Matthew Jackson

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For 62 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 93% higher than the average critic
  • 1% same as the average critic
  • 6% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 12.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Matthew Jackson's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 78
Highest review score: 100 Longlegs
Lowest review score: 25 Dear Santa
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 62
  2. Negative: 2 out of 62
62 movie reviews
    • 90 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    For all this and more, Oppenheimer deserves the title of masterpiece. It’s Christopher Nolan’s best film so far, a step up to a new level for one of our finest filmmakers, and a movie that burns itself into your brain.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    I Saw The TV Glow is a remarkable portrait of pop-culture obsession—how it can unite us, change us, and ripple down through our entire lives in ways both uplifting and unsettling.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 91 Matthew Jackson
    With its unexpectedly moving sights, remarkable voice ensemble, and pure clarity of humanist vision, The Wild Robot emerges as a stunning achievement.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Matthew Jackson
    DaCosta arrives in the world of 28 Years Later with confidence, swagger, and infectious energy, delivering 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — one of the best horror sequels in recent memory, and a must-see horror film for 2026.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 67 Matthew Jackson
    It’s sometimes buried under layers and layers of storytelling knots that the film never fully untangles, but the fun is there, and when the film is really working, that turns out to be enough.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 85 Matthew Jackson
    Personality Crisis: One Night Only retains the impish mystery surrounding one of rock’s most underrated frontmen while building a beautiful and slightly abstracted portrait of a man in a constant state of transformation.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    The Beast is a monster of a movie, one that will sink its claws into you, then ask you to contemplate the wounds it leaves. It’s not an easy watch, but it is a deeply rewarding one that you’ll be thinking about for days.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    It’s got great tension, great characters, and great jump scares, and it cements Mc Carthy’s place as a major new voice in horror.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    Eggers' Nosferatu is a beautifully crafted, endlessly compelling nightmare that will envelop you in its shifting, writhing darkness and simply refuse to let go. It's one of the best horror films of the year, and represents a new level of ambition and craft from one of our best horror filmmakers.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    Everything about it, from the performances to the production design to the sickly quality of the light in scene after scene, is designed to make us not just question what we’re seeing, but stand at a remove from it, like we’ve just seen a wild animal behaving strangely. Like that wild animal might just lash out and bite us if we get too close.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 90 Matthew Jackson
    Fierce, fun, and steeped in youthful energy, it’s a film that’s willing to go to some truly dark places in its exploration of grief, death and what it means when we reach too far into the beyond, but it’s also never afraid to laugh along the way. That juxtaposition alone is enough to make it one of the year’s must-see horror films, an addictive thrill ride that never loses its own playful spin on some classic horror ideas.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    Hokum is the latest fruit of McCarthy’s chameleonic gifts, and his best film yet.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    The film does not have easy answers, but rather than making it seem shallow, its lack of clear moral coding instead offers us something more primal and more powerful. It’s a film about the open-ended question of how much humanity we as a species have left in us, and that makes it a provocative, thrilling monster of a movie that will sear itself into your eyeballs.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    The greatest success of The Baltimorons, aside from how effortlessly funny it is, lies in its focused thematic weight, wrapped up in its setting.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    Even with the action and stunt work operating at full throttle, what really makes The Fall Guy work is the partnership between Gosling and Blunt.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 90 Matthew Jackson
    It's another triumph from a singular voice in cinema, and another Lanthimos movie you sort of never see coming.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    Late Night With The Devil achieves that rare feat of feeling like something we were never supposed to see. But once we’ve seen it, we can’t look away.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 85 Matthew Jackson
