Alan Ng

It’s funny, fast-paced, and just plain fun.

On the grand scare scale of Asian horror, with The Ring and The Grudge as its standard-bearers, Room 203 is on the lighter side of horror.

The Secrets of Dumbledore is hands down the best of the series.

As They Made Us shines because of its cast.

There is a charm to Win a Trip To Browntown found in its story of family and ambition.

There is so much to love about the film. Its greatest achievement is its screenplay, which is very dense. Nothing is wasted — not a single side character, joke, gag, or plot point. Every element serves a purpose to the overall story.

Documentaries exist for many reasons. In the case of Ink & Linda, it’s to take us to a world that we may not be familiar with and show us something new, something interesting. Not only do we meet two unique artists, but we get to see them collaborate and create.

Where the first two acts tell an offbeat and strange story, the final act comes out of the blue and ties everything up in a hope-filled and tear-inducing way.

Those first two acts feel fresh and different. I loved Pattinson’s take. He’s not a pretty boy, he’s a conflicted human being. He’s a hero who’s not so super.

My only real issue is the two leads. They’re crazy and hold nothing back. They are revolting and lovable, but there’s not much contrast between the two or real depth to their characters other than being lazy reprobates.

Good storytelling and fantastic acting by Alessandra and Anamari Mesa make up for any limitations of not having a million-dollar budget. Superior is worthy of your support.

The final product more than overcomes its weaknesses.

D.J. Caruso masterfully orchestrates this symphony of suspense, albeit a twenty-piece symphony, but a symphony nonetheless.

Resurrection is a brilliant thriller that rests on the actors’ remarkable performances without the need for typical thriller elements nor the need to resort to torture porn.

After Yang is a good-looking movie, especially for one that’s mostly talking and conversations, the acting is good — an easy feat for seasoned actor Colin Farrell and Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja is adorable as hell. But unfortunately, it misses its storytelling potential by focusing too much of our attention on the wrong story elements.

The beauty of the film is just how genuine and down-to-earth the performances are and how Gyllenhaal maintains a natural, authentic tone throughout.

The King’s Man doesn’t pick up in any truly incredible way until the second half, where a fantastic narrative twist happens.

The 355 is good old action fun with a well-constructed story and better than all of the bad James Bond movies. That’s right, Octopussy! I’m talking about you. I’m hoping The 355 is the right direction for female-driven action movies.

I liked The Tender Bar for its simple story and fantastic performances. But, honestly, it works best as a straight-to-streaming title, as it hits familiar beats and feels small in scope. Clooney has concocted cinematic comfort food.

I should be complaining about how bloated Being The Ricardos is, but I can’t. There’s a lot going on, but I wouldn’t cut a single word or scene. Like Lucy herself, the film is funny, deadly serious, and heartwarming all in one package.

To me, the story is the reason to see The Matrix Resurrections. Lana Wachowski brings unexpected freshness to this new evolution of Matrix stories.

All Speilberg really did was take a masterpiece, keep it a masterpiece, and add a little flair (and backstory). He took gold and made prettier gold.

The Sleeping Negro is unlike your typical drama in that it has a dreamlike visual tone and style and is more an essay about the trials and tribulations of being black in America.

The story and music shine. Maybe it is not an instant classic like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, but it definitely will enrapture a new generation of Disney fans.

For a sequel/reboot, Ghostbusters: Afterlife delivers the fun of the original, albeit in very different ways.

All around, King Richard is a solid, inspiring film.

This excellent cast of veteran actors makes comic-book dialogue palatable. In lesser hands, it would’ve come off hokey.

Denis Villeneuve delivers on the big epic space story we’ve been waiting for and comes through in unique and unexpected ways.