Christian Zilko

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IndieWire
For 156 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 63% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 5.5 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Christian Zilko's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 71
Highest review score: 91 Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Lowest review score: 25 Children of the Corn
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 120 out of 156
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 156
  3. Negative: 5 out of 156
156 movie reviews
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    • 47 Metascore
    • 50 Christian Zilko
    Mob Land
    The attempts at spectacle never quite land, as Maggio’s ambitious car chase sequences and shootouts seem to stretch his resources and give the impression of a filmmaker biting off more than he can chew.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 91 Christian Zilko
    My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock
    With My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock, Cousins powerfully makes the case that there’s nothing better than cinema itself for elevating a lie into art.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    They Cloned Tyrone
    The winning cast allows Taylor to exploit the formula that the Coen brothers have made careers out of: watching lovable dimwits investigate a mystery that they’re completely unqualified to solve is always a blast.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 75 Christian Zilko
    Nimona
    What could have been a generic piece of standard Netflix fare in less skillful hands ends up being a nuanced story of belonging that’s slightly less cliche-ridden than you might expect.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 42 Christian Zilko
    Cold Copy
    Roxine Helberg’s directorial debut constantly reminds us that our world exists in complicated shades of gray, but the story that it tells is painfully black and white.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 91 Christian Zilko
    Falcon Lake
    It’s truly astounding that Falcon Lake is the work of a first-time feature director. Le Bon demonstrates a masterful understanding of shot composition and pacing that allows her to craft a haunting vibe without turning it into a gimmick.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 25 Christian Zilko
    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
    The most tragic part of the entire debacle is the realization that Hasbro saw this movie as an opportunity to introduce grander storytelling ambitions.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 75 Christian Zilko
    Kandahar
    For better or worse, Kandahar is a throwback to the kind of Tom Clancy-inspired geopolitical thrillers that used to be a bi-weekly occurrence in the 1990s.
    • 37 Metascore
    • 42 Christian Zilko
    The Machine
    The Machine really goes off the rails when it tries to turn itself into an action movie. The blandly violent fight sequences are only watchable because Hamill gets the occasional opportunity to show off his dorky-dad-on-cocaine schtick between punches.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 75 Christian Zilko
    Hypnotic
    It feels like an utterly ridiculous film before you hit the multitude of twists that blow up its already-shaky premise a dozen times over. But at a certain point, the film’s commitment to its own asininity becomes so overpowering that even the most cynical viewers will have no choice but to suspend their disbelief and be sucked into its magic.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 33 Christian Zilko
    Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World
    It’s almost impressive that Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World is so dull.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
    Földes’ movie succeeds as both a tribute to a living legend and a reminder that nothing is ever quite as unfilmable as it seems. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is far from the definitive Murakami movie. But for now, it’s one of the best ones we’ve got.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 75 Christian Zilko
    The Super Mario Bros. Movie
    The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a true masterclass in exploiting juicy IP, building out an intricate-yet-familiar world that’s littered with video game Easter eggs that could set up other movies.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    Scream VI
    While Scream VI still features its share of meta humor, it leaves no doubt that this universe is now fleshed out enough to support an infinite number of sequels.
    • 22 Metascore
    • 25 Christian Zilko
    Children of the Corn
    Children of the Corn is clearly one of the worst Stephen King film adaptations ever made — if anything, it seems unfair that it’s included in a category with so many good movies by the grace of a technicality.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 58 Christian Zilko
    We Have a Ghost
    If you have your heart set on watching a new release about people who have a ghost today, “We Have a Ghost” will be a tolerable experience. But for everyone else, reading the film’s highly descriptive title is about as interesting as spending 127 minutes watching it.
    • 16 Metascore
    • 58 Christian Zilko
    Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey
    “Blood and Honey” feels like a throwback to a simpler era of filmmaking. Not an era where movies were better — because it’s not particularly good — but a time when a film could be produced, marketed, and turn a profit just by promising audiences an image they hadn’t seen before.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 75 Christian Zilko
    Huesera: The Bone Woman
    Huesera: The Bone Woman remains a highly competent debut feature. It’s a chilling reminder that when something feels off, you should listen to your gut.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 75 Christian Zilko
    Beyond Utopia
    The film never fully commits to being a pure North Korean escape documentary, and its weakest moments come when it tries to be a general interest film about North Korea that happens to feature escape footage.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    You People
    You People ends up being more of a feel-good rom-com and love letter to Los Angeles than a truly biting satire, but you’d have to hate fun to complain about that.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 91 Christian Zilko
    There's Something Wrong with the Children
    The latest Blumhouse movie about creepy kids is a fitting addition to one of horror’s most reliable subgenres, and it manages to elevate itself above the competition through some genuinely compelling adult drama and a delightful Duffer Brothers-esque supernatural twist. And it’s infinitely more enjoyable than any direct-to-streaming January horror movie has any right to be.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    After Love
    Anchored by a nuanced turn from Scanlan that can hang with some of the best Italian Neorealist performances, the film ends up a beautiful, jagged exploration of the messy nature of being human.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 91 Christian Zilko
    The Offering
    By combining genuine human drama and an exploration of a mysterious sacred text with a ridiculously entertaining plot about a child-stealing demon, the film serves as a reminder of all the things that horror is uniquely equipped to accomplish.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    Candy Land
    Watching Candy Land is a lot like eating beef jerky from a truck stop. In both cases, you might find yourself thinking, “if someone told me this was made in 1973, I’d believe them.” Yet both experiences can end up being enjoyable despite leaving you with an overwhelming desire to shower.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    Actual People
    It’s the kind of muted slice-of-life film that only works because a delightfully complex character anchors it.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 67 Christian Zilko
    Dylan & Zoey
    The film deserves credit for its nuanced exploration of sexual trauma, showing us characters who are both burdened by it yet seem to adjust their coping mechanisms by the minute.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 67 Christian Zilko
    Next Exit
    Parker and Kohli both give excellent performances, but the majority of Next Exit is hard to distinguish from the standard road trip dramas that pop up at Sundance every year.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 67 Christian Zilko
    V/H/S/99
    While V/H/S/99 is a far cry from the original, it still manages to be far more fun than it has any right to be. By connecting its horror vignettes with trippy stop-motion sketches instead of a unifying plot device, it crafts a viewing experience that essentially amounts to an Adult Swim programming block for horror fans.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 83 Christian Zilko
    Pretty Problems
    A tight script, stellar ensemble cast, and plenty of easy-on-the-eyes shots of California wine country make for a delightful time at the movies. Rich people might live in a world without consequences, but Pretty Problems reminds us that it can be pretty damn fun to join them for a couple hours.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 42 Christian Zilko
    The Curse of Bridge Hollow
    The Curse of Bridge Hollow makes no attempt to hide the fact that its only selling point is that it takes place during the holiday audiences are currently celebrating. The combination of autumnal B-roll and nonexistent storytelling ambition results in something that’s more of an addition to your living room’s Halloween decorations than a piece of cinema that commands anyone’s attention.
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