    If you’re lucky enough to feel the presence built by this film, you’ll find one of the most rewarding and impressive genre films of the year so far, and proof that Geoghegan has plenty more to offer us as a horror storyteller.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    Divisiveness aside, and despite a few stumbles in pacing as it pivots from cool premise to interesting conclusion, Heretic is a wonderfully effective, chilling thriller from two of the best genre storytellers currently in the game.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    It might not be destined to join the ranks of teen comedy masterpieces, but in the short term, its ability to nail the right balance of emotional and comedic unpredictability makes it a very pleasant journey, and a must-see for teen movie aficionados.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 100 Matthew Jackson
    Patel’s film may have found its greatest success in the way it seamlessly, powerfully translates the director’s pure, kinetic love of cinema into something bold, new, and unforgettable.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 50 Matthew Jackson
    It's not a terrible film, to be sure. At times it's even deeply entertaining, because Coen and Cooke clearly still have a certain sense of magic and charm in everything they do. But this dark crime comedy starring Margaret Qualley as a determined private eye is still lacking in a sense of real direction.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 85 Matthew Jackson
    The aim is to deliver something that’s both a gripping throwback and a shockingly timeless exploration of human terror. Happily for horror fans, the film mostly hits the mark, and becomes a must-see genre film along the way.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 91 Matthew Jackson
    It’s a warm, approachable movie that you’ll get blissfully lost in.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    The Rule Of Jenny Pen‘s willingness to constantly challenge its audience with shadows and hints rather than some kind of outright horror mythos is one of its great strengths, and Rush embodies that with intense, compelling control.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Matthew Jackson
    By the time the credits roll, all the ingredients Reeder’s been carefully marshaling come together in surprising, satisfying ways, delivering a horror film that leaves the world a little bigger, a little stranger and a little scarier.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 78 Matthew Jackson
    Starve Acre is not one of those horror films that everyone going in blind will enjoy. It’s not a crowd pleaser or a popcorn thriller. It’s a steady, methodically engineered, beautifully realized meditation on the slow, persistent sting of grief, and a gentle unearthing of the things we bury deep in our souls.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 77 Matthew Jackson
    Built from the same little monster framework as stuff like the Gremlins and Critters series, Frankie Freako is an unapologetically weird, esoteric ride through a very particular kind of ’80s movie, complete with what feels like an absolute suspension of the rules of reality. That makes it, at minimum, refreshing, and at its best, wildly entertaining.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    While other V/H/S installments have sometimes been scattershot, united by format and time period more than anything else, V/H/S/Beyond holds together almost perfectly as a thematic exploration of the things lurking just beyond our understanding.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    Forget what you think you know about horror prequels. The First Omen gets it, goes for the throat, and never lets go.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Matthew Jackson
    While "Romulus" is a bit overstuffed, it's also never boring, and at its best it's one of the scariest rides you can take at the movies this summer.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Matthew Jackson
    It's a great time at the movies for slasher fans, '80s pop culture fans, and Mia Goth fans alike, and even with a few stumbles in mind, it manages to stand as one of the summer's must-see films.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 91 Matthew Jackson
    It’s not just a film, it’s a blaze of glory, and that sense of daring is both the best thing about Vol. 3 and, occasionally, the worst.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    Packed with memorable kills, knowing winks, and a playful slasher whodunit plot, Thanksgiving is a horror feast worth sitting through, even if it never exactly pushes beyond the bounds of its central hook.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    The results are mixed, but while Hell Hole is not the family’s best film, it is proof that they’re still among the most fascinating and consistently entertaining players in the horror game.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Totally Killer is a film full of great talent, great moments, and an infectious sense of fun, which means that even when it doesn’t quite work, it’s an entertaining balance of slasher tropes and time travel adventure.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 80 Matthew Jackson
    While some of the old magic might be a little lost in translation, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" still manages to deliver just about everything we could have hoped for from a legacy sequel in this franchise. It's funny, it's action-packed, it's got heart, and it's got Eddie Murphy proving once again that he's still got it. What more could you want?
