Festival, […]
The Romanoffs: “Panorama”
A confounding episode of The Romanoffs provides spectacular locales in Mexico City, but not much else.
The Kominsky Method: Season One
Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin star in this pleasant and fun look at getting older.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Music is one of the most powerful forces a film can use to evoke emotion and tell a story, and Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Bryan Singer, is no stranger to a well-placed song. Unfortunately, when […]
Narcos: Mexico
The new start for the Netflix series brings standout performances from Diego Luna and Michael Pena, and a tense look at the search for respect.
AFF 2018: Surviving Bokator
Non-spoiler review There are two films I regret missing out on at the 25th Austin Film Festival, and the North American premiere of Surviving Bokator is one of them. A powerful documentary about triumph, loss, and […]
The Guilty
Jakob Cedergren skillfully carries this single-room thriller about an emergency dispatcher scrambling to assist a kidnapped woman.
Suspiria 2018
Read my review of Dario Argento’s 1977 Suspiria here. Read my Film Frame Friday piece on the 1977 Suspiria here. When Luca Guadagnino’s reboot of the Giallo classic was released it followed a number of recent powerful […]
Into the Dark: “Flesh & Blood”
Into the Dark continues with Dermot Mulroney as a protective father looking out for his daughter’s best interests.
The Other Side of the Wind
The fact that this film is being released at all is miraculous. It is a rare privilege whenever a film long-thought to be lost is discovered and then worked to completion, and never before has […]
AFF 2018: Boy Erased
Jared, I want you to do well. I want you to have a great life. I love you, but we cannot see a way that you can live under this roof if you fundamentally go […]
The Princess Bride
Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride is a film that has acquired a cult following within our culture in the thirty years since its release. Like the fairy tale story it sets out to tell, the […]
The Beguiled
Sofia Coppola’s take on Thomas Cullinan’s novel The Beguiled (or The Painted Devil)—and by association Don Siegel’s 1971 film adaptation—is a dusky, sensual and twisted sort of fairytale. Coppola’s version is vastly different tonally, as […]
The Little Drummer Girl
A masterful miniseries with a wonderful central performance by Florence Pugh, The Little Drummer Girl is a throwback thriller with a lot to say.
Suspiria 1977
Dario Argento unleashed something masterfully simple and profoundly horrifying in his 1977 film Suspiria. The violence depicted and put on display in Suspiria is so graphic and wild, rather than just being cheap and bad taste, it […]
Candyman
“I am the writing on the wall, the whisper in the classroom. Without these things, I am nothing. So now, I must shed innocent blood.” The purpose of urban legends is often to evoke what […]
The Spectacular Spider-Man: Season One
Spider-Man was thrust back into our lives in a big way this fall with the release of Sony’s Playstation 4 title Spider-Man. The game has been received with universal critical and popular acclaim, and with […]
As Above, So Below: A Spotlight on Witchcraft in Film
The rather well-known phrase “as above, so below“—as stated in the title of this piece— comes from the religious, philosophical and esoteric tradition of Hermeticism, which follows Hermes Trismegistus, or the thrice-great Hermes. More specifically, […]
Patriot: Season Two
One of the best shows on television, Patriot returns with a dark and hilarious look at the rabbit hole of spy games.
AFF 2018: Antiquities
non-spoiler review My first film of the 25th annual Austin Film Festival just might be my favorite comedy of the year. Antiquities, directed by Daniel Campbell, is filled to the brim with memorable characters, quotable lines, and […]
AFF 2018: The Long Dumb Road
Non-spoiler review When you think of awesome comedy duos, your first thought probably won’t be Jason Mantzoukas and Tony Revolori, but director Hannah Fidell makes you look foolish for ever doubting the pairing. The two […]
Black Sabbath
Back when Black Sabbath, arguably one of the most influential bands in metal history, was starting out, they weren’t called Black Sabbath. Instead, the legendary metal gods went by the soft, rather hippy-sounding name Mother. […]
AFF 2018: Vox Lux
Opening the Austin Film Festival is the relentless, stressful, and gorgeous Vox Lux. Directed by Brady Corbet and starring Raffey Cassidy and Natalie Portman, this film is labeled as a portrait of the 21st century. […]
Colette
Wash Westmoreland’s Colette is a delightfully subversive take on the typical period piece that thoroughly, albeit perhaps unexpectedly, engages its viewers. It is a film that skillfully flips its genre’s stereotypes on their heads—it is […]
The Romanoffs: “Bright and High Circle”
Unfortunate timing and unfortunate decisions mire this week’s The Romanoffs, leaving great performers with little to work with.
