REVIEW: Like Father (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Netflix’s Like Father — Directed by Lauren Miller Rogen.

You know how a lot of comedy television shows have that episode where the characters go on vacation somewhere warm? Think Hawaii or the like. But then when they have that vacation it is at the exact worst time because the characters have either just broken up and now have to engage in couples activities, or they, for some reason, are upset with one another but now have no way to get away from each other. That is Like Father — a film about reconnecting by unplugging with the plot of a two-episode TV-show story arc, but which, somehow, has three major stars attached to it. Continue reading “REVIEW: Like Father (2018)”

REVIEW: First Team: Juventus – Part Two (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the last three episodes of the first season of First Team: Juventus – A Netflix Documentary Series.

You may not have noticed, but Netflix doesn’t always release every episode of a season at once. With some shows and docu-series, they’ve started to release half of the content at one point, only to release the conclusion at a later point (often six months later). Back in February, I reviewed the first part of First Team: Juventus, which was basically three episodes on the first half of the 2017/2018 football season. Now, Netflix has released the second half of the season, and while it is more compelling, it, unfortunately, suffers from some of the same issues that the first part did. Continue reading “REVIEW: First Team: Juventus – Part Two (2018)”

REVIEW: Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018 – Documentary)

Poster – HBO

The following is a review of the HBO Documentary – Robin Williams: Come Inside my Mind.

For no reason, in particular, I rewatched Vincent Ward’s What Dreams May Come the other day. It is a fantasy-drama from the late 1990s that is memorable for its unique look as it showed audiences a different version of the afterlife. It is a film about the immortality of the human soul, the idea of soulmates, and it is also a film that pays particular attention to a character who died by suicide. Continue reading “REVIEW: Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018 – Documentary)”

REVIEW: Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures / Lionsgate

The following is a review of Sicario: Day of the Soldado — Directed by Stefano Sollima.

Some movies don’t need sequels. Sure, I know what you are going to say. No films truly need sequels, which is true. But when almost the entire creative team behind a successful standalone film is switched out and replaced when the sequel is to be made, alarm bells ring. I become worried that a new creative team might ruin what made the first film so great. Continue reading “REVIEW: Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)”

REVIEW: The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter — Directed by Jody Hill.

It is a good year to be Josh Brolin. Sure, we are more than halfway through the year, but, still, it is remarkable how one actor has managed to star in so many films this ‘early’ into the year. Over the course of this summer, Brolin has appeared in not one, not two, not three, but four films. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter (2018)”

REVIEW: Hereditary (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – A24

The following is a review of Hereditary — Directed by Ari Aster.

You can always tell a horror movie is going to be the talk of the town once, at least, one of the three following things happen: when it receives critical acclaim, when critics are championing a central performance in the film, and when critics, fans, or filmmakers say or imply that the film isn’t really a horror movie. All three things happened with Hereditary. Continue reading “REVIEW: Hereditary (2018)”

REVIEW: Westworld – “The Passenger”

The following is a spoiler-filled recap and review of the tenth episode of Westworld: Season Two – Developed by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy.

In the final episode of the second season of Westworld (“The Passenger”), Maeve (played by Thandie Newton) makes her escape, Dolores (played by Evan Rachel Wood) runs into an old friend, and Bernard (played by Jeffrey Wright) makes a life-affirming decision. Continue reading “REVIEW: Westworld – “The Passenger””

REVIEW: Westworld – “Vanishing Point”

westworld-review

The following is a spoiler-filled recap and review of the ninth episode of Westworld: Season Two – Developed by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy

In the penultimate episode of the second season of Westworld (“Vanishing Point”), we learn what exactly drove William’s wife to commit suicide, William (played by Ed Harris) becomes increasingly more paranoid, and Teddy (played by James Marsden) rethinks his relationship with Dolores (played by Evan Rachel Wood). Continue reading “REVIEW: Westworld – “Vanishing Point””

REVIEW: Westworld – “Kiksuya”

westworld-review

The following is a spoiler-filled review of the eighth episode of Westworld: Season Two – Developed by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy

In the eighth episode of the second season of Westworld (“Kiksuya”), Akecheta (played by Zahn McClarnon) — the leader of the Ghost Nation — tells us his story as the fates of William (played by Ed Harris) and Maeve (played by Thandie Newton) are still up in the air. Continue reading “REVIEW: Westworld – “Kiksuya””

REVIEW: Patrick Melrose (2018 – Mini-Series)

Release Poster – Showtime

The following is a review of Patrick Melrose — A British-American Mini-Series.

Benedict Cumberbatch has made himself into a star. He is the kind of actor who has gotten himself a devoted fanbase that stretches to the ends of the earth, which, I think, is even a surprise to him. BBC’s Sherlock was, obviously, his breakthrough series, and it will probably stay as the piece of content for which he receives the most love from fans, even though he now has played a mythical dragon in The Hobbit-films and a fan-favorite hero in Marvel’s Doctor Strange. But his performance as the title character in Patrick Melrose might be his most complete and layered performance yet. Continue reading “REVIEW: Patrick Melrose (2018 – Mini-Series)”