Mary Kassel

Red Sonja falls short of expectations from beginning to end; it only succeeds in following in the footsteps of the 1985 flop.

Pieces of exposition and backstory are dropped sparingly throughout Animale. While this is a strength, the movie could've done with a little more exploration of Nejma's past and relationship with her mother.

The documentary doesn't know who Jeff Buckley was. However, it might expose what we are desperate to get from him, long past the time he has anything left to give.

Even with a literary atmosphere and a steamy romance, the fact that My Oxford Year blatantly feels comfortable exploding emotional minefields for narratively unclear reasons clouds its potential success as a basic but inoffensive rom-com.

While it can be profoundly moving to follow the story of people's small but important everyday lives, the film loses both the audience and its momentum by the final act when things should be heating up the most.

I Know What You Did Last Summer isn't the worst long-awaited horror sequel ever put to screen, but it doesn't try to be anything but a shallow reflection of its predecessor.

Delivering the blood, gore, and guts you would expect from the classics of the genre, Ziam has no intention of reinventing anything, unabashedly leaning into the tropes of these stories that audiences know well.

The movie is Davidtz's feature debut. What she crafts is something imperfect, but as nuanced as a discussion of this topic from the white perspective can be.

Going back to basics was the best thing it could have done. With a straightforward narrative and characters we care about who don't overcomplicate the plot, the film crafts something more timeless.

M3GAN 2.0 doesn't lose this completely, but the more polished and grown-up world doesn't fit as easily into the silly sense of humor that made M3GAN so popular.

Though it's more of a reboot than a sequel, 28 Years Later pays homage to the original film without sacrificing its originality & fresh spirit.

It's fun, and there's nothing inherently wrong with it, but I found myself distracted, turning away from the screen several times because I knew I wasn't missing much. Something Beautiful will come and go, and for most, it won't make much of an impact.

Watching Echo Valley isn't long at a little over an hour and a half. However, even in that amount of time, I had hoped to witness more of the story and fewer hollow twists.

Audiences want to be moved and given a reason to revisit the emotions sparked by the story, and Lilo & Stitch delivers.

The movie tells a tight, contained story, but spends a little too much time sharpening its emotional knives to craft a truly compelling supernatural story. Bring Her Back gets lost in the weeds of its desire to rip your heart out.

While fans of the Mission: Impossible franchise might shed a tear watching this emotional tribute, all audiences will be swept away by its action.

The best we can hope for is that Summer of 69 will open the door for more contemporary conversations in coming-of-age movies that aren't afraid to have more fun.

The Moogai uses the monster and horror as tactics, but it's at its best when the story shows that it's bigger than these two elements.

The Legend of Ochi isn't just a throwback in terms of style and narrative. It recalls a time when audiences had longer attention spans and were more willing to suspend their disbelief, and there's no better reason to do so than to experience The Legend of Ochi.

It's a thrilling ride, and the fun the production is having with itself is contagious. There are moments of humor and necessary breaks in the tension that let us laugh and allow us to get braver alongside the characters.

Though the actors have little to work with, they're a game ensemble, potentially making them the only redeeming quality of Hell of a Summer​​​​​​.

If Sloan and Mastroianni made Gazer with only their limited resources and spark to create something new, it bodes well for the filmmakers' futures and whatever their next project will be.

William Tell is a rare movie that I would argue should have been longer. If there's any story that could justify a three-hour runtime, it's William Tell, and the pacing would have benefited from this length enormously.

It's gripping and effective but doesn't have anything new to say.

It's a mindless good time.

Fans of De Niro and the gangster movie will have fun with this addition to the genre, but they won't find anything new in its well-tread story.

We're dumped into the action, and the action doesn't even have the courtesy to be good.

The Quiet Ones isn't action-packed enough to be pure fun or interrogative enough to be thought-provoking.

Though the film's final act begins to drag, and many of the same themes are touched upon multiple times, You, Me & Her must be praised for the clarity of its vision.

Jazzy relies on the look and feel of its world to communicate what Jazzy is feeling and succeeds in painting a universal portrait of growing up.

Dog Man is trying to tackle too many themes and morals at once, creating a mess instead of a cohesive and accessible lesson.

Birdeater didn't have to be a blood-soaked revenge movie to be more effective, but it took too few risks to be truly thought-provoking.

The Count of Monte Cristo is as much a swashbuckling adventure as it is a warning about the dangers of letting yourself get lost in the desire for things that don't matter. With a gorgeous score that uplifts every scene, making them more tense, romantic, and devastating, and sets and costumes on par with the best period pieces of the 21st century, everything about the movie is planned and carefully executed.

The chemistry between Booth and Pill is a large part of what makes Young Werther work.

Even if it's ultimately forgettable, the movie has an undeniable feel-good appeal, and during the cold winter months, there's no reason to take that away from anybody. Flaws and all, there's no question that this movie will find its audience and be celebrated for its nostalgia and pathos.

Though competently shot, the storytelling and performances leave much to be desired.

Memoir of a Snail never asks us or the narrative to compare the depth of sadness or experience. Every experience is treated with equal weight and importance. Even as we realize that Grace's life is becoming a string of misfortunes, it's impossible not to stick with her.

MadS shows what can be done with a little imagination and faith in the audience.

Structurally, Fitting In isn't perfect. It overuses the montage and features dialogue that leans more into preachy territory than Lindy's natural expression of their feelings. However, it's impossible to accuse the film of being anything less than emotionally truthful.

Rebel Ridge is consistently precise in tone, theme, and pacing throughout.

The surface-level script and refusal to commit to any character's development make the story and characters shadows of what they could have been.

Incoming has funny moments, and the young actors deliver their lines with the commitment of seasoned professionals every step of the way. However, as I was watching, I was endlessly reminded that watching Incoming's influences would have been more enjoyable.

The overarching problem is the film's tendency to be a touch too shallow, even if that's the point of the narrative. Finding out more about Hope's hidden past, the supporting characters, and the big lives everyone hints at would have made the story more compelling and helped the characters feel real.

Tyler Perry's movies fall into many genres, but Divorce in the Black treads no new ground compared to his other dramas. Even in the film's most shocking moments, its narrative is part of a common formula.

The Vourdalak is an indication of where modern horror movies should be headed. I was moved not by the gruesome violence of the story but by the devastating tragedy akin to a Greek drama. The Vourdalak doesn't need graphic cruelty to get its point across, as the movie and filmmaker understand that there is even more devastation to be found in the dark.

Grassland might not be revolutionary, but if it's a signal of where the next generation of filmmakers is heading, we're in safe hands.

The sparsely populated funny moments don't make up for the lack of craftsmanship in the story's journey.

It's commendable that the narrative never tries to explain the magic system of the world or bring up questions of potential paradoxes. However, it equally avoids questions about the nature of consequences. Without any real stakes or time crunch, the story builds and builds, but ends up going nowhere.

As an actor, Bartholomew has a lot riding on her performance, and for the most part, she nails it. Her physicality stands out above all else, as she expertly telegraphs internal changes and anguish to the audience through her body language.

Throughout the film, Arnow takes us on a quiet odyssey that captures the search for real intimacy, as Ann struggles to act on her desires in all parts of her life.

The Long Game doesn’t push itself far enough, but ultimately, it successfully and truthfully tells the story it set out to tell and has fun along the way.

Few stones are left unturned in the callbacks to different parts of his career, and those unfamiliar with Shatner's lower-profile roles will get a kick out of seeing him outside his most iconic roles.

Though the story treads familiar territory and doesn't present a remarkable discovery about human nature, that doesn't leave us any less affected by the journey.