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Matthew Jackson
    Abigail is a brutal, bloody blast.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 90 Matthew Jackson
    Violent, laugh-out-loud funny, and often cartoonishly macabre, The Monkey is everything "Longlegs" is not, and yet it fits perfectly in Perkins' larger body of work. And like "Longlegs," it's a horror experience that should not be missed.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 67 Matthew Jackson
    Uneven and sometimes predictable though it is, it’s a film that knows how to push the buttons of its particular subgenre, and you get the sense that any number of stars might have been able to carry it in the right context. You also get the sense, from the very first moment she’s onscreen to the unforgettable final frame, that none of those other possible stars could have carried it quite as well as Sweeney.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Vanderbilt’s film slowly, confidently morphs into something beyond a cautionary tale and more like a klaxon blaring through the cinema.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 70 Matthew Jackson
    It’s solid, and at its best it’s an impishly entertaining little thriller. But all the talent in the world can’t overcome the feeling that there is more here to be mined, if only Humane had dug just a little deeper.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 85 Matthew Jackson
    Who we really are versus who we hope we are is a source of phenomenal dramatic tension in any genre. Throw in some horror concepts and some scary atmosphere and you’ve got what’s (hopefully) a compelling concoction about the fear of facing your true self, and the fear of learning those closest to you aren’t who you thought they were.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Satanic Hispanics, a horror anthology from a quintet of Latino filmmakers and an energetic ensemble cast of actors, embraces the versatility and sense of diversity that can work so well in this format.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 Matthew Jackson
    It is, quite simply, a well-intentioned film that gets lost in the swampy wilderness of its own convoluted plotting and twisted character work, until all that's left is murky water.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 85 Matthew Jackson
    Even when you might want more from its plot, and even when it’s sticking to quiet character drama over all-out monster assaults, The Boogeyman thrives on the implied thing that’s lurking in every corner, which makes it a very effective, intimate creepshow.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Throw in a few fun set pieces, some dynamic creature designs, and a breezy narrative that zips by before your eyes, and Spy Kids: Armageddon comes away as a film that mostly works.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 83 Matthew Jackson
    An all-out assault on the senses that’s fun, funny, and still capable of making you a little queasy. That’s Destroy All Neighbors in a nutshell, but that’s also just the beginning.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Despite this unevenness, there’s a lot to love in The Last Voyage Of The Demeter for horror fans and casual moviegoers alike.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 61 Matthew Jackson
    Everyone seems like they’re genuinely having fun, but they’re trapped in a less interesting movie than the one they could have made, the one just out of frame.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Anchored by Diaz and Foxx's combined star power and a general sense of pleasantness that never fades, it's a solid little action-comedy with a bit of family fun at its core. The bad news, if you want to look at it that way, is that there's not much else there, leaving the film a hollow, though pleasant, experience.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    Despite some choppy waters in the back half, this is a fun, funny, often genuinely unnerving horror movie experience, one that might make you think twice about that first swim of the year when summer rolls around.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    This is a film that takes big swing after big swing, and leaves us filled up with spectacle, warmth, and a sense that the wait was probably worth it.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 60 Matthew Jackson
    The movie stars are present, the film looks slick and shiny, and the adventure doesn’t ever let up, but something about it ultimately rings hollow, and by the second hour, you’re left wondering what the point of all of this is, at least until the characters outright explain it to you without any real emotional payoff.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 60 Matthew Jackson
    There’s a lot of talent on the screen, some catchy music, and some wonderful visuals and design choices, but none of it ever quite adds up to something bigger, leaving us with a film that’s ambitious but strangely hollow.
    • 39 Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    If you’re not a slasher nerd, don’t worry, this entertaining, wicked little movie can still win you over, even if it might take you a little longer to find its particular groove.
    • 36 Metascore
    • 42 Matthew Jackson
    It’s trying to be everything at once, and ends up feeling flimsy, empty, and again, very, very frustrating.
    • 34 Metascore
    • 25 Matthew Jackson
    If Christmas movies can’t be good, they can usually at least be pleasant distractions. Dear Santa is neither. It’s a regrettable film, one that wasn’t ever worth the wordplay that started it.
    • 34 Metascore
    • 68 Matthew Jackson
    Though Quan and his supporting cast are often a delight, and the film’s fight scenes are worth strapping in for, this is a movie that makes a choppy mess of its brisk runtime, and wastes a lot of its potential with a molasses-slow, often baffling second act.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 25 Matthew Jackson
    Rupert Sanders’ The Crow emerges from its 15-year development hell not as the version of this reboot that finally clicked, but as a film that seems to have once been nine films, all hastily cobbled into something resembling a story, all of its edges smoothed off until it’s flat, flimsy, and dull.
    • 28 Metascore
    • 50 Matthew Jackson
    Despite a cast of endearing key players, a couple of solid scares, and a story rooted in certain fears a lot of us can easily relate to, it's a film that spreads itself so thin that, by the end, the only thing it can really be is a mess.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 75 Matthew Jackson
    With Deathstalker, Kostanski attempts to bring his loose, gleeful style to the sword and sorcery genre, and mostly succeeds, giving us another midnight movie essential.